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Ex-WWE Champion Returns After 20 Years Ahead Of Clash In Italy

By Sridhar Krishnan • Published May 31, 2026 12:22 EDT
WWE Logo Blur US Title Giulia
WWE Logo Blur Giulia - Source: WWE.com

WWE is set to host the Clash in Italy PLE a few hours from now as part of the European Summer Tour.

The company kicked off the tour on May 28 in Liverpool, followed by the SmackDown taping in Barcelona, Spain. Tonight’s premium live event will witness four different championships being defended, by the end of which the fates of multiple wrestlers could be altered for better or worse.

Ahead of the Turin event at Inalpi Arena, a current WWE talent revealed that they had returned to Italy for the first time in 20 years.

Giulia, who is a former two-time Women’s United States Champion, took to her Instagram Stories and claimed that she had visited the country as a 12-year-old. In her personal note, she stated that she did not think she would ever return to Italy due to personal reasons.

However, due to her connection with professional wrestling, her desire to return to the country was fulfilled.

Giulia lost the Women’s US Title to Tiffany Stratton on the April 24 episode of SmackDown. While the 32-year-old is not exclusively advertised to perform at Clash in Italy, it remains to be seen if she makes an appearance in some capacity.

What Is The Active Card For WWE Clash In Italy?

WWE has previously held several house shows in Italy. Sunday’s event will be the first televised show in the country’s history.

Following Backlash on May 9, the company has been actively building new storylines to be featured on the European Summer Tour.

One of the most intriguing rivalries is that of the World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns and his cousin, “Samoan Werewolf” Jacob Fatu.

While Reigns managed to beat Fatu at Backlash, their match in Italy will be contested under the Tribal Combat rules, where everything goes. Fatu, meanwhile, sustained a back injury while performing in Liverpool a couple of days ago, casting a shadow on his availability for the title match.

As of this moment, the match will go ahead as planned.

Rhea Ripley will also defend her Women’s WWE Championship against Jade Cargill in a WrestleMania 42 rematch. The Eradicator defeated Cargill at the Show of Shows to become a 4-time singles major champion.

Gunther, who was recently moved to SmackDown from Raw, has been involved in a heated feud with Cody Rhodes, the Undisputed Champion. It will be Rhodes’ first title defense since beating Randy Orton at WrestleMania. The Ring General is a former 2-time World Heavyweight Champion.

Becky Lynch will put her Women’s Intercontinental Championship on the line against Raw’s latest recruit, Sol Ruca. The 26-year-old has yet to pick up her first victory on the main roster, which has been a hot topic of discussion.

Finally, Brock Lesnar will get his rematch against Oba Femi after suffering a humiliating defeat at WrestleMania in under 5 minutes. Lesnar retired in April following his loss, but returned to Raw recently to take out The Ruler. Lesnar’s manager, Paul Heyman, has maintained that The Beast Incarnate is still retired.

Viewers in the United States can watch the first hour of WWE Clash in Italy on ESPN and the show in its entirety on the ESPN app at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m PT. For fans outside the US, the event will be available on Netflix.