Who Gets Screwed at WWE Clash In Italy by Triple H's Booking Team?

Coming off two well-received shows in Saturday Night's Main Event and Backlash, WWE can keep trending in the right direction by delivering with Clash in Italy on Sunday.

It's a stacked card on paper with both of the company's top titles set to be defended. The event will also feature the highly anticipated rematch between Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi from WrestleMania 42.

Now the question is if WWE will do right by its Superstars on the show and ensure that all of the outcomes are what they're supposed to be. It's hardly a guarantee considering how inconsistent the quality of the booking has been as of late, leading to many being worse off than they were before.

It's highly unlikely all of the following Superstars reign supreme on Sunday night, so who stands to get screwed the most by Triple H and his writing team?

Jacob Fatu

It was a pleasant surprise to see Jacob Fatu emerge as the first challenger to Roman Reigns' World Heavyweight Championship coming out of WrestleMania 42.

He hasn't ceased to live up to the occasion and hold his own against The Tribal Chief at every turn.

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His loss to Reigns at Backlash wasn't ideal, but he was at least protected in defeat after having such a strong showing. If their Tribal Combat match at Clash in Italy were to end in similar fashion, Fatu wouldn't be able to bounce back as easily.

Their entire feud has seen Fatu get the better of Reigns, so a second straight loss on a premium live event would send the message that he can't get the job done when it matters most. That isn't to say he can't still be a world champion down the road, but he would definitely be done at the main event level for the foreseeable future.

Another shortcoming for Fatu would also effectively end the feud, because there really wouldn't be anything left to explore with the two of them if Fatu fails to take the title yet again. Him walking away with the World Heavyweight Championship would be a breath of fresh air for the top of the card on Raw, even if he were to lose it back to Reigns soon after in time for SummerSlam.

Of the three biggest potential "shockers" on the show, however, this one might be the most plausible. Fatu should be fine post-Clash in Italy based on how dominant he's been booked for the better part of the past month.

Gunther

The self-proclaimed Career Killer has been riding high since returning from injury late last year and retiring the illustrious likes of John Cena and AJ Styles in back-to-back months. He also triumphed over Seth Rollins in their WrestleMania war last month.

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His hot momentum could be coming to an abrupt halt at Clash in Italy when he challenges Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship.

Although it's a fresh feud, it also felt rather random for Gunther to make the jump from Raw to SmackDown and set his sights on Rhodes, who he's hardly interacted with since losing to him at Crown Jewel 2024. Randy Orton's absence from television could be the reason for the rivalry, but regardless, Gunther getting a shot at this stage only to fall short would be a waste of what he's built up.

Similar to his 'Mania match with Orton, Rhodes gains nothing from retaining the title against Gunther. It would only add to the idea that, as the face of the franchise, he's being shoved down the throats of fans at all times.

The Ring General has suffered his fair share of setbacks before, but a high-profile loss to Rhodes in Italy is simply unnecessary, especially if it's merely a one-off. He'd be very much directionless afterward, and it's not as if there are a ton of appealing options waiting in the wings to challenge Rhodes if he does defeat Gunther.

Oba Femi

WWE could be on the verge of a generation fumble with Oba Femi, whose upcoming rematch with Brock Lesnar is very much a no-win situation.

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It's less about Lesnar resurfacing on Raw after teasing retirement at WrestleMania and more about it happening so soon. He was always expected to be a part of SummerSlam in his home state of Minnesota, but rekindling his rivalry with Femi feels like a significant step backward for both men.

Femi in particular should be gearing up to enter and win King of the Ring, with a world championship shot hanging in the balance at SummerSlam. Instead, Lesnar will even the score by beating him at Clash in Italy and setting the stage for a rubber matchup, seemingly at SummerSlam.

The Ruler already picked up the biggest win of his career to date by besting The Beast Incarnate quickly and decisively at WrestleMania.

Scoring a second straight win over him at Clash in Italy would further establish him as a perennial main event player, but it's unrealistic to assume Lesnar would be brought back just to lose again when he could have easily been away until closer to SummerSlam.

WWE won't have ruined Femi if he's unsuccessful against Lesnar, but handing him his first major loss on the main roster would not only be underwhelming, it would also risk stalling his push toward Raw's top title for the foreseeable future.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.