Sol Ruca names ‘next challenge’ following WWE Clash in Italy

Sol Ruca already has her sights set on her next dream opponent in WWE. 

In an interview with Elz (the Witch) following Clash in Italy, Ruca revealed while she’s competed in her dream match against IYO SKY, she hopes to face Charlotte Flair in a singles bout. 

“Now I’ve had my dream match with IYO SKY – I would love to have more with her – now I want to go against Charlotte Flair one-on-one.”

“I know we’re on different brands as of right now. I’ve seen her in the ring a few times, in tag matches, in other multi-person matches, but we’ve never had that one-on-one moment. I think that is my next challenge I want to do.” 

Barely a month into her Raw debut, Ruca has squared off against Liv Morgan and SKY. Last year, when she and Zaria were still a tag team they competed on SmackDown for the Women’s Tag Team Title tournament where they collided with Alexa Bliss and Flair. 

Additionally, at Clash in Italy, Ruca defeated Becky Lynch to win the Intercontinental Championship.

Jade Cargill attacks Charlotte Flair following WWE Clash in Italy

Jade Cargill has found a target following Clash in Italy.

As Charlotte Flair was seen leaving the arena, Cathy Kelley asked Flair about her relationship with Rhea Ripley. Before she could respond Cargill, B-Fab, and Michin attacked. The 3-on-1 beatdown continued until security ran in to break things up. Flair recovered enough to tell Cargill and her group to continue the fight.

Flair helped Rhea Ripley retain at Clash in Italy

Flair played a pivotal part in the WWE Women’s title match that took place at Clash in Italy on Sunday, wiping out both Michin and B-Fab at ringside after they interfered. Back in the ring, Cargill hit Ripley with Jaded, but Flair put Ripley’s foot on the ropes. Ripley then gained the advantage, pinning Cargill after hitting the riptide.

After Cargill lost the title to Ripley at WrestleMania 42, she took time off before returning and making it clear she was coming back to take the title away from Ripley. But she and her group have also crossed paths with Flair and Alexa Bliss, who have formed an uneasy alliance with Ripley following confrontations with Fatal Influence. Cargill went further on Friday’s SmackDown, sending Bliss onto a chair with Jaded.

Three matches that must be added to WWE Clash in Italy | Column 

WWE seems to be pulling out all the stops for next weekend’s Clash in Italy on May 31, marking their debut PLE in Turin.

Three matches are already confirmed: Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther for the undisputed WWE Championship, Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu for the World Heavyweight title under Tribal Combat rules, and Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi in a rematch no one saw coming.

With tonight’s WWE SmackDown and just over a week to go before the show, here’s a few bouts worth adding to the card in the next few days.

LA Knight vs. Seth Rollins

Knight returned to Raw recently for the first time after WrestleMania and questioned The Usos’ actions with they and Roman Reigns going back to their former Bloodline antics. He talked about their united front against The Vision last month which seems to bear no consequences now. 

He later met Rollins backstage and expressed no pity for his situation with The Vision, joining The Street Profits who made their intentions clear following their comeback to target Logan Paul and Austin Theory, informing Rollins it had nothing to do with him, but instead their focus was on the World Tag Team Titles. 

Bron Breakker and Rollins’ rivalry is still alive, but a rematch at this point would be repetitive.

Rollins and Knight clashed in the second half of 2025 which ultimately led to their SNME bout in July where Rollins pretended to sustain a knee injury, later revealed to be a ruse to get back at CM Punk in a big way.

Since their rivalry never reached a conclusive ending, a match at Clash in Italy would put Knight as a potential upper card threat on the roster. 

Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair for the WWE Women’s Championship

They were forced to set aside their differences on SmackDown to deal with a common enemy in Fatal Influence. Alexa Bliss, Flair and Ripley will also team up against Jade Cargill, B-Fab and Michin at SNME this weekend. 

Ripley and Flair’s history dates back to 2020. Flair won the Royal Rumble that year and challenged for Ripley’s NXT Women’s Championship at WrestleMania. They have crossed paths in the ring multiple times since then.

Meanwhile, Ripley transitioned from the face of NXT to the main roster as a fan favorite. She was destined to be a top star in the women’s division which clashed with Flair’s standing. At WWE Survivor Series: WarGames last year, Flair was reluctant to trust Ripley and fight alongside her. 

Reviving their feud one more time for Clash in Italy would set the tone for Flair’s return to singles competition and a desire to regain the WWE Women’s Championship. After all, Ripley and Flair’s feud evolved and segued into other storylines. Ultimately, circling back to collide for an International PLE could reinforce their positioning as top stars. 

Carmelo Hayes vs. Trick Williams for the United States title

Sami Zayn has run out of opportunities to win back the United States Championship, and his short-lived reign before WrestleMania is already forgettable.

Fans have been rallying behind Hayes during his main roster stint and more so when he was US Champion. Williams is thriving on the SmackDown roster, carrying the charisma and crowd connection with every appearance.

Williams and Hayes had a chaotic and enriched history on NXT filled with friendship and betrayal, long before they became noteworthy contenders on the main roster. Running back their rivalry at Clash in Italy would make sense and could boost the United States title scene, strengthening it to more than just a title for open challenges and short title reigns. 

Charlotte Flair says she did not know about UFC White House fan fest signing

Multiple WWE wrestlers, including Charlotte Flair, were recently announced for the Freedom 250 White House fan fest signing.

Despite the huge announcement and involvement of several WWE names, Flair recently revealed that she was not aware of the signing before she saw the social media announcement.

Speaking with TMZ’s Inside The Ring for a new interview, she addressed her appearance at the Freedom 250 signing.

I saw online, and then I was like, ‘Well, I guess I won’t be wearing my Queen outfit that I had.’ I had my spray painted and bedazzled outfit that I was going to wear to the signing because it was just a signing,” Flair added. “Then it said White House signing and I’m like, ‘So, are we going to the White House?’ No, but I really did not know what we were doing until I saw it on Twitter. I was like, ‘Oh, oh.’ I guess my thoughts changed a little of what I had planned for the weekend.”

Which WWE wrestlers are set to be part of the UFC Freedom 250 fan fest signing?

On the May 18 episode of WWE Raw, it was announced that a few WWE wrestlers will be present at the UFC Freedom 250 fan fest on June 14, 2026, at the White House.

The meet and greet will feature several popular WWE names such as Charlotte Flair, The Miz, Trick Williams, Chelsea Green, The Usos, Tiffany Stratton, and Bron Breakker.

Charlotte Flair says rivalry with Becky Lynch made them better

Charlotte Flair believes her rivalry with Becky Lynch in WWE made them both better.

Recently appearing on TMZ Sports’ Inside The Ring, Flair was asked if her personal animosity with Lynch helped her during matches or feuds.

Do I think it helps? I think, with Becky and I, we both wanted to be on top. It’s like with Sasha [Banks] and I, we both wanted to be on top. Any time you get two alphas in the room and they want to be the best, there’s gonna be tension, and I think that’s how it should be. If you’re not in the game to be the best then what are you doing,” Flair answered.

She further opened up and revealed how each one of them got better seeing the other one improve. “The thing with Becky and I, as she got better I got better, as I got better she got better. You want that. You want competition. Competition breeds competition, it’s how you get better.”

Charlotte Flair shares more on her rivalry with Becky Lynch

On May 24, 2026, A&E is set to air the latest episode of WWE Rivals, focusing on the rivalry between Flair and Lynch. Speaking on TMZ Sports’ Inside The Ring, she opened up further on their iconic feud before its release.

It’s incredible that Becky and I have this platform to talk about the incredible rivalry that we had due to the pivotal moment in the business for women and what we mean to each other’s careers. There wouldn’t be The Man without The Queen, and they’re wouldn’t be The Queen without The Man. I don’t think it’s over, I think this is just the beginning. If they’re a new fan, they’re just getting a taste of what Becky vs. Charlotte looked like, but to me, I want to see what’s next.

Six-woman tag team match added to WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event

A six-woman tag team match is set for next weekend.

Following events that took place on SmackDown, Jade Cargill, Michin, and B-Fab will team together to take on Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair, and Alexa Bliss at Saturday Night’s Main Event in Fort Wayne, Indiana on May 23.

After returning during last week’s show, Cargill on Friday said she would meet Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley at Clash in Italy, and the Women’s title would be coming home with her. Flair and Bliss interrupted, demanding their match against B-Fab and Michin start now. The match went ahead as advertised but ended in a DQ when Cargill pulled Bliss out of the ring.

Following the bout, Michin and B-Fab started to attack Flair, who fought back and laid out both women. Later backstage, both Flair & Bliss admitted they needed help in order to deal with Jade Cargill and the numbers game.

Ripley moved to SmackDown following her WrestleMania 42 title win but quickly found herself dealing with the debuting Fatal Influence. She has attempted to seek Bliss & Flair’s help in handling matters, but to middling results. While Bliss has seemed interested in helping out, Flair has not, still struggling to be a team player after years as a solo star.

WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event (May 23)

  • WWE Intercontinental Champion Penta defends against Ethan Page
  • World Tag Team Champions The Vision defend against Street Profits
  • Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair, and Alexa Bliss vs. Jade Cargill, B-Fab, and Michin

R-Truth pulled from WWE SmackDown, new match set

Update —

After initially announcing a tag match for the show, WWE has said that R-Truth is not medically cleared for SmackDown tonight. Damian Priest will now face Tama Tonga one-on-one.

A Carmelo Hayes vs. Ricky Saints match has also been added.

**********

A pair of tag matches have been added to the WWE SmackDown lineup for tonight.

WWE revealed this afternoon that Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss will face off against Michin & B-Fab on SmackDown. Along with that, there will be a non-title bout pitting WWE Tag Team Champions Damian Priest & R-Truth against Tama Tonga & Talla Tonga.

Last Friday, Flair & Bliss teamed with Rhea Ripley against the three members of Fatal Influence. The babyfaces lost after the returning Jade Cargill got involved, with Cargill, Michin & B-Fab then beating down Ripley, Flair & Bliss.

Talla Tonga defeated Priest in a singles match last week after Priest was distracted by saving Truth from an attack by Tama Tonga and Solo Sikoa. Royce Keys then stepped in to help Priest and Truth, which led to Keys defeating Tama Tonga later in the night.

Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina is the venue for tonight’s show. Here’s the updated card:

WWE SmackDown (Friday, May 15) —

  • Gunther decides whether to join SmackDown roster to challenge Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes
  • United States Champion Trick Williams returns to the University of South Carolina for a homecoming celebration
  • Jade Cargill addresses her attack on WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley
  • Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss vs. Michin & B-Fab
  • Damian Priest vs. Tama Tonga
  • Carmelo Hayes vs. Ricky Saints

Charlotte Flair puts the spotlight on Trick Williams and Bron Breakker’s WWE Backlash matches 

Charlotte Flair discusses Trick Williams and Bron Breakker’s WWE performances and upcoming Backlash matches. 

Speaking with Christine Williamson on ESPN First Take, Flair revealed fans should focus on Trick Williams and Bron Breakker’s performances at Backlash. She praised their work ethics and contributions to the industry and stated they are destined to be WWE’s breakout stars. 

“In my opinion, the first one would be Trick Williams. His entrance, you can see everyone standing. The fans are already connecting with him, the charisma, the size. He just looks like a stud, an athlete. I mean, look at him. A little bias, Bron Breakker, given he’s a second generation talent, he was out on injury. When he came back, he made, definitely an impact at WrestleMania and facing Seth, who is one of the greats of my generation. I definitely think those two, Trick Williams and Bron Breakker, are definitely breakout stars in the next couple years.”

Flair also claimed that she looks forward to Asuka and IYO SKY’s match at the Premium Live Event given their history. 

“This isn’t because I’m biased about the women, but definitely IYO SKY vs. Asuka. I have a lot of history with Asuka. I ended her undefeated streak. I’ve had the opportunity to face IYO multiple times. They’re both international superstars, I think. Given the time and the story that they have, they could potentially steal the show, and I have no doubt that they will, and that’s just not me saying it as a woman just praising a female match, they’re that talented, and they have a special style, you can see with their entrances, and also the story, if people go back, IYO And Asuka were in Damage CTRL for the last two years led by Bayley. I think they’re gonna do a hell of a job.”

WWE Backlash will take place at the Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida on May 9. The first hour of the show will air on ESPN 2, a similar format followed for WrestleMania 42.

Charlotte Flair believes Kiana James has ‘main event player’ potential in WWE

Charlotte Flair believes Kiana James has the potential to be a main event player in WWE. 

Flair told Stephen Smith and Shae Cornette on ESPN First Take that she perceives Kiana James as a future big time player in WWE. They met at the Performance Center when Flair was out of in-ring action due to knee injury. And claims that James inspires her to step up her game in the ring. 

“For me, definitely Kiana James. I met her at the PC when I was out with my knee injury and she had a knee injury as well. She was only on the roster for about a month before she got injured and she’s been back now for almost a year and I think she has the potential to be a main event player. She’s aggressive, she’s athletic, she’s powerful. She makes me want to step my game up and she’s very young and she’s soaking up every moment that she can. So look out for Kiana James. She’s going to be a big player.”

Charlotte discussed her father Ric Flair’s recent comments about her career. She also talked about Cody Rhodes being the talent from the current roster who can ‘walk the walk and talk the talk’ just like him. 

“But even though, yes, I think my dad is the goat the best. He talks the talk, walks the walk. But I have to say Cody Rhodes every, whether it’s Monday or Friday, I know he’s a Smackdown talent, goes out there and gives it his all. And you can feel it in his words. So my dad had a career of 50 years, but I think if there is a guy to talk the talk, walk the walk and and really live what he’s saying is Cody Rhodes.”

Flair and Alexa Bliss made a rival out of Fatal Influence after their SmackDown debut a couple of weeks ago. On last week’s edition of the program, Flair faced Jacy Jayne in a singles bout however, her teammates’ distraction cost her the match. Rhea Ripley later rushed out after Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid joined Jayne to attack Flair and Bliss. Flair’s issues with Ripley stem from their WrestleMania 36 match.

Meanwhile, James acts as Giulia’s on-screen manager while competing in matches herself. She was moved to Raw in the 2024 WWE Draft but shortly after suffered a foot injury. James returned a year later and officially joined the SmackDown roster. 

Ricky Saints to make WWE SmackDown debut next week

The Revolution is coming to SmackDown.

It was announced on Friday that Ricky Saints would be making his SmackDown debut on next week’s show in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The move comes as he is set to have one final match on NXT this coming Tuesday when he takes on Shiloh Hill.

The former NXT Champion caps off a week of many NXT call-ups. Ethan Page and Sol Ruca made their debut on Monday’s Raw, with Joe Hendry set to make his official debut on Raw next week holding a concert. Friday’s show also saw the debut of all three members of Fatal Attraction (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, and Lainey Reid). A Blake Monroe vignette also aired, making it clear she is heading to the blue brand.

Fatal Attraction made their mark on Friday, attacking not only Paige, Brie Bella, Alexa Bliss, and Charlotte Flair, but also Rhea Ripley as she was wrestling Jayne. In a backstage segment, Flair told Ripley she would take on Jayne next week, nixing any idea the three would work together to take them out.

WWE SmackDown (May 1)

  • Ricky Saints debuts
  • Charlotte Flair vs. Jacy Jayne

Ric Flair clarifies comments on Charlotte Flair’s WWE WrestleMania 42 match

Ric Flair has released a statement regarding the interview he gave to Ariel Helwani on Wednesday.

During his appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Flair said he did not enjoy his daughter Charlotte Flair’s match at WrestleMania 42, noting that he believes she should be a singles wrestler. Charlotte Flair teamed with Alexa Bliss in the four-way women’s tag team title match on the show.

Flair’s statement on Thursday reads:

“I Want To Make Something Very Clear To Everyone After Yesterday’s Podcast With @arielhelwani. Number One- I’m More Than Thrilled To See @MsCharlotteWWE Wrestling With Her Friend @AlexaBliss_WWE. I’ve Never Seen Her Happier! So Let’s Clear That Up!

Number Two- I Enjoyed Her In Singles Matches Because I Feel Like She Is Able To Put More Of Her Talent On Display.

Number Three- No One Will Ever Criticize Or Make Any Attempt To Judge My Daughters Or Say Anything About Them.

Number Four- I Wish We Could All Just Put Everything Behind Us, And Please Don’t Report Something On Me Unless It’s 100% True.

Thank You! May We All Continue To Be Successful, And For So Many Of Us As We Grow Older, There May Be No Tomorrow. May Peace And Friendship Be With Us All. Let’s Go Back To Being The Brotherhood That We Were. That Was So Sacred At One Time!

Flair’s interview with Helwani also made headlines for comments he made regarding not being permitted to attend WrestleManias in recent years. Flair stated that prior to WrestleMania 41, he contacted Tiffany Stratton’s then-boyfriend Ludwig Kaiser and threatened to beat him up over comments Kaiser had made about Charlotte Flair. Flair said Kaiser then spoke with Triple H and he was not permitted to attend WrestleMania.

He also noted that Dennis Rodman asked him to induct him into the WWE Hall of Fame this year, but Flair said he never heard back from WWE regarding whether he would be allowed to do so.

Flair’s social media post is available in full below.

Why Ric Flair did not like Charlotte Flair’s WWE WrestleMania 42 match

Wrestling veteran Ric Flair was not fond of Charlotte Flair’s WWE WrestleMania 42 match on Night One.

At WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas, Charlotte Flair teamed with her tag team partner, Alexa Bliss, in the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship match against Lash Legend, Nia Jax, Brie Bella, and Paige.

Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Flair was asked about his thoughts on his daughter’s WrestleMania 42 match. Flair opened up and revealed that he did not like the match and pitched his daughter’s return to singles competition.

“I didn’t like her match at all, and I think that Ashley [Charlotte Flair] needs to be [a singles wrestler], and I know she enjoys her relationship with Alexa, but if Ashley is not in a title picture right now, in my life and as a spectator, without her in the main event in a singles match.

The match she had with Rhea Ripley two years ago, they’ve never had a match like that ever in the history of women’s wrestling, and Rhea’s getting gold as well, I’m putting them both over,” he added.

At WrestleMania 42, Paige returned and replaced the injured Nikki Bella. She and Brie Bella later finished the match by securing the titles.

Charlotte Flair reveals one of WWE’s unwritten rules

Former champion Charlotte Flair recently opened up about how WWE has evolved in the past few years and revealed one of the promotion’s unwritten rules.

Speaking to Sam Roberts, Flair opened up in detail about how things have changed in WWE over the past decade since her early days in the promotion.

I don’t know if this is a good thing or a bad thing, but you had to change in a specific place. There were unwritten rules. We hadn’t main-evented WrestleMania, a pay-per-view, or Raw. You can’t compare. Now, it’s just casual. It’s not that I want people to walk on eggshells now; it’s just different,” she said.

I remember when I came up, you could not hit one move that someone else does, male or female, or wear someone’s color. You couldn’t wear red because of the Bellas or even Eva Marie at that time. You couldn’t have studs because of Paige. It’s just different. You’re just hoping, ‘I hope I can wear this,’” Flair finished.

Flair made her WWE main roster debut in 2015, and in the last decade, she has evolved into one of the biggest names in women’s professional wrestling. A 14-time World Champion, she currently finds herself just behind Ric Flair and John Cena in the highest World title wins list. Flair’s list of achievements also includes main-eventing WrestleMania with Ronda Rousey and Becky Lynch.

Ric Flair wishes daughter Charlotte was in singles match at WWE WrestleMania

Ric Flair is looking forward to watching WWE WrestleMania 42, but he wishes his daughter Charlotte was involved in a singles match at the show.

Speaking with Yahoo Sports Daily, Flair praised WrestleMania as the “greatest sports spectacular” in the world. He spoke highly of the job Paul “Triple H” Levesque is doing as head of creative, even if Flair would like Charlotte to have more of a featured spot this year. Flair knows it won’t be long until Charlotte is in a singles match at WrestleMania again.

“I think he’s done a great job,” Flair responded when asked to assess Levesque’s job performance. “I don’t think anybody truly understands how difficult it is to manage egos and talent. You can’t make everybody happy, does that make sense? You just can’t. Everybody thinks they’re the best. Everybody thinks they deserve more. I could tell you who does and who doesn’t, but I’m not going to get into that [laughs]. I’m staying neutral.

“But they have some great talent, great storylines. I’m really looking forward to watching it. I wish my daughter was in a singles match, but that’ll happen again. She’s the greatest, I’ll say it right now.”

Charlotte has been in the WWE Women’s Tag Team title picture for nearly a year now. At night one of WrestleMania 42 this Saturday, she and her tag partner Alexa Bliss will be involved in a fatal four-way match for the belts. It has Nia Jax & Lash Legend defending against Charlotte & Bliss, Bayley & Lyra Valkyria, and The Bella Twins.

Yahoo Sports asked Flair how much it’s meant to him to watch Charlotte become an icon in pro wrestling.

“I’ll put it to you like this, if she had a Roman Reigns push, no one could ever talk to her again [laughs],” Flair said. “She is an icon. I mean, she’s just raised the bar so high. And I know she gets upset when I say this, but it’s the God’s honest truth, she’s just that damn good.”

Flair also had praise for Randy Orton, Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, and John Cena during the Yahoo Sports Daily interview. He did address his removal from the Roots of Fight clothing brand, saying he wishes he would have received a phone call about the situation instead of first being informed via letter.

“Those are the kind of things that throw me off a little bit,” Flair said. “You would think they’d have enough respect to call me, but they didn’t. So it is what it is. It isn’t the financial part of it. I can remember Randy Orton telling me a couple of years ago, ‘Man, I hope that someday I can be part of that Roots of Fight.’ It’s just the prestige of being part of that, you know, Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, just a lot of very famous people. To be awarded that, and the merchandise is really rare and hard to find. So I don’t know what happened. I wish they would have called me, but they didn’t.”

Roots of Fight now has a deal with WWE, which explains Flair’s removal given that he is under contract with AEW.

Charlotte Flair on aging: ‘I’m just getting good’

Roman Reigns, CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, and Randy Orton are all about to main event WrestleMania in their 40s. Charlotte Flair is out to prove women can do the same thing. 

Flair, who celebrated her 40th birthday earlier this month, discussed age and the wrestling business in an interview with Sports Illustrated.

“Unfortunately,” she said, “men seem to get better and women seem to get older.”

“These years have gone by so fast,” she continued. “And then when I was younger, when I thought of 40, I thought of the Golden Girls. That’s really what I thought of. But now it’s like, not only did I have an opportunity in 2015 to be a part of the women’s evolution and redefine what it meant to be a female superstar—longer matches, no longer eye candy—now I’m here.” 

Flair says she hopes women in wrestling get a chance to last as long as their male colleagues. 

“I have another opportunity to help bridge the gap and redefine what success means for long-term female careers in professional wrestling,” she says. “I hope that I bridge that gap in a male-dominated world where before it was like everyone’s got to be 25, women are disposable. No, we’re not.”

As far as Flair is concerned, she’s only getting better with experience. 

“The one thing about building my character Charlotte is I have fallen in love with the process,” she says. “So I feel like I’m at the best I’ve ever been. Like, oh, now I’m just getting good. Now I’m just understanding the audience. Now I’m just understanding the actual psychology of being in the moment and not letting nerves take over.”

Flair and her tag team partner Alexa Bliss will be taking part in a four-way tag team match at WrestleMania 42. Along with Bayley & Lyra Valkyria and the Bella Twins, they’ll be challenging the Irresistible Forces for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships.