All articles tagged with #clash in italy
WWE referee Jessika Carr publicly taunted Becky Lynch after Lynch's defeat to Sol Ruca for the Women's Intercontinental Championship at Clash In Italy, posting a dig at ESPN’s coverage and prompting backlash over perceived bias and questionable officiating that some say cost Lynch the match.
Roman Reigns’ full-time return remains a major asset for WWE, but the post‑Mania lull calls for a fresh direction. Clash in Italy reinforced Reigns’ star power and gave Jacob Fatu a credible challenger, yet the piece warns against overrelying on Bloodline lore and Tribal Combat, urging WWE to evolve with new feuds (like LA Knight or Royce Keys) to keep Raw and SmackDown engaging and broaden opportunities beyond the Bloodline narrative.
After WWE Clash in Italy, Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns teased a continuing feud with a post-show staredown; Reigns retained the title by defeating Jacob Fatu in Tribal Combat, while Rhodes won the opening match against Gunther amid a controversial finish, and both traded barbs about who leads WWE, fueling ongoing tensions.
WWE's Clash in Italy in Turin was the promotion's first premium live event in the country. Roman Reigns and Rhea Ripley retained their titles, Sol Ruca dethroned Becky Lynch to win the Women's Intercontinental Championship, and Brock Lesnar defeated Oba Femi. The main Rhodes–Gunther bout drew criticism for a flat finish that protected Gunther, leaving Gunther, Oba Femi and Jacob Fatu as the night's losers, while Charlotte Flair and Sol Ruca stood out as the major winners.
At WWE Clash in Italy, Brock Lesnar defeated Oba Femi after landing seven F-5s, with Femi kicking out of several pins before a final seventh F-5 secured the win and hints at a decisive third match at SummerSlam.
WWE Clash In Italy 2026 takes place May 31 in Turin’s Inalpi Arena with Cody Rhodes defending the Undisputed WWE Championship against Gunther in the main event, plus Rhea Ripley vs Jade Cargill, Roman Reigns vs Jacob Fatu, Becky Lynch vs Sol Ruca, and Oba Femi vs Brock Lesnar. The event streams exclusively on ESPN Unlimited (subscription required at $29.99/month) with no free trial, though some services (DirecTV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV) can provide access to ESPN Unlimited for free. Preshow starts at 12 p.m. ET, main card at 2 p.m. ET; the show is watchable online via the ESPN app on smart TVs.
WWE Clash In Italy centers on Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu in a high-stakes Tribal Combat, but an injury to Fatu at a recent live event has WWE weighing a backup plan if he isn’t cleared, potentially altering the main event. The rest of the card includes Becky Lynch vs Sol Ruca for the Women’s Intercontinental Championship (Ruca reportedly not medically cleared), Oba Femi vs Brock Lesnar, Cody Rhodes vs Gunther for the WWE Championship, and Rhea Ripley vs Jade Cargill for the Women’s Championship. The show airs today on ESPN Unlimited in the U.S. (and Netflix internationally), with the early hour possibly shifting if last-minute changes are needed.
Jacob Fatu reportedly suffered a back injury at a WWE live event in Liverpool, jeopardizing the Clash in Italy main event. WWE sources say he’s expected to be fine by Sunday, but if not they’re considering pivots such as Solo Sikoa taking Fatu’s spot with a storyline about targeting Fatu, or a triple-threat involving Roman Reigns defending the World Heavyweight Championship against Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi to preserve star power and advance future angles.
Jacob Fatu remains slated to challenge Roman Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship in a Tribal Combat at Clash in Italy, but a Thursday live-event injury reportedly raises questions about his status; the feud, which includes a Backlash moment where Fatu hurt Reigns with an exposed turnbuckle, continues to loom over the upcoming match as of now.
On SmackDown’s go-home show for Clash in Italy, Gunther and Cody Rhodes traded barbs, with Gunther reaffirming his vow to end Rhodes’ run and capture the WWE Championship, a boast he previously tied to ending the careers of Goldberg, AJ Styles, and John Cena.
Becky Lynch publicly mocked Sol Ruca on X and cast doubt on whether Ruca is medically cleared to wrestle, as the two prepare for an Intercontinental Championship clash at Clash in Italy; Ruca reportedly sustained a leg injury during SNME, with the injury's specifics undisclosed and no official WWE or Ruca update, amid her move to the Raw roster.
Barcelona SmackDown spoilers light up the go-home to Clash in Italy: Cody Rhodes opens the show addressing Gunther, Jade Cargill defeats Alexa Bliss, Axiom defeats Miz, Sami Zayn defeats Matt Cardona, Carmelo Hayes vs Ricky Saints ends in a double countout, and Chelsea Green pins Nia Jax with Tiffany Stratton distraction; backstage segments set up matches and feuds ahead of Sunday’s pay-per-view, while Netflix streams the live Europe broadcast and the US airs tape-delayed on USA.
Lesnar isn’t retiring and is set to wrestle at WWE Clash In Italy with more appearances planned afterward; Dave Meltzer says the AEW All In headliner is likely Kenny Omega vs Will Ospreay, with Omega winning the Montreal Redemption title and Ospreay taking the Owen Hart Tournament, and Hangman Page vs MJF could also be on the card. Additional whispers include WWE favorites to win Clash In Italy, talk of Santino Marella appearing, Natalya’s memoir movie interest, and AAA/TripleMania plans, plus AEW Double or Nothing yielding strong buy rates.
WWE announced that ESPN will air the first hour of Clash in Italy on May 31 from Turin, opening with Cody Rhodes defending the Undisputed WWE Championship against Gunther and Rhea Ripley defending the WWE Women's Championship against Jade Cargill (a WrestleMania rematch); the event's full card includes Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu in Tribal Combat for the World Heavyweight title, Becky Lynch vs. Sol Ruca for the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship, and Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar, with the show starting at 8 p.m. local time (2 p.m. ET).
Brock Lesnar explained the WrestleMania 42 retirement on RAW, calling himself retired while vowing to conquer Oba Femi in a rematch at Clash in Italy, a storyline that keeps The Beast active to elevate Femi after his WrestleMania win in Las Vegas.