Three matches that must be added to WWE Clash in Italy | Column
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.
Rosanne Raphael is a wrestling writer with over three and a half years of experience covering all things related to the industry. From a kindergarten teacher to PR Associate to turning her lifelong passion for the industry into a career, Rosanne is currently writing for F4W Online where she focuses on wrestling news, analysis, and storytelling.
Rosanne previously contributed to Sportskeeda as an Assistant Content Manager.
When not consumed by wrestling, Rosanne is a musician and an aspiring artist.