Slimmer’s WWE Clash in Italy Report

Welcome to 411’s WWE Clash in Italy Report. Today’s Countdown Show panelists are Joe Tessitore, Big E, Corey Graves, and Peter Rosenberg. They start by breaking down Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther before heading to a video package for Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar. Next up is a video package for Becky Lynch vs. Sol Ruca, followed by a video package for Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu. We head to a video package for Rhea Ripley vs. Jade Cargill, followed by a tribute package for Italy’s own Bruno Sammartino. The Countdown Show closes with one more video package for Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther.

Undisputed WWE Championship Match
Cody Rhodes (Champion) vs. Gunther

Rhodes and Gunther lock up to start, and Rhodes maneuvers Gunther into the corner. Rhodes breaks and then locks up with Gunther again in the middle of the ring. Gunther muscles Rhodes to the corner and then chops him down to the mat. Rhodes responds with a low uppercut and goes for the Cody Cutter, but Gunther counters with a thunderous chop. Gunther lands another chop and makes the cover for the two count. Gunther whips Rhodes hard to the corner and goes for a sleeper, but Rhodes counters with an arm drag takedown to avert disaster. Gunther goes for a back body drop, but Rhodes flips over and lands on his feet. Rhodes catches Gunther with a power slam and then goes to work with a volley of jabs. Rhodes hits a Pedigree and makes the cover, but Gunther kicks out at two. Gunther fights back with a drop kick and follows up with a powerbomb for a two count of his own. Rhodes gets back to his feet and hits Gunther with Cross Rhodes for another two count. Rhodes goes for a Cody Cutter out of the corner, but Gunther counters into a sleeper hold. Gunther drags Rhodes down to the mat, but Rhodes fights back to his feet to briefly break the hold. Gunther immediately reapplies the sleeper and once again drags Rhodes down to the mat, but Rhodes just manages to get his foot on the ropes to break the hold. Rhodes and Gunther slug it out in the middle of the ring before Gunther levels Rhodes with a clothesline. Rhodes goes for a sleeper of his own, but Gunther shoves him to the ropes. Rhodes hits a Cody Cutter, followed by the Cross Rhodes for the three count. After the match, Gunther vehemently claims that his foot was under the bottom rope during the pin, and the reverse camera angle shows that he is absolutely correct.

Match Result: Cody Rhodes defeats Gunther with the Cross Rhodes, but Gunther’s foot was definitely under the bottom rope during the pin.
Match Length: 12:48
Slimmer’s Rating: ***¾

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

Ripley and Cargill lock up to start. Cargill slaps Ripley across the face and then mockingly does push-ups in front of her. Ripley dumps Cargill to the outside and goes for a cannonball off the apron, but Cargill catches Ripley and slams her onto the apron. Cargill launches Ripley into the ropes and catches her with a kick to the gut on the rebound. Cargill hits a fallaway slam on the outside and drags Ripley back into the ring. Cargill slams Ripley’s head into the top turnbuckle and then whips her hard to the opposite corner. Ripley fights back to her feet but eats a suplex from Cargill. Cargill hits a scoop slam but posts herself in the corner. Ripley connects with a short clothesline before slamming Cargill face-first to the mat. Ripley dumps Cargill to the outside, and this time she successfully connects with the cannonball from the apron. Ripley rolls Cargill back into the ring and lands a missile drop kick from the top. Ripley goes for the Razor’s Edge, but Cargill counters with a back body drop. Ripley and Cargill slug it out in the middle of the ring. Cargill goes for Jaded, but Ripley counters with a head butt. Ripley hits the Razor’s Edge but only gets a two-count. Ripley goes for an electric chair drop, but Cargill flips Ripley to the outside. Ripley maintains her hold on Cargill and drops her face-first onto the apron. Ripley rolls Cargill back into the ring and goes for Riptide, but Cargill tries to reverse into Jaded, but Ripley tries to reverse back into Riptide, but Cargill counters into a DDT. Cargill hits a Blue Thunder Bomb but only gets a two-count. Ripley takes Cargill up top and hits a back body drop from the top for a looong two count. B-Fab and Michin charge down to the ring. Ripley hits Riptide, but B-Fab puts Cargill’s foot on the ropes. Ripley goes after B-Fab and Michin, but Charlotte Flair shows up to take out B-Fab and Michin with a crossbody off the barricade. Ripley heads back into the ring and eats a Jaded from Cargill, but Flair puts Ripley’s foot on the ropes. Ripley fights back to her feet and hits one more Riptide for the two count.

Match Result: Rhea Ripley defeats Jade Cargill with the Riptide.
Match Length: 16:57
Slimmer’s Rating: ****

Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar

Lesnar charges at Femi before the bell even rings and muscles him into the corner. The bell rings, and Lesnar immediately hits four consecutive F5s. Lesnar makes the cover, but Femi miraculously kicks out at two. Lesnar locks in the Kimura Lock, but Femi gets to his feet while still in the hold and slams Lesnar to the mat to break the hold. Lesnar goes back to the Kimura Lock, but Femi slams Lesnar to the corner to break free. Femi goes for a choke slam, but Lesnar counters into a fifth F5. Lesnar makes the cover, but Femi kicks out yet again! Lesnar goes for another F5, but Femi counters into a choke slam. Femi clotheslines Lesnar to the outside, but Lesnar whips Femi into the ring post. Lesnar goes back to the Kimura Lock, but Femi slams Lesnar into the ring post. LESNAR HITS FEMI WITH AN F5 THROUGH THE ANNOUNCE TABLE!!! Femi pops back to his feet and easily beats the referee’s count back into the ring. Femi hits a running uppercut and tosses Lesnar across the ring. Femi goes for the Fall from Grace, but Lesnar counters into a seventh F5 to finally get the three count.

Match Result: Brock Lesnar defeats Oba Femi with the F5.
Match Length: 6:10
Slimmer’s Rating: ****¼

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

Ruca traps Lynch in the corner to start and hits a snapmare takedown. The action spills to the outside, and Lynch tries to dump Ruca onto the apron, but Ruca handstands to lock her legs around the top turnbuckle and pull herself out of harm’s way. Ruca heads up top and hits a gorgeous moonsault to the outside. The action returns to the ring before Lynch again dumps Ruca to the outside. Lynch hits a diving punch from the apron and then whips Ruca into the barricade. Lynch rolls Ruca back into the ring and heads up top. Lynch hits a diving leg drop but only gets a two count. Ruca heads up top and connects with a missile drop kick. Ruca hits a running knee shot but only gets a two-count. Ruca goes for a springboard Sol Snatcher, but Lynch counters into an arm bar. Ruca reverses the arm bar into a crossface, but Lynch breaks free. Lynch goes for the Manhandle Slam, but Ruca reverses into a missile drop kick. Lynch takes Ruca up top, but Ruca hits Lynch with a top rope diving X-Factor. Ruca heads back up top, but Lynch shoves the referee into the ropes to make Ruca lose her balance. Lynch goes for a DDT, but Ruca flips forward and hits a super kick. Lynch heads to the outside, but Ruca catches her with a handspring dive to the outside. The action returns to the ring, and it looks like Lynch may have gone for the Sol Snatcher, but Ruca counters into a Manhandle Slam of her own. Ruca hits the Sol Snatcher and finally gets the three count.

Match Result: Sol Ruca defeats Becky Lynch with the Sol Snatcher.
Match Length: 13:55
Slimmer’s Rating: ***½

Tribal Combat for the World Heavyweight Championship
Roman Reigns (Champion) vs. Jacob Fatu

Reigns grabs a standing side headlock to start, but Fatu quickly reverses into a standing side headlock of his own. Fatu charges at Reigns, but Reigns levels him with a clothesline. Reigns slams Fatu’s head into the top turnbuckle and goes for another clothesline, but Fatu ducks and levels Reigns with a back elbow shot. Fatu goes for the Tongan Death Grip, but Reigns quickly rolls to the outside. Fatu dives to the outside to take out Reigns, but Reigns fights back to his feet and beats Fatu into the crowd. Fatu bounces Reigns’ face off the stair railing and then slams him face-first into a chair. Fatu beats Reigns back through the crowd and tosses him back into the ringside area. Reigns slams Fatu into the ring post before retrieving a table from under the ring. Reigns levels Fatu with a big boot, but Fatu fights back and drives Reigns into the ring steps. Fatu puts the ring steps in the ring and rolls Reigns back into the ring as well. Reigns picks up the steps and launches them over the top rope and directly onto Fatu’s head. Reigns connects with a Drive-By and rolls Fatu back into the ring. Reigns goes for a Superman Punch, but Fatu evades and splashes Reigns in the corner. Fatu goes to work with mounted head butts in the corner and then backs it up. Reigns goes for the spear but eats a super kick. Fatu locks in the Tongan Death Grip, but Reigns fights back to his feet. Reigns escapes to the outside and hits a Superman Punch between the ropes. Reigns grabs a toolbox from under the ring and smashes it onto Fatu’s hand. Reigns again slams the toolbox onto Fatu’s hand and then rolls him back into the ring. Reigns sets up a table in the corner and goes for a spear, but Fatu catches him with a splash in the corner. Fatu dumps Reigns to the outside and tries to spear him through the table, but Reigns blocks and spears Fatu through the barricade instead. Reigns rolls Fatu back into the ring and hits the spear, but Fatu miraculously kicks out at two. Reigns removes three of the top turnbuckle covers, but Fatu springs to his feet and goes for the Tongan Death Grip. Fatu’s injured hand prevents him from locking in the Tongan Death Grip, but he connects with a spear instead. Fatu goes for the Mighty Moonsault, but Reigns rolls out of the way. Reigns goes for a spear, but Fatu counters with a pop-up Samoan Drop. Fatu hits the Mighty Moonsault and makes the cover, but Reigns low blows Fatu while kicking out at two. Reigns and Fatu slug it out in the middle of the ring, and Reigns repeatedly drives Fatu’s face into one of the exposed turnbuckles. Reigns spears Fatu through the table in the corner and then hits another spear to finally get the three count.

Match Result: Roman Reigns defeats Jacob Fatu with the spear.
Match Length: 27:22
Slimmer’s Rating: ****¼

7.9

The final score: review Good

The 411

Clash in Italy was a solid and enjoyable show, but it was also a show that lacked big headlines. The only title change was Sol Ruca winning the Women’s Intercontinental Championship, but as we’ve seen time and time again, Becky Lynch could easily win it back sooner than later. Cody Rhodes, Rhea Ripley, Brock Lesnar, and Roman Reigns were all victorious in their matches, but all of those wins (especially Rhodes’) felt like chapters in larger stories rather than defining victories. That being said, there’s obviously nothing wrong with long term storytelling, and in that regard Clash in Italy was a fun way to keep many marque WWE storylines moving forward.