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WWE CLASH IN ITALY PLE
MAY 31, 2026
TURIN, ITALY
STREAMED LIVE ON ESPN+ IN THE U.S. & NETFLIX INTERNATIONALLY
Commentators: Michael Cole, Wade Barrett
Ring Announcer: Alicia Taylor
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[HOUR ONE – SIMULCAST ON ESPN2]
-They closed out the two hour pre-show with Joe Tessitore saying: “This is a wrestling fan’s wresting card, a perfect fit. This is passion, this is joy here in Italy.” They showed him awkwardly reading this word-for-word off a sheet of paper in front of him.
-Michael Cole introduced the show as they showed an aerial view of Turin. They showed an intense profile of Roman Reigns, the a nearly jovial fist-bumping Jacob Fatu arriving. They also showed the other wrestlers on the show arriving, with big pops for both Oba Femi and Brock Lesnar. Then they went to a drone flying over the crowd, and oddly right over dozens and dozens of clusters of empty floor seats.
-A video package previewed the event.
(1) CODY RHODES vs. GUNTHER – WWE Undisputed Championship match
Cody made his entrance as fans sang his entrance theme with gusto. Cody seemed buoyed by the crowd response. Cole and Graves noted that Cody was nervous about whether he’d be seen as the away team here, but the crowd reaction was firmly pro-Cody. Cans sang “Cody, Cody Rhodes!” as the bell rang 9 minutes into the hour. Gunther and Cody went back and forth for a minute before Gunther dropped him with a chop and then several knees to the gut.
Cody made a comeback after escaping a suplex. He landed a snap powerslam, a Bionic Elbow, and a Pedigree for a two count. The crowd was firmly behind Cody. Gunther came back with a dropkick and a powerbomb for a two count at 5:00. Cody came back with a Disaster Kick and Crossroads for a near fall that the crowd popped for. Fans sang “Olé!”
Cody went for a top rope Cody Gutter, but Gunther caught him and applied a sleeper. Cody leaned back and had Gunther’s shoulders down. Gunther stood and then locked on the sleeper. He dropped to the mat and Cody struggled. Fans chanted, “Cody! Cody!” Cody stood and leaped backwards to break the hold, but Gunther re-applied it immediately. Cody draped his boot on the bottom rope to force a break.
Gunther looked upset with Cody and the crowd. They stood and exchanged rapid-fire intense chops. They hit each other with clotheslines. Gunther took Cody down; Cody took a hard bump. He got up and sent for a Cody Cutter, but Gunther blocked it and applied another sleeper. Cody broke free quickly and hit a springboard Cody Cutter. He took Gunther down with a clothesline and then landed a Crossroads for a three count. Gunther’s boot was under the bottom rope at the start of the cover, but Cody pulled it in for a hook.
Gunther protested that his boot was under the bottom rope. On the replay, Cole and Graves noted that Gunther was right and the ref shouldn’t have started his count.
WINNER: Cody in 12:00 to retain the WWE Undisputed Title.
(Keller’s Analysis: Really good match that, from the get-go, felt like it wasn’t going to go super long given the intensity early and pace throughout. The ESPN free hour format is likely to dictate matches being shorter than they otherwise would be, especially if there are two title matches booked for the hour. In this case, I think it worked for the match as it was electric and sometimes both Cody and Gunther can overdo the “slow methodical build” phase of the match just to add 8 minutes to the total length. Everything about this was well-executed and hard-hitting, with drama that the crowd bought into the whole way as they were invested in Cody winning and Gunther losing. Although it at first felt like an unexpectedly clean pin after a signature finisher, the controversy largely erased that, but that also means they’ll likely rematch them soon, which isn’t bad. If you want rematches, you either have to accept hot potato title reigns or controversial finishes that justify a rematch. This is the lower end of offensive regarding non-clean-finishes to justify rematches.)
-They showed LA Knight, Montez Ford, and The Judgment Day’s Raquel Rodriguez, Rozanne Perez, and Raquel Rodriguez sitting at ringside.
-They showed a split screen if Rhea Ripley and Jade Cargill walking backstage. [c]
(2) RHEA RIPLEY vs. JADE CARGILL – WWE Women’s Title match
Jade made her entrance first. Then a video package preview aired. Then Ripley made her entrance. Jade got booed during formal ring introductions. The bell rang 37 minutes into the hour. Fans chanted, “Let’s Go Mami!” Ripley kicked Jade in the gut, but Jade absorbed it and slammed Ripley. Jade then did push-ups right in front of her to taunt her. Jade battered Ripley at ringside and then back in the ring. Another “Let’s Go Mami!” chant broke out. At 7:00 Cole said it had been “alarmingly one-sided so far.”
Ripley began her comeback at 8:00. Fans applauded as Ripley took Jade down with a dropkick. She then delivered a German suplex, so Jade rolled to ringside. Ripley flip-dove off the ring apron onto Jade. Back in the ring, Ripley landed a top rope dropkick for a near fall.
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