Cody Rhodes left Clash in Italy still holding the Undisputed WWE Championship after beating Gunther on Sunday, but the finish did not land like a clean one. As the referee counted the pin, Gunther's foot was under the ropes, a small detail that made the title retention feel open to argument even with Rhodes' hand raised at the end.
That result drew attention because the event was being watched at the AMC 18 in San Diego's Fashion Valley Mall, where the reviewer was taking in a third straight show from the theater. The first hour of Clash in Italy produced little to no reaction from the audience, which made the night feel flat before the card finally started to click.
The biggest lift came in the Rhea Ripley-Jade Cargill match, which only got better as it went on. Fans in Turin chanted, “This is awesome,” and Cargill, by the end, had what the reviewer called the best match of her career. It was the kind of stretch that gave the show real momentum after an opening hour that barely stirred the room.
Brock Lesnar then backed up his return with a brutal win over Oba Femi, finishing him after seven F-5s. Lesnar had already injured Femi's left arm and shoulder early, turning the match into a beating rather than a contest. That mattered even more once the night ended, because Femi was entering the King of the Ring tournament and the show offered no clue about what a loss like this will mean for him next.
The main event in Turin still supplied the loudest theater moment, even if it belonged to someone other than Rhodes. Fans chanted for Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu, and when Reigns chucked the steel steps at Fatu's skull, the sound rattled the reviewer in the room. For Rhodes, the night was another title defense. For Gunther, the rope break hanging over the pin leaves just enough doubt to keep the ending from feeling settled.
