WWE Clash in Italy Review

WWE hit Italy for the first time ever on Sunday night and Turin showed up. The Inalpi Arena was loud, invested, and ready from the opening bell, proving once again that European crowds are some of the bests in the business. Five matches, two title changes worth of stakes, and a Tribal Combat main event that had no business being as good as it was. Here’s the full breakdown.

Gunther vs. Cody Rhodes (Undisputed WWE Championship)

Having the Undisputed WWE Championship match open the show made perfect sense. Gunther received a slight hero’s welcome being close to home, just as expected. Then Cody Rhodes’ music hit and the arena exploded. Like every international event lately, the crowd immediately made its presence felt, and for WWE’s first premium live event in Italy, they delivered all night long.

The fact that a world championship was defended in Italy for the first time is pretty remarkable when you think about it. Early “Let’s Go Gunther” chants echoed throughout the building as the two stars settled into exactly the type of match many expected: simple, physical, and highly competitive.

The closing sequence was filled with tension as Cody and Gunther countered each other’s signature offense, particularly the Cody Cutter and the sleeper hold. Rhodes eventually connected with Cross Rhodes and scored the pinfall but replay clearly showed Gunther’s foot under the bottom rope. The referee never saw it, creating a controversial finish and leaving the door wide open for a future rematch.

RHR Grade: B

Rhea Ripley vs. Jade Cargill (WWE Women’s Championship)

The crowd somehow found another gear when Rhea Ripley’s music hit. Mami is just a generational mega-star and I’ll show some restraint by not spending three paragraphs on it like usual. 🤣

The match started with Jade Cargill imposing her strength and controlling much of the early action. Once Ripley began mounting her comeback, however, the momentum shifted completely and the match became far more competitive than expected.

The closing moments saw B-Fab and Michin get involved at ringside before Charlotte Flair appeared to neutralize the situation and even the odds. Ripley capitalized and retained her championship, while the strange frenemies dynamic between Ripley and Flair continues to quietly build into something interesting.

RHR Grade: B+

Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi

The Italian crowd was fully behind Oba Femi, showering him with chants before the match even got underway. Just a reminder Oba Femi is inevitable, especially as WWE heads deeper into the summer.

Unfortunately for The Ruler, Lesnar had other plans. He stormed out of the gate and immediately overwhelmed Femi, hitting four consecutive F5s, tries the kimura lock only for Femi to power out and get some offense in before Lesnar hits two more for a total of six, scoring a shocking and decisive victory in rapid fashion.

The result was brief but purposeful. WWE effectively sacrificed one night of Oba’s momentum to create a bigger mountain for him to climb. If the payoff is a rubber match at SummerSlam in Minnesota, the story becomes whether The Ruler can finally overcome The Beast after surviving the most dominant beating of the feud.

RHR Grade: B-

Sol Ruca vs. Becky Lynch (Women’s Intercontinental Championship)

Sol Ruca wasted no time reminding everyone why she’s one of the most naturally athletic performers in WWE. Her explosiveness and creativity immediately stood out and helped set the pace of the entire match.

Ruca and Becky Lynch already have strong chemistry together. One of the highlights came when Lynch countered a Sol Snatcher attempt directly into an armbar a great instinctive moment. The ongoing subtle interactions between Lynch and referee Jessika Carr continue to be an underrated layer to her current character work, and it’s quietly becoming one of the more interesting background stories on the roster.

The closing stretch featured several well-executed reversals before Lynch went to the well one too many times with the Manhandle Slam. Ruca countered into a perfectly timed Sol Snatcher to score an upset victory and capture the Women’s Intercontinental Championship. A crowning moment for someone with an extremely high ceiling, and credit to Lynch for putting her over clean.

RHR Grade: B+

Jacob Fatu vs. Roman Reigns — Tribal Combat (World Heavyweight Championship)

Turin fully acknowledged Jacob Fatu the moment his music hit, proving his popularity has gone worldwide. That reaction was impressive until Roman Reigns’ music played and the entire building filled with raised fingers acknowledging the OTC.

This was exactly what Tribal Combat should be: a violent brawl with purpose rather than pure chaos. Fatu and Reigns have styles that complement each other almost perfectly, and hopefully this isn’t the final chapter between them.

The match featured several memorable moments. Reigns connected with a Superman Punch only for Fatu to absorb it and lock in the Tongan Death Grip. Roman responded by grabbing a toolbox from under the ring and targeting Fatu’s hand brilliantly attacking the Werewolf’s primary weapon. Both men survived spears, barricade crashes, exposed turnbuckles, and table spots as the intensity continued to escalate.

A key story beat came when Roman arrogantly declared he never needed help which could come back to bite Reigns. Fatu repeatedly fought through punishment and pushed Reigns to his absolute limit. In the end, Reigns drove Fatu into the exposed turnbuckle before delivering a decisive spear through the table to retain both his championship and his place at the head of the table.

Post-match, The Usos presented Reigns with the ula fala and stared Fatu down to fall in line. Before the celebration could fully conclude though, Solo Sikoa and his MFTs appeared in the crowd tying the entire Bloodline saga together and adding a major wrinkle heading into what should be a must-watch Monday Night Raw.

RHR Grade: B

Final Thoughts

Clash in Italy was another example of why WWE continues to lean heavily into international premium live events. The crowd was outstanding from start to finish and elevated nearly every match on the card.

While there weren’t any all-time classics, there also weren’t any disasters. Cody Rhodes and Gunther delivered a strong and historic opener, Ripley and Cargill exceeded expectations, Sol Ruca earned a career-defining victory, and Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu closed the night with a physical Tribal Combat that successfully advanced the Bloodline story into the summer.

The biggest surprise of the night was Brock Lesnar running through Oba Femi with seven F5s hopefully setting up a match this summer.  The show may not be remembered as one of the year’s biggest events, but it was a consistently entertaining watch that pushed several major storylines forward in meaningful ways.

Overall RHR Grade: B+