411’s WWE Clash in Italy Preview

Hello Folx! We are at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy, for Clash in Italy! This will be the first-ever WWE PLE held in Italy, and we have a pretty stacked card for tonight.

It’s like someone thought they were booking Night of Champions and fit as many championship matches on the card as possible. Which isn’t a bad thing, I just hope they do the same for the actual Night of Champions.

Now, I mentioned a stacked card, so let’s break it down real quickly before we get into the full preview. Brock Lesnar has come back for revenge on Oba Femi! Sol Ruca is fresh off a DQ win over Becky Lynch, but can she pull off a title win today? Jade Cargill is looking to get her title back as she takes on Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley!

After surviving Randy Orton, Cody quickly ran into his next challenger, the Career Killer Gunther! And in our Main Event, Jacob Fatu refused to acknowledge Roman Reigns after Backlash. Could Tribal Combat be the key to Fatu winning the World Heavyweight Championship?

Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi

Image Credit: WWE

After WrestleMania, it seemed like we had seen the last of Brock Lesnar. However, it appears he isn’t quite done, as he showed up to beat down Femi a couple of weeks ago, and now we are getting the rematch. The real question here is. Do they go the traditional route of having Lesnar win and then do a rubber match at SummerSlam to retire Brock in his home state? Or does Femi go up 2-0?

I could see Femi going 2-0 and then Lesnar giving him respect like he did Cody Rhodes. There would still be a path for him to get a third match for his retirement. He could tell Femi he can’t think of anyone he respects more to go out with. Or he could pivot to Gunther for SummerSlam. Honestly, I don’t want to see Femi lose here. He has been on fire since his debut on the main roster, and Lesnar put him over strongly at WrestleMania. It would feel like going backwards if he lost.

Lesnar is on the way out, and winning does nothing for him. A second decisive win over Lesnar will further cement Femi as not the future, but the present. He is on a trajectory to the World Heavyweight Championship later in the year. Therefore, securing two strong wins will only serve to boost him up the card further. The fans are behind him, he has the look, the talent, and the charisma. Now is the time to pull the trigger and not have him go 1-1 with Lesnar

Winner: Oba Femi

WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship
Sol Ruca vs. Becky Lynch

Image Credit: WWE

Ruca got the DQ win at Saturday Night’s Main Event. And Adam Pearce made this match official shortly after. As I said in Saturday Night’s Main Event preview, Becky has done everything she can with the title. It is time for someone new to carry the belt, and Ruca is a great option. She is young, has a great look, and the fans are behind her.

Ruca would also be a fresh match-up for former champions and challengers. She can have good matches with Lyra, Bayley, Nattie, Roxanne Perez, Raquel Rodriguez, and even future call-ups like Tatum Paxley. Meanwhile, Lynch can move back up to the Women’s World Championship scene. Lynch getting into feuds with Stephanie Vaquer, Liv Morgan, and IYO SKY would make for some great television.

So, the question is not if but when for Sol Ruca winning the Intercontinental Championship. I think tonight is perfect for it, Clash in Italy could be a bit of a coming out for fresh faces. Femi going over Lesnar, Ruca over Lynch, and Fatu has a chance against Roman. Will all of that happen? I am almost certain of 2 out of 3 of them, and this is one of the ones I’m totally sold on. Ruca gets the win, and we have a new champion heading into the summer.

Winner and new WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion: Sol Ruca

WWE Women’s Championship
Jade Cargill vs. Rhea Ripley

Image Credit: WWE

Speaking of matches that don’t feature a fresh face having a chance at winning. I think the Jade Cargill experiment is over. Like the Goldbergs and Lex Lugers before her, Cargill looks like a champion, but she doesn’t have the skills to back it up. She can be carried to a good match, but that isn’t someone you can build a division around. I think a move down the card, where she has less pressure, can do her good. Let her mix it up in the United States division and see where she is in 2027.

Rhea Ripley is the kind of woman you can build a division around. She is one of the most popular wrestlers in the world. She is great in the ring and on the mic, and she also looks like a champion. With Jacy Jayne waiting in the wings and Blake Monroe right behind her, this feels like wrapping up with Cargill before moving on to the next thing.

On that note, wouldn’t it make more sense for this to happen at Backlash? A PLE based around the fallout of WrestleMania? Oh well, after tonight, Ripley will be moving on to her next challenger. And hopefully Cargill can work on her in-ring skills, I want to see her succeed and improve, t’s just a matter of how much work she is willing to put in.

Winner and still WWE Women’s Champion: Rhea Ripley

Tribal Combat for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Jacob Fatu vs. Roman Reigns

Image Credit: WWE

I called Fatu to win it at Backlash, and I will do the same today. If Roman isn’t going to be here for Night of Champions, then why not give it to Fatu? Even if it’s a short reign, it lets them test how he does as champion. Reigns can take the month off, and Fatu can defend against Jey Uso at Night of Champions. I know the end goal is probably Reigns losing to Femi or Breakker. But that doesn’t mean he has to hold it the entire time.

With this being Tribal Combat, there is a non-zero chance that Jimmy and Jey will interfere in some way. But with there being no rules, Fatu can look like a badass for the brutal beatdown he puts Reigns through. And Reigns doesn’t have to lose 100% clean. I’m also curious to see if Fatu has an answer for Jimmy and Jey. The only people I can think of would be LA Knight and maybe CM Punk. But even with the numbers game, Fatu has shown he can take on all three guys, and with the added use of weapons, he should be fine on his own.

In the end, I want to see a Fatu win. I am probably going to be wrong again, but it’s what I want to see, and what I think would be best for business. Fatu has more than proved he deserves to be a World Champion, and Reigns doesn’t need the title to be on top. So, let’s get someone new in the mix. Fatu can be a great threat to someone like Femi in the future. He isn’t going to be scared of Femi, and the two of them would put on a Slobberknocker for the World Heavyweight Championship. So, why not put Fatu into that place now?

Winner and new WWE World Heavyweight Champion: Jacob Fatu

Undisputed WWE Championship
Gunther vs. Cody Rhodes

Image Credit: WWE

We already know these two can put on a good match. They met at Crown Jewel in 2024 and had a great old-school match. I expect more of the same here today. Though I think the outcome will be different. Cody is one of the few people to get a clean win over Gunther, which sets him up for a possible win here today. But Gunther has always learned from his mistakes. But as much as I want to see Gunther as Undisputed WWE Champion, there is someone else whom Cody has to face first.

After WrestleMania, Cody told Punk to let him know when he wanted a shot at the title. And I think that happens tonight. Cody will be setting up for a Cross Rhodes and then get blindsided by Punk. Giving Gunther a DQ win but not the belt. This can set up Cody vs Punk for Night of Champions, while still protecting Gunther. Gunther can get his rematch with Cody or face Punk again at SummerSlam. I think I like the idea of Punk vs Gunther II, only this time Punk is defending.

I also think, like Becky Lynch, Cody has done all he can with the Undisputed WWE Championship, and a change of scenery is needed. If he drops the belt to Punk, he can move to Raw and have some fresh feuds as well as rekindle some old ones. Reigns is right there, and then there is Femi, Breakker, Dirty Dom, Fatu, and hell, I’d love to see him against Balor.

This should be a fun old-school NWA style match, and ending in a schmoz isn’t so far out of line with that. It gets us to Punk vs Cody, it lets Gunther look strong, and it gets us a rematch of my 2025 MOTY. I won’t be upset if this is the route they go, and I typically don’t like ending a PLE like that, but if the story works, it works.

Winner but not Undisputed WWE Champion: Gunther