Was this a fun little show to watch on a Sunday afternoon? Sure, it was. Overall, it had some solid action, a pumped up crowd, and many of the top stars that WWE has to offer. Was it impactful? Did it line up anything exciting for the rest of the summer? No, it didn’t.
WWE Clash in Italy was a safe crowd that WWE knew would treat them safely. After all, it was the first-ever PLE in Italy. It would have taken a nuclear winter to cool that audience.
The booking tried to protect everyone and in turn put over no one. Stories didn’t progress much either and if they did, they progressed negatively. Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther? Fine, but a totally boring finish that solved nothing. Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu? Also fine, but a finish that was the safest possible and should make for questionable TV.
Here are my Brass Ring Ratings for the event and here’s how they work … I call it like I see it and grade accordingly. Period.
Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther - Undisputed WWE Championship
In spots, a solid opening match to the show. The finish was awful. WWE sold this match as a top championship fight between two premiere contenders. The finish was a clear miss by the referee. Gunther had his leg under the top rope when the pin was counted. It was obvious, everyone saw it, and now the babyface Cody Rhodes has to pretend it was an actual victory when it wasn’t. First of all, there is instant replay everywhere now. How hard would it be to just take a look at the replay and get this call right? Second, why is WWE always so keen on making their good guys look bad? Rhodes gained nothing from this and will actively position the win as something the audience clearly didn’t see. Unless Rhodes owns the miss, he and the fans will be on different sides. As for Gunther, he takes a loss, but one that really means nothing. Not a bad match, but a waste of a match.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OO 1/2
Rhea Ripley vs. Jade Cargill - WWE Women’s Championship
Another strong match between Ripley and Cargill. The match built on what they started at WrestleMania 42 and featured some unique counters that only these two could pull off because of their athleticism and strength. As expected, Charlotte Flair got involved in this to even the odds once B-Fab and Michin ran out to assist Cargill. B-Fab made a mistake and missed her timing on lifting Cargill’s foot onto the ropes in an effort to interfere with a Ripley pin attempt. It slowed the momentum of the match a bit, but the audience didn’t dwell on it and popped for the Ripley win.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOO 1/2
Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar
Technically, this was a much better match than they had at WrestleMania 42. It didn’t have nearly the same amount of anticipation or sizzle as that match did. Part of that was the crowd reaction for Lesnar. The crowd in Turin loved him and treated him as a babyface throughout the match. They didn’t hate Femi or anything, but the psychology was a little wonky. The match had plenty of action and plenty of protection for Femi, even in taking the loss. It took seven F5’s for Lesnar to win. One of those was through the announce table. Lesnar put Femi over perfectly at WrestleMania this year. It’s a shame that they had to run it back because Femi got so cold coming out of that show thanks to what appeared like absolutely no plan for him. This Lesnar win keeps something very important on the docket for Femi. Expect the trilogy match later this year.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOO
Becky Lynch vs. Sol Ruca - WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship
Sol Ruca hung with Becky Lynch throughout this entire match. That certainly says something about her as a wrestler. Lots of near falls in this one, but each one made sense inside the story of the new challenger trying to take out the comfortable veteran. They did a little with Jessika Carr and Lynch, but nothing overt like past matches. Ruca defeated Lynch to win the title and that freshens up the entire women’s division on Raw. She also hit the Sol Snatcher successfully. That move is central to her being as over as she is, so it was imperative that she get it right for the finish and to win the belt. To be sure and like Femi and Lesnar, Lynch and Ruca will run this back for a trilogy fight later this year.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOO 1/2
Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu - WWE World Heavyweight Championship in Tribal Combat
Well, it was a good match. No doubt about that. I liked the Backlash one better. When you bill a match as Tribal Combat, the expectation is intense drama and tension. This really didn’t have either. It had a little of both, but random Halloween street fights have had the same amount at times. I wouldn’t break out this gimmick match again for a while, because it was flat as hell. Nothing in the lead up to this match indicated this show would be Fatu’s crowning moment. Because Fatu is set to acknowledge Reigns on Raw this week and will be subservient to Reigns moving forward, I can’t help but think the guy’s aggressiveness — his most important personality trait — has been neutered going forward.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOO 1/2
What did you think of WWE Clash in Italy? Let us know in the comments!
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Thoughts on the booking for Oba? It just feels it would have been stronger to set him up in a. feud with any number of good full timers.