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Gunther vs. Sheamus in the main event of WWE SmackDown ended in controversy. Ludwig Kaiser has jumped to defend the referee's decision against fan criticism.
After going back and forth for over 17 minutes, Sheamus managed to lock in the Texas Cloverleaf on the defending Intercontinental Champion. Upon failing in his attempts to reach the bottom rope, Gunther tapped the mat with his palm twice, seemingly tapping out.
Upon hearing the tap, Sheamus released the hold and began celebrating. However, referee Jessika Carr told him that the match wasn't over yet, which gave Gunther enough time to recuperate and capture the win with the help of a Shillelagh.
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Ludwig Kaiser just tweeted out an explanation for why it wasn't a submission, seemingly educating fans about the rules of professional wrestling. He suggested that Gunther tapped the mat only twice, while a submission is only registered when there are at least three taps:
"Not only is it our responsibility to restore the honor of our sport, but also to educate fans and sports entertainers about our sport. 3x taps = submission Still your rightful Intercontinental Champion: [GUNTHER]", tweeted Ludwig.
Gunther has been the reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion for over 120 days
Upon making his main roster debut a few months back, Gunther went on an undefeated streak, running through everyone in his path. It wasn't long before the Ring General got a title shot as he stepped across the squared circle with the then-reigning Intercontinental Champion Ricochet.
Gunther had a dominant performance against the champion, sending a message when he captured the WWE Intercontinental Championship in June. Since then, it has been hard to give Gunther competition, but the closest anyone has come has without a doubt been Sheamus.
The Celtic Warrior took Gunther to the limit at WWE Clash at the Castle but came up a bit short. The rematch last night showed that Sheamus was the better wrestler, but it was only through underhanded means that Gunther was able to sneak out a win.
It remains to be seen whether Sheamus will ever get a rematch or another title shot. The Intercontinental Championship is the only title keeping Sheamus from achieving the "Ultimate Grand Slam".
