News

Backstage Pitch For 4-Time WWE Champion’s Return At Clash In Italy

By Kaushik Das • Published May 30, 2026 08:42 EDT
Triple H WWE
"The Game" Triple H (Image Source: WWE.com)

A former WWE champion may show up at Clash in Italy.

The anticipation for the upcoming premium live event is at an all-time high. WWE has announced five blockbuster matches, and they are as follows:

  • Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Gunther – Undisputed WWE Championship Match
  • Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Jade Cargill – WWE Women’s Championship Match
  • Becky Lynch (c) vs. Sol Ruca – WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship Match
  • Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi
  • Roman Reigns (c) vs. Jacob Fatu – Tribal Combat for the World Heavyweight Championship

It looks like Triple H and Co. are not content with just great in-ring action. Wrestlevotes Radio on Fightful Select recently revealed that there was an idea pitched within WWE creative to have four-time champion Santino Marella appear at Clash in Italy. There has been no confirmation about any follow-up to the pitch, as of this writing.

For those unaware, Santino Marella is currently signed to TNA. He has made several WWE appearances in recent times, albeit on the NXT brand. The last time he showed up on the main roster was during the 2020 Women’s Royal Rumble, in his Santina Marella gimmick.

Triple H issues major statement ahead of WWE Clash in Italy

Taking to X (formerly Twitter) a couple of days ago, WWE CCO Triple H shared a heartwarming message for the fans. He spoke about how grateful WWE and its superstars are to perform in front of international audiences.

Check out his full statement below:

We’re a few days out from Turin, and if I can give one message to the fans, believe me, this will mean as much to us and the WWE superstars as it does to each and every one of you. We cannot wait to get there.

One of the great things about being a WWE superstar is that global nature of what we do. The ability to go to countries where they maybe don’t speak the same language, maybe the culture is completely different to ours. It really points out the similarities, as opposed to the differences, between us all.

I’ve heard people say before that music is the universal language, but I think maybe WWE is the universal action genre; it connects with everybody, it’s simple to understand. It’s not country-versus-country, it’s an escape. It’s larger than life superheroes solving their conflicts in our ring. There’s a universal language to that.

It will be interesting to see what surprises Triple H has in store for the WWE Universe in Turin.

Make TJR Wrestling your choice for news by    clicking here.