WWE news: Clash in Italy – Jade Cargill shines as Cody Rhodes vs Gunther ends in controversy

On Sunday, WWE presented its first-ever PLE from Italy as the Inalpi Arena in Turin played host to Clash in Italy.

The event saw Roman Reigns stand tall in Tribal Combat and Cody Rhodes vs Gunther end in controversy, while Jade Cargill showed up against Rhea Ripley, Brock Lesnar scored a win over Oba Femi, and Sol Ruca became Women’s Intercontinental Champion.

Here, Sports News Blitz writer Mosaddek Abu discusses five takeaways from a history-making evening in Turin.

Rhodes vs Gunther a great opener

The opening match of the night was for the WWE championship between reigning champion Rhodes and Gunther.

And the first thing to point out is how great their chemistry is – these guys always manage to get the crowd in the palm of their hands with on-point sequences and counters.

Indeed, a couple of nearfalls for Rhodes and Gunther certainly made for a great opener to the show.

But just as the match was starting to get going, the American Nightmare hit a Cross Rhodes, and despite Gunther having his foot underneath the bottom rope, the ref began his count.

Had the match gone a couple of minutes longer, there would have been more drama, more suspense, and the controversial finish they were going for could have worked.

Plus, if someone is pinning Gunther, who’s also known as the Career Killer, it should be a bigger deal than how it turned out.

A great match in the end, but one overshadowed by a bizarre finish.

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Cargill has best performance to date

Don’t sleep on Cargill just yet.

On Sunday night, Cargill and Ripley showed up in what was Cargill’s best performance to date.

People say Rhodes and Gunther have great chemistry; the same goes for Cargill and Ripley.

And this was better than their WrestleMania match, which was the aim, with Cargill stepping up to the plate and knocking it out of the park.

Her selling was on point, she brought the physicality in a match involving two powerhouses rocking each other with big strikes, and was by all accounts out there looking like a fully polished main-event wrestler.

In the end, the programme with Ripley has shifted Cargill up a gear – something you could say she was lacking before this series of matches with the Eradicator.

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Lesnar and Femi have fun blitz

WWE hyped up the rematch between Femi and Lesnar as the biggest event.

And much like the Goldberg-Lesnar matches from 2016, there were multiple F5s from Lesnar, an announce table spot, and Femi hitting a chokeslam.

The two heavyweights threw bombs at each other in what was a fun sprint, with both guys taking heavy hits.

Now the question is: Was there a need for the retirement angle back at WrestleMania?

There was also no need to rush into Femi’s first loss on the main roster as you could have continued building his momentum with two wins over the Beast Incarnate.

Regardless, a third match will surely be an exciting watch.

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Lynch continues making new women’s stars

The second-last match of the night featured Becky Lynch defending her Intercontinental Championship against Ruca.

Ruca was making her PLE debut, having made her Raw debut the night after WrestleMania and nurtured a rivalry with Lynch over the last couple of weeks.

It was a big night for Ruca, then, under the bright lights and on the biggest stage, but Lynch made the 26-year-old belong there by controlling the match and selling a lot of Ruca’s high-flying offence.

Lynch is likely to go down as one of the greatest stars in the women’s division, and she continues to elevate new and returning stars.

We saw it first with Lyra Valkyria in 2025, then the AJ Lee return, and on Sunday, she showcased one of the brightest future stars.

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Reigns must leave Bloodline saga behind

Jacob Fatu is now an established main-event player.

However, continuing the Bloodline saga, which feels creatively inconsistent and desperate to recapture past successes, will eventually hurt his title run.

Instead, the situation needs fresh faces and challengers.

The closing shot of Clash in Italy saw the MFTs and Solo Sikoa walk out, with Fatu now expected to fall in line after losing in tribal combat.

It seems the story is about seeing where the Samoan Werewolf’s allegiance lies between the Bloodline and the MFTs.

Admittedly, the Bloodline story was a special period from the moment Reigns returned as a heel in 2020 through to 2024.

But now it’s a new title run for Reigns, and it needs fresh material rather than a desperate attempt at a story which has already been played out and has nothing else left to tell.

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