WWE's European tour is about to expose the cracks in Cody Rhodes' title run

The tour bus doors are slamming shut, the rigging trucks are rolling onto the ferries, and WWE is officially heading across the Atlantic. If you look at the schedule, it is a relentless and exhausting logistical sprint. WWE is kicking off its European summer tour on Thursday, May 28, at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, right as the footballing world prepares for the UCL Final.

From there, the machine rolls through Barcelona, Turin, Strasbourg, Lisbon, Madrid, and Bologna. As PWInsider reported this week, this tour represents a massive international push for the company. We are about to see if the locker room can handle the physical strain of this grueling itinerary.

But this tour is not just about selling out foreign arenas; it is a tactical laboratory for the creative team. The advertised matches show that WWE is treating these European dates as a launchpad for a new directional phase. We are looking at a crucible that will either solidify current title reigns or expose their structural weaknesses.

The Positional Grinding of Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther

The headline attraction for the opening leg is Cody Rhodes defending his Undisputed WWE Championship against Gunther. This is not a standard babyface-versus-heel pairing designed to send the local crowds home happy. It is a clash of two diametrically opposed structural philosophies in the modern ring.

When you watch Cody, you are watching a performer who lives in transition sequences. He is an episodic babyface, relying on sudden, explosive bursts of offensive fire to disrupt the opponent's momentum. The springboard cutter, the disaster kick, and the rolling neckbreaker are all designed to startle rather than systematically wear down.

Cody thrives in chaos, working from underneath and absorbing damage until he can string together the triple Cross Rhodes. But that style is highly inefficient when compared to the positional discipline of Gunther. The Ring General does not care about narrative drama; he cares about anatomical destruction.

Gunther dominates the center of the ring, cutting off escape angles and forcing his opponent toward the ropes. Once his target is pinned against the turnbuckles, Gunther's strike rate becomes devastating, averaging 14.2 chest chops per ten minutes of active ring time. These strikes are targeted specifically at the left pectoral muscle to restrict the opponent's lung capacity.

By bruising the pectoral region and the intercostal muscles, Gunther systematically drains his opponent's oxygen levels. He drags the match into a slow, breathless slog where his superior anaerobic conditioning becomes the deciding factor. If Cody attempts to take his theatrical deep breaths during his comebacks, he will find his lungs completely collapsed.

There is also a massive mechanical risk in Cody's offensive arsenal. The springboard Cody Cutter requires Cody to turn his back to the opponent and launch himself off the second rope. Against a tactician who specializes in catch-wrestling, this is tactical suicide.

Gunther excels at catching aerial opponents and converting their momentum into a German Suplex or a rear-naked choke. If Cody attempts that springboard transition at the twelve-minute mark, he will likely find his spine compressed against the canvas. Cody's tendency to expose his back during these high-risk moves is a glaring flaw that Gunther will undoubtedly exploit.

The Royce Keys Factor and SmackDown Politics

We must also look at how Gunther secured this championship opportunity in Turin. On the May 15 episode of SmackDown, Gunther faced Royce Keys in a high-stakes contender's match. The contest was arranged after Keys interrupted a contract signing between Cody and Gunther, setting up a massive physical war.

Keys, the former Powerhouse Hobbs who debuted at the Royal Rumble, put on a powerhouse showcase. However, the finish was heavily compromised by outside variables. Solo Sikoa's interference cost Keys his undefeated singles streak and handed Gunther the pinfall victory.

While Gunther took the win, the heavy reliance on Bloodline interference left a sour taste in the mouths of purists. It was a classic booking cop-out, protecting Keys while advancing the Gunther-Cody storyline. If WWE continues this trend of overbooked finishes during the European tour, they risk undermining the credibility of the championship itself.

The Tempo War of Tribal Combat

That brings us to the other major championship match scheduled for Turin: Roman Reigns defending his World Heavyweight Championship against Jacob Fatu in a Tribal Combat match. Tactically, this is a fascinating study in tempo and athletic anomalies. Fatu is unlike any heavyweight WWE has signed in the last decade.

At nearly 300 pounds, he possesses the vertical leap of a cruiserweight and the raw, explosive strength of a powerlifter. His offense is a relentless barrage of high-tempo violence, featuring pop-up Samoan drops and his signature triple-jump moonsault. Fatu does not pace himself; he sprints from the opening bell to overwhelm his opponent's defenses.

Contrast this with the defensive, slow-burn style of Roman Reigns. Roman is a master of ring psychology, but his physical output is remarkably low. He averages only 4.2 high-impact moves per ten minutes of active wrestling.

Roman prefers to control the canvas through spacing, referee manipulation, and prolonged mid-match monologues. He wins by slowing the match down to a crawl, allowing his opponents to exhaust themselves before hitting a single, decisive spear. Against a high-tempo disruptor like Fatu, Roman's defensive shell will be severely tested.

If Fatu can bypass Roman's guard early, Roman will be forced to wrestle at a pace his body is no longer accustomed to. But the Tribal Combat stipulation introduces a massive creative danger. With no disqualifications, the match will inevitably descend into a factional war.

This is where WWE's creative team needs to exercise severe restraint. We have seen far too many Bloodline matches ruined by endless run-ins from Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Tonga Loa. If the Turin main event becomes another overbooked circus, it will waste the incredible in-ring chemistry that Reigns and Fatu could produce in a clean contest.

The Physical Realities of the Undercard

The women's division matches on this tour present their own set of tactical puzzles. In Turin, Rhea Ripley will defend her WWE Women's Championship against Jade Cargill. This is a match that many fans have wanted to see, but the in-ring reality could be highly problematic.

Ripley is the complete package—a dominant physical presence who also possesses world-class ring awareness and transition mechanics. Cargill, on the other hand, remains a highly protected, episodic performer. Her singles matches since debuting have averaged just 6.4 minutes of active ring time.

When Cargill is forced to work beyond the eight-minute mark, her technical efficiency drops by over thirty percent. Her footwork in the corners becomes sluggish, and her transition pacing loses its crispness. Ripley will undoubtedly look to drag Cargill into deep waters to expose these stamina issues.

Ripley's strategy will center on ground-based wear, targeting Cargill's lower back with the Prism Trap to neutralize her explosive power. If Cargill cannot finish Ripley early with her signature Jaded powerbomb, she will find herself exposed in a long-form tactical battle. This match will be a true test of whether Cargill is ready for a championship run.

The Clash of Titans: Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi

Then there is the sheer physical spectacle of Brock Lesnar facing Oba Femi. This is a dream match for fans of powerhouse wrestling, but it also carries immense pressure for the young Femi. Lesnar's tactical formula has been established for over a decade: Suplex City.

He targets the thoracic vertebrae with repeated German Suplexes to exhaust his opponent's breathing capacity. But Femi is a different kind of animal. His vertical base is incredibly wide and heavy, making it extremely difficult for Lesnar to secure the waistlock needed for a clean German Suplex.

Femi's strength is based on vertical stability; he excels at catching opponents mid-air and converting their momentum into devastating pop-up powerbombs. If Femi can resist Lesnar's initial suplex offensive, he has a legitimate chance to shock the veteran. However, Femi's lack of experience in main-event matches is a massive hurdle.

Lesnar is a master of exploiting tiny mistakes, and if Femi leaves his guard down for even a second, he will find himself staring at the lights. We must also analyze the WWE Women's Intercontinental Championship match between Becky Lynch and Sol Ruca. Lynch is the veteran gatekeeper, a performer whose entire style is built on ring generalship and grinding down opponents.

Ruca is the spectacular rookie, possessing some of the most jaw-dropping athletic maneuvers in the industry, including her signature Sol Snatcher cutter. Ruca's offense is breathtaking, but it relies heavily on perfect timing and co-operation. If Lynch can disrupt Ruca's rhythm, she will force the younger challenger into a straight wrestling match where Lynch's superior experience will give her a massive advantage.

Ruca needs to show that she is more than just a highlight reel; she must prove that she can work a structured, fifteen-minute singles match without losing her tactical positioning. This tour is her chance to demonstrate that she belongs at the top of the division.

The European Crowd Factor and In-Ring Adjustments

Beyond the individual matchups, the European crowd dynamic will play a major role in how these matches unfold. In venues like the Olimpic Arena Badalona in Barcelona or the Unipol Arena in Bologna, the crowd's vocal energy can force performers to call audibles in real-time. If Cody is met with a chorus of boos in Spain, he cannot simply run his standard babyface comeback script.

He will have to adjust his selling, perhaps leaning into a more aggressive edge to maintain control of the arena's energy. Gunther, conversely, will be wrestling in front of crowds that respect his dry, physical style. The European audience appreciates mat work and technical struggle far more than the typical North American crowd.

This means we are likely to see longer, more deliberate grappling sequences during the tour stops in Strasbourg and Lisbon, as the performers cater to the tastes of these highly educated fans. WWE is entering a phase where the in-ring work must speak for itself. The flashy storylines and factional soap operas will not be enough to sustain these long-form tours.

As the tour bus rolls into Liverpool, the pressure is squarely on the champions to deliver. We are about to find out who can wrestle a real match under pressure, and who has been hiding behind the smoke and mirrors of modern television production. The notebook is open, the pen is clicked, and the bell is about to ring.