Royce Keys entered the May 15 episode of WWE SmackDown riding a wave of momentum. However, his biggest opportunity on the blue brand came crashing down after outside interference shifted the balance against Gunther.
What started as a major number one contender showdown quickly turned into survival mode once another WWE star inserted himself into the fight.
With a shot at Cody Rhodes and the Undisputed WWE Championship hanging in the balance, Keys learned the hard way that on SmackDown, even monsters can get jumped before reaching the mountaintop.
Solo Sikoa costs Royce Keys in high-stakes SmackDown main event
The main event saw Gunther and Royce Keys collide in a physical battle to determine who would challenge Cody Rhodes at Clash in Italy on May 31.
The match came together earlier in the night after Keys interrupted Gunther during a contract signing segment with Rhodes. He attempted to steal the title opportunity for himself.
Keys came into the bout undefeated in singles action since arriving on SmackDown. Following dominant wins over Berto, Angel, and Tama Tonga — plus a victory in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal — the former Powerhouse Hobbs had quickly established himself as a dangerous force on Friday nights.
Against Gunther, Keys looked more than capable of pulling off the upset. He repeatedly overpowered The Ring General. Keys slammed him across the announce table multiple times and nearly scored the victory after a massive superplex late in the match.
However, the momentum shifted when Solo Sikoa appeared at ringside. After the referee was accidentally knocked down, Solo slid a steel chair into the ring and tried to influence the outcome. Keys refused to use the weapon and instead blasted Solo with it.
That hesitation gave Gunther enough time to recover. The former world champion nailed Keys with a forearm to the back of the head before finishing him with a clothesline and powerbomb to hand him his first SmackDown singles loss.
After the match, Cody Rhodes blindsided The Ring General with CrossRhodes as SmackDown went off the air, officially ramping up their Clash in Italy collision course.
Read More: Triple H Shows Support for WWE Star’s Massive Homecoming on SmackDown