Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes found himself pulled in two directions on "Friday Night SmackDown" when Sami Zayn interrupted a segment between Rhodes and Gunther, who was demanding an immediate title rematch. The confrontation ended with Rhodes accidentally striking Zayn during a suicide dive after Gunther deliberately pushed Zayn into its path, deepening the friction between the champion and his aggrieved former ally. SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis later confirmed that Gunther had set a condition for any rematch, though Gunther's representatives declined to disclose the terms until the following week's broadcast.
Also on SmackDown, Chad Gable appeared in a suit following his mask-versus-mask loss to El Grande Americano at AAA's Noche de Los Grandes. Gable met with Aldis and publicly sought forgiveness from AAA World Cruiserweight Champion Rey Fenix, citing their WrestleMania 41 encounter and acknowledging that his approach to Lucha Libre had been disrespectful. Fenix granted the apology. The broader question of what comes next for Gable - including unresolved matters with his former Alpha Academy stablemates - remains open. In tournament action, Raquel Rodriguez advanced in the Queen of the Ring field with a pin on Kiana James in a fatal four-way also featuring Bayley and Jacy Jayne; James's frustration toward Giulia in the aftermath suggested a fracture in their partnership. Rodriguez will meet Iyo Sky in the semifinals. Dominik Mysterio advanced on the men's side with a win over Bron Breakker, Damian Priest and Trick Williams, aided by JD McDonagh and a low blow from Liv Morgan that allowed Mysterio to finish Priest. Mysterio faces Oba Femi in the semifinals. Two quarterfinal matches remain on each side of both tournaments.
In All Elite Wrestling, Mercedes Moné returned to "Dynamite" as a wildcard replacement for the injured Willow Nightingale in the Owen Hart Foundation Women's Tournament, defeating Alex Windsor to advance. Moné subsequently appeared on "Collision," where she attacked Persephone following Hazuki's victory - a pointed response to losing her CMLL Women's Championship to Persephone earlier this year. Hazuki then turned on Moné with a dive through the ropes, producing a chaotic close to the broadcast for the second consecutive week. On the men's side, Will Ospreay defeated AEW National Champion Mark Davis to reach the Owen Hart Tournament final, where he will face the winner of the Swerve Strickland versus Claudio Castagnoli match. Both Owen Hart Tournament winners receive title shots at AEW's All In event in August, with Ospreay's path running through Forbidden Door at the end of June.
At Major League Wrestling, Shotzi won the MLW Featherweight Championship by defeating Shoko Nakajima on "MLW Fusion," claiming her first title with the promotion. The victory came one week after Shotzi defeated Priscilla Kelly and issued her championship challenge to Nakajima. Lady Frost immediately signaled her intent to pursue the title. Elsewhere, former TNA champions Steve Maclin and Deonna Purrazzo promoted the Battle for the Brave event in Rahway, New Jersey, benefiting the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. The card included Matt and Jeff Hardy, The Rascalz, Richard Holliday, Shotzi, Priscilla Kelly and Kris Statlander, among others. Holliday won the 12-man gauntlet match to claim the Battle for the Brave Cup. Social media response from attendees was broadly positive. At Game Changer Wrestling's Tournament of Survival in Atlantic City, rapper Fetty Wap made an unannounced in-ring appearance, receiving light tubes from Nick Gage and using them on Tony Deppen at the Showboat Resort, drawing a loud reaction from the crowd.
