Gunther breaks silence after controversially tapping out in Intercontinental Title match on SmackDown

Gunther was one tap away from making Sheamus a Grand Slam Champion. In an epic main event on SmackDown, the Intercontinental Champion retained his title against The Irishman following help from Imperium.

But it wasn't without controversy as the champion tapped the mat twice, but the bell wasn't rung. You can see the clip below, as he has now responded to the claims.

Sheamus was furious over what happened even though referee Jessika Carr had the best view of the tap out. However, she denied any wrongdoing and fully believed that the champion didn't tap out.

On Twitter, Intercontinental Champion Gunther vehemently denied tapping out:

Obviously, no! twitter.com/WWE/status/157…

Regardless of the decision, the match is over and the Imperium leader is still the Intercontinental Champion. Saturday Night on Extreme Rules will see him teaming up with his fellow Imperium members to take on the trio of The Brawling Brutes.

It will be a chance for Sheamus to exact a measure of revenge following the events on SmackDown.

WWE fans have been divided about the Gunther-Sheamus tap out

Did @Gunther_AUT tap?!

@WWESheamus | #SmackDown https://t.co/JqsCGKLJ6Z

The argument seems to be that there needs to be three taps of the mat before it is considered an official submission. The referee saw the taps but didn't award the decision to Sheamus, who was in a state of disbelief.

Another side of the WWE fanbase has been arguing that Sheamus should have been given the victory, and the outcome was a highly controversial decision.

So far, the reactions have been polarizing, with people claiming he tapped out being on the side of Sheamus. For fans of The Celtic Warrior, the frustration is understandable, as a single tap of the mat could have led to the WWE veteran's career being complete on virtually every level.

Did Gunther tap? Should Sheamus officially be a Grand Slam Champion? Voice your thoughts in the comments below!