Becky Lynch cast further doubt on Sol Ruca’s medical condition days before their feud at WWE Clash in Italy.
Continuing her series of daily rants on X, Lynch mocked Ruca claiming that she is still not medically cleared to compete.
“I told Sol Puka (cause she makes me want to puke!!!!!) she wasn’t ready to step in the ring with me and she didn’t listen!!!!! I hope she make it to Italy although she’s not medically cleared! Some people think it’s because she LOST HER MIND!”
Ruca sustained a leg injury during her SNME match against Lynch last weekend. It happened after an awkward landing while attempting her signature move, the Sol Snatcher. The referee stopped the match which led to Ruca winning via disqualification. The nature and impact of injury is undisclosed, and there is no official announcement by WWE nor Ruca on the matter.
Ruca moved to the main roster on the Raw after WrestleMania and shortly after clashed with Lynch backstage. The most significant confrontation happened when Lynch interrupted her Raw contract signing and chaos ensued when the champion accidentally struck Adam Pearce in the commotion.
The two are set to face off at Clash in Italy on May 31 for the Intercontinental Championship at the Inalpi Arena in Turin.
I told Sol Puka (cause she makes me want to puke!!!!!) she wasn’t ready to step in the ring with me and she didn’t listen!!!!! I hope she make it to Italy although she’s not medically cleared! Some people think it’s because she LOST HER MIND!
Gunther is impressed with Oba Femi’s in-ring ability and commanding presence in his limited main roster run. He also addressed an important factor to consider if the two square off against each other in the future.
Gunther praised Femi on the latest episode of the No Contest Wrestling Podcast. He described Femi as a ‘standout talent’ but reaching such a high level in his WWE career so early on could also come with pressure. Despite which, Gunther hopes to see Femi succeed.
“I honestly don’t really spend too much time on looking what the other ones do. But I always keep an eye on the big picture and obviously Oba is a standout talent. I think in the short time he’s been in the company, he’s taken huge steps. But I think that’s also, we will see how he deals with that. That’s a big burden or a big responsibility right from the get go.”
“I want to see him succeed in that, because I think he’s an amazing talent and the future is very bright for him. I hope he maintains that, stays around, so when it comes down to us two, he’s gonna be ready for it.”
Gunther highlighted the possibility of a feud with Femi noting their contrasting physical appearances. He added that facing a more experienced opponent like himself would be the true test of Femi’s in-ring endurance.
“And that’s a little to just clarify quickly because I’m tall and I’m a heavyweight, but people often, when they think about matches with Oba, it’s not gonna be like how Oba and Brock is. I wouldn’t meet up with Oba on a physical level. He’s stronger than I am, I don’t know if he’s a little bit taller or not, and he’s younger than I am. So it makes absolutely no sense, I think what would make that interesting is seeing me work from underneath a little bit, wrestle from underneath against a stronger opponent.”
“I think that’s a test that would be interesting for him, how to last in a longer match, how to endure 20 minutes with somebody much, much, much more experienced than him.”
“And that’s why I need him to gain experience himself first, because when I meet him, I wanna meet him on eye level.”
This weekend at Clash in Italy, Gunther challenges Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship. Meanwhile, Femi collides with Brock Lesnar in a rematch following their WrestleMania showdown.
Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez is back with a solo show talking all sorts of topics including tons of info on the WWE shareholder lawsuit and why it looks bad for Vince and company, odds for Clash in Italy, Dynamite and Collision results from last night, and tons more! A fun show as always so check it out~!
Cody Rhodes thinks WWE’s international Clash events have already made their mark as one of the biggest shows the company puts on each year.
While speaking with ESPN Unsportsmanlike ahead of Sunday’s Clash in Italy, Rhodes said he would personally rank Clash as one of WWE’s “Big Four” PLEs alongside WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, and SummerSlam. He also mentioned Money in the Bank as being in contention but thinks Survivor Series — a traditional “Big Four” event — no longer occupies one of those spots.
“I think Clash is sneaking up as one of WWE’s ‘Big Four’ PLEs,” Rhodes said. “The fact that it’s somewhere new international each year. And Italy, I think they’re up to the task.”
Previous Clash events have been held in Paris (2025), Glasgow (2024), and Cardiff (2022), with this becoming a signature event for the European market.
“I think Clash is becoming that [a ‘Big Four’ event] because of the international appeal of it and the fact that, you know, it’s moving all around,” Rhodes said. “I like that it gives every city an opportunity to be the best Clash.”
Rhodes gave WWE president Nick Khan credit for identifying international markets to visit. Those European countries are now competing with each other to be the loudest WWE crowd.
“I think right now one of the things you’re seeing with the international crowds and Nick Khan’s been so good about identifying this in the different markets, is they’re almost competing with each other in a fun way,” Rhodes said. “In a sense of, ‘Well, Lyon, France is the loudest crowd ever in WWE history. We’re going to be even louder.’ Even some more subdued, you know, the German crowd always fills the arenas but they’re a little bit more subdued in the noise and the acoustics, even they have decided, ‘No, we’re getting in on being the loudest crowd.’ And that’s really the challenge that we present to them.”
Cody Rhodes at WWE Clash in Italy —
Rhodes enters Sunday’s event in Turin as the Undisputed WWE Champion. He’ll be putting the title on the line against Gunther, and fans won’t have to wait very long for their matchup. Rhodes vs. Gunther has been announced as one of the matches scheduled for the first hour of the show. It begins at 2 p.m. Eastern time with the first hour being simulcast on ESPN.
Rhea Ripley vs. Jade Cargill for the WWE Women’s Championship is the other match set for hour one. In the Unsportsmanlike interview, Rhodes praised Ripley by saying he doesn’t think there is a bigger star in the wrestling space than her right now.
Cody Rhodes addressed recovery from his WWE WrestleMania injuries and his upcoming match against Gunther this weekend.
Promoting his match against Gunther during an interview with ESPN, Rhodes talked about his eye injury at WrestleMania. He revealed that his eye was completely swollen shut and had to receive multiple staples and stitches to his head.
“Well, I’m here. Yeah, I’m here and I’m holding the WWE Championship. So, most important thing and all that concussion protocol and the fact that this thing was completely swollen shut, staples to the back of the head, stitches to the front of the head, I still found a way to wrestle the following week. So, built a little different. Yeah. I’m feeling real braggadocious about it. You know, built different, gave me his best shot and I came and wrestled the next week.”
Promoting his WWE Championship match against Gunther, he dismissed the challenger’s claims of Clash in Italy being on his home turf.
“I don’t think it’s his home turf. This isn’t Austria. We’re talking about this is Clash in Italy. They are not the same places. Europe is not a monolith. And I actually think that he’s of the impression this will be an away game for me. I don’t think that. I think Italy will be a crowd like France was. Loudest WWE crowd imaginable.”
The PLE will take place on May 31 in Turin, Italy. The match card also features Roman Reigns defending the World Heavyweight Championship against Jacob Fatu in Tribal Combat. Becky Lynch and Sol Ruca get their SNME rematch but the Intercontinental Title is on the line. WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley squares off against Jade Cargill again. Meanwhile, Brock Lesnar looks to complete his unfinished business with Oba Femi.
"I still found a way to wrestle the following week so [I'm] built a little different. … [Paul Heyman] builds them and I beat them, so I'm not real worried about him."@CodyRhodes speaks on his previous match during WrestleMania and previews his upcoming match against Gunther… pic.twitter.com/Rj7evEi1XU
Jacob Fatu detailed his mindset heading into his WWE Clash in Italy match against Roman Reigns.
In an interview with ESPN to hype his Clash in Italy bout, Fatu detailed the intricacies of a Tribal Combat, and what it means to his family, especially with their bloodline so deeply rooted in the feud.
“Well, see, this is the thing about Tribal Combat you can’t really prepare for a sticky situation like this. When it comes to our bloodline, when it comes to our culture, when it comes to our family, we are the only ones that are able to go and we’re the only ones that’s able to go within the tribal combat and do what we and and and do what we do at such a high level, at such a great stake right now at Clash of Italy, especially going there for the first time.”
Fatu also spoke on the opportunity for many firsts in his WWE run. More so going up against Roman Reign in WWE’s first Italy PLE is an honor.
“If we could just pull the current back just a little bit besides everything else, it’s an honor and I wouldn’t have it no other way. You know, since I’ve been here in WWE, it’s been a lot of first times that I’ve been a part of everything. So for us to go for the very first time PLE in Italy against one of the greatest of all time, Roman Reigns, man, it doesn’t get no better at Clash in Italy. Cannot wait for it.”
The feud ignited on the Raw after Mania when Fatu challenged Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship at Backlash. However, unhappy with the result, Fatu vowed to get a rematch and complete his quest to take over what Reigns has achieved in his WWE career.
The rivalry escalated into a Tribal Combat match leaving no escape from disqualifications and weaponizing anything against opponents. Additionally, on Raw this week, a contract signing between the two culminated in a heated exchange.
“I’m definitely walking out, this time, Heavyweight Champion.”
Jacob Fatu previews his tribal combat match against Roman Reigns at WWE’s Clash in Italy on Sunday 👀 pic.twitter.com/RWL2NgDRvU
Gunther reflected on his unconventional rise in WWE and why he does not have a wrestling catchphrase.
Speaking with Rompipallone, Gunther talked about his transition to NXT. And despite being on the main roster for about five years, is considered a veteran and an influence on the next generation.
“The thing is I didn’t have the typical WWE career, I would say, because I’ve been off the radar for most of my career which helped me in WWE. Basically come in and I had figured myself out already. And yeah, that’s why it’s sometimes hard to give people advice on how to play the game in the WWE system and stuff because I had my very special journey when it came to that but it’s also, that’s something you grow into as well over the time. Sometimes I feel like obviously I do feel like I belong, but sometimes I feel like I’m still a little bit of an outcast when it comes to that. But I think it’s a very interesting position I’m in. So I’m enjoying it how it is.”
Gunther explained why he does not have a catchphrase in WWE. He cited he’s more interested in letting his in-ring performance speak for itself.
“The man without phrases I think. There’s a reason why I don’t have any catchphrases or something like that, because I leave that to people like Cody Rhodes who can give themselves all kinds of cool names, cool sounding names that’s easy for the marketing department to use and put on t-shirts. That’s not me, I’m not interested in that part. I’m interested in what happens in the ring, that’s my number one.”
Gunther will face Rhodes at Clash in Italy on May 31 for the Undisputed WWE Championship. He blindsided the champion in an attack earlier this month setting sights on a new mission to capture gold. This ultimately set up the match for the Premium Live Event in Turin.
Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Lance Storm is back with tons to talk about as we recap RAW from Monday night, look at the Clash in Italy line-up, run down the AEW PPV from this past weekend, and discuss all the news in wrestling including injury updates. A fun show as always so check it out~!
Roman Reigns shared a moment with fans on his birthday after WWE Raw went off air.
In footage posted by fans on social media, the crowd chanted ‘Happy Birthday’ to Reigns who expressed gratitude and appreciated their support.
“Well, Colombus, you really know how to make your Tribal Chief feel special. You know it’s tough being in the WWE because it’s a family business. It’s hard to transition when you’re fighting with your family, so I just want to be grateful and have gratitude for all of you.”
“This ain’t bull**it. This is the real deal. Before I get out of here, man, it’s hard to describe this life. It’s hard to explain, and I just try to pray and be thankful every single day, man. This is the best. I hope everyone back there can feel the way I feel these days, but I feel like a lottery winner.”
“And like anybody that’s doing well, there’s a lot of hard work, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t happen without y’all. So whether it’s my birthday, whether it’s a Monday, a Wednesday, a Sunday, it doesn’t matter. It’s a blessed day. I just want to say thank you, everybody. Please get home safe.”
In the concluding moments on Raw, Reigns and Jacob Fatu signed the contract for their World Heavyweight Championship match at Clash in Italy. He warned Fatu that only one can be the Head of the Table after their Tribal Combat this weekend.
The Columbus crowd sang “Happy Birthday” to Roman Reigns after #WWERaw went off the air.
Roman then thanked the fans and told them how much he appreciated the love and support ❤️
Last week, WWE announced that the first hour of Clash in Italy would be airing on ESPN. Tonight they announced which matches will occupy that timeslot.
During tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw named two matches that would open Clash in Italy. One was Cody Rhodes defending the WWE Undisputed Championship against Gunther. The other will be Rhea Ripley defending the WWE Women’s Championship against Jade Cargill in a WrestleMania rematch.
The full card for Clash in Italy:
Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther for the Undisputed WWE Championship
Rhea Ripley vs. Jade Cargill for the WWE Women’s Championship
Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu in Tribal Combat for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Becky Lynch vs. Sol Ruca for the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship
Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar
Clash in Italy airs on May 31 from the Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy. The event will start at 8 p.m. local time, which will be 2 p.m. on the East Coast of the United States, 11 a.m. on the West Coast. Full information on how to watch can be found here.
WWE Clash in Italy 2026 isn’t on traditional broadcast TV in most countries as it’s a streaming-first Premium Live Event. The show goes out via ESPN in the United States, Netflix across 38+ international markets, and a handful of regional partners covering territories Netflix doesn’t reach. The pay-per-view date is Sunday, May 31, 2026, with a 2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT / 8:00 PM CEST start from the Inalpi Arena in Turin.
WWE Clash in Italy 2026 viewing options at a glance
Region
Primary Service
Type
Notes
United States
ESPN App (ESPN Unlimited)
Live stream
Also on Disney+ / Hulu / ESPN bundle
United Kingdom & Ireland
Netflix
Live stream
Included in any Netflix plan
Canada
Netflix
Live stream
Standard Netflix subscription
Australia & New Zealand
Netflix
Live stream
Standard Netflix subscription
Europe (most countries)
Netflix
Live stream
See country breakdown below
India
Sony Sports Network / Sony LIV
TV + stream
Tentative based on prior PLEs
Japan
Abema
Live stream
Japan exclusive
Sub-Saharan Africa
SuperSport
TV + stream
DStv pay-TV
Middle East
Netflix
Live stream
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Israel, UAE varies
Latin America
Netflix
Live stream
Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile etc.
How to watch WWE Clash in Italy 2026 in the United States
US fans need an ESPN Unlimited subscription to watch the show live. The event streams live on the ESPN app on May 31 at 2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT, with a kickoff show running roughly two hours before that. WWE switched its US streaming home to ESPN last year, ending the Peacock era.
ESPN Unlimited subscription cost
ESPN Unlimited runs $29.99/month standalone in the US. It bundles every WWE Premium Live Event for the year alongside ESPN’s regular live sports library. If you’re already paying for ESPN content, this is the cheapest route in.
Watch via Hulu, Fubo, DIRECTV or Disney+ bundle
You don’t need a dedicated ESPN Unlimited plan if you’ve already got one of the bundled options. Clash in Italy is available through the Disney+ / Hulu / ESPN bundle, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo TV, DIRECTV Stream, Spectrum TV and Verizon, anywhere ESPN is carried as part of a wider package. The Disney+ bundle is often the best value if you’d use the other services too.
How to watch WWE Clash in Italy 2026 in the UK and Ireland
UK and Ireland fans get Clash in Italy on Netflix, and you don’t need any extra subscription beyond a standard Netflix plan, which starts at £5.99/month for the basic tier. WWE landed on Netflix in the UK as part of the global PLE rights deal that kicked in during 2025.
How to watch WWE Clash in Italy 2026 in Australia and New Zealand
Aussie and Kiwi viewers watch Clash in Italy on Netflix Australia and Netflix New Zealand respectively. No add-ons, no separate sports pass are needed, just the regular Netflix subscription.
How to watch WWE Clash in Italy 2026 in Canada
Canadian fans get the event on Netflix Canada as part of a standard subscription. The shift from Sportsnet to Netflix happened back in 2025, so Clash in Italy follows the same pattern as every Netflix-era PLE.
How to watch WWE Clash in Italy 2026 in Europe
Most of Europe streams the event on Netflix. The current confirmed Netflix territory list covers Italy itself as well as: Spain, Germany, France, Netherlands, Portugal, Poland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Greece, Turkey and Ukraine.
How to watch WWE Clash in Italy 2026 in Germany, France and Spain
Same answer for all three: Netflix, standard subscription, 8:00 PM CEST local start. German, French and Spanish-dubbed commentary tracks should be available alongside the original English feed.
How to watch WWE Clash in Italy 2026 in India
India isn’t on the Netflix WWE rights list. Based on how WWE has handled prior 2026 PLEs in India, including Backlash in May, Clash in Italy is expected to air on Sony Sports Network (Sony Sports Ten 1, plus Hindi, Tamil and Telugu feeds) and stream live on Sony LIV.
How to watch WWE Clash in Italy 2026 in Japan
Japanese viewers watch on Abema, the local exclusive partner for WWE PLEs in 2026 as Netflix doesn’t carry WWE in Japan.
How to watch WWE Clash in Italy 2026 in Africa
For Sub-Saharan Africa, SuperSport holds the WWE rights on DStv pay-TV. The event airs on SuperSport’s wrestling channel and streams via the DStv app for subscribers.
Is WWE Clash in Italy 2026 on regular TV?
No, not in the US, UK, Canada, Australia or most of Europe. Clash is a streaming-only event in every major Western market. The only territories where Clash in Italy still gets a linear TV broadcast are India (Sony Sports Network) and Sub-Saharan Africa (SuperSport on DStv). Everywhere else, you’ll need an active subscription to ESPN, Netflix or the relevant regional streamer to watch live.
It’s a common announcement for WWE premium events these days: the first hour is going to air live on cable TV, with the rest of the show airing on a premium streaming network.
The WWE announced during Friday Night SmackDown that the first hour of Clash in Italy would air on ESPN. After that, viewers will tune in on ESPN Unlimited in the United States, or on Netflix internationally. The trend first started back at WrestleMania, when the first hour of both nights of WrestleMania aired on cable television.
Clash in Italy airs on May 31 from the Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy. The event will start at 8 p.m. local time, which will be 2 p.m. on the East Coast of the United States, 11 a.m. on the West Coast.
The announced card so far:
Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther for the Undisputed WWE Championship
Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu in Tribal Combat for the World Heavyweight Championship
Rhea Ripley vs. Jade Cargill for the WWE Women’s Championship
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.
Santino Marella commented on the possibility of his appearance at WWE Clash in Italy.
Marella responded to a fan made poster of him at the Premium Live Event. He stated it would be a ‘full circle moment’ if it happened.
“It would be a full circle moment for sure” tweeted Marella.
Marella marked his WWE main roster in 2007 and remained with the company until 2016. Since then he’s been associated with TNA and has competed in the promotion’s crossover feud with NXT. Additionally, he teamed up with Arianna Grace in the first ever father-daughter tag team match on TNA.
Clash in Italy marks WWE’s first Premium Live Event in Italy. It will take place on May 31 at Inalpi Arena in Turin.
So far, one match has been confirmed with Cody Rhodes defending the Undisputed WWE Championship against Gunther.
