Nick Aldis blasts Gunther with title before SummerSlam
SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis interfered in Saturday Night's Main Event, blasting Gunther with a championship belt and helping CM Punk and Cody Rhodes beat Gunther and Sami Zayn. The loss kept Gunther and Zayn out of the SummerSlam WWE Title match between Punk and Rhodes at Madison Square Garden.
Key Takeaways
- Nick Aldis interfered late, pulling a referee and hitting Gunther with a title belt.
- CM Punk and Cody Rhodes defeated Gunther and Sami Zayn in the SNME main event.
- A Gunther-Zayn win would have added them to the SummerSlam WWE Championship match.
- The Punk vs. Rhodes SummerSlam title bout remains a one-on-one showdown.
- Aldis and Gunther's feud dates back to Night of Champions and a SmackDown chokehold.
What happened when Nick Aldis interfered at SNME?
The main event at Saturday Night's Main Event pitted Sami Zayn and Gunther against Cody Rhodes and Undisputed WWE Champion CM Punk inside Madison Square Garden. According to Fightful, Gunther struck Rhodes with a championship belt and powerbombed him while the assigned referee was down on the outside.
As a replacement official began the count, Aldis pulled that referee from the ring and blasted Gunther with the belt. Bleacher Report reported Punk then hit Gunther with a GTS, and Charles Robinson recovered to count the pin after Rhodes was placed on Gunther for the winning fall.
How does this result affect SummerSlam?
The bout carried a clear stipulation: if Zayn and Gunther won, they would join Punk and Rhodes in the Undisputed WWE Title match at SummerSlam. Their loss means the SummerSlam championship clash stays between Punk and Rhodes alone, preserving the one-on-one stakes both men locked in after Punk's title win.
Fans tracking the road to the pay-per-view can also browse related coverage in our Future Tech & AI Wonders section for more big-stage storytelling and viral sports moments heading into SummerSlam season.
Why did Nick Aldis target Gunther?
Fightful notes Aldis and Gunther have been at odds, with tension escalating after a physical altercation at Night of Champions and Gunther choking Aldis out on SmackDown. Bleacher Report says Aldis has taken full responsibility for the interference that swung the SNME main event.
The match itself was set up after Punk returned on the July 6 Raw in Chicago, beat Zayn for the WWE Championship, and locked in a SummerSlam title match with Rhodes. Gunther's push for another shot led Aldis to book the SNME tag instead of a singles title bout, a decision that ended with Aldis costing Gunther the win.