On Friday night’s WWE Smackdown, Sheamus was seemingly just one tap away from becoming a Grand Slam Champion.
However, with just two taps from GUNTHER, the referee decided to wave off ringing the bell, giving the “Ring General” extra time and leverage to eventually grab the ropes and break the submission hold from the “Celtic Warrior.”
When the smoke cleared from the slugfest main event, it would be the Imperium leader who retained his Intercontinental Championship over the head of the Brawling Brutes, with both factions getting involved before the bout was over.
Now, GUNTHER has responded to the claims that he tapped out:
Obviously, no! https://t.co/ipQzaAOMBA
— GUNTHER (@Gunther_AUT) October 8, 2022
The WWE Universe seems to be divided on the ruling, with some fans saying that GUNTHER tapped, while others are saying that you need at least three taps before a match can be called. During the match on Friday night, the referee clearly saw the “Ring General” tap, but waved off calling the match with it only being two taps to the mat.
Inside The Ropes looked into official WWE rules of being tapped out, and it appears that there are no clear set guidelines on what a tap out is, leaving the discretion to the referee in charge of that particular match. With that being the case, even though the victory remains controversial, it is technically a clean win for GUNTHER.
Now, the current Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER and his Imperium faction head into war on Saturday night against Sheamus and the Brawling Brutes at WWE Extreme Rules in Philadelphia. Being aired on Peacock, the Premium Live Event kicks off at 8:00 PM ET.