GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 18: Jacob Fatu put his submission hold on Jey Uso during Monday Night RAW at Greensboro Coliseum Complex on May 18, 2026 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Rich Wade/WWE via Getty Images)
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So, Brock Lesnar isn't retired. The Beast made a surprising return on Raw in Greensboro, North Carolina and attacked Oba Femi in the middle of his entrance. Lesnar hit Femi with a series of F5s and left the Ruler lying in the ring. Later in the show, their rematch was made official for Clash in Italy on May 31.
That's just a piece of what came together on Raw. Roman Reigns will defend his World Heavyweight Championship against Jacob Fatu in a Tribal Combat match on the CII card. It was a pretty big Monday.
If you were wondering how big Clash in Italy would be on the WWE calendar, the three confirmed matches should answer all questions. The overall card preview from last week had Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther as the locked main event, but the Lesnar return and the Tribal Combat stipulation upgrade for Reigns-Fatu have moved this card from a strong PLE into legitimate marquee territory.
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Triple H and the WWE creative team have used three editions of Raw and three SmackDowns to layer in the storylines that culminate in Turin on May 31. The first WWE Premium Live Event ever held in Italy is now carrying three world-level storylines and a women’s championship build, which is rare for PLEs outside of WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Money in the Bank, Royal Rumble and Survivor Series.
Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther is a huge match, but after WWE booked Reigns-Fatu in Tribal Combat, you have to wonder which match will be the main event. It's easy to see Reigns-Fatu closing the show because of all the extra layers that could come into play with Tribal Combat.
That said, Rhodes and Gunther have been on a collision course since Gunther attacked Rhodes on the May 1 SmackDown and posed with the Undisputed WWE Championship.
Paul Heyman delivered the Clash in Italy contract on May 8, and on the May 15 SmackDown, Gunther beat Royce Keys in a No. 1 contender bout that Nick Aldis booked to formally lock in the title shot.
WWE creative has built this in an odd way. In many ways, it doesn’t make sense. I think we need to hear more of why Gunther wants this title. Even still, it’ll be two of the best in the business hopefully putting on a memorable match.
On the surface, this is essentially a no-holds-barred street fight. However, the winner is supposed to be recognized as the new Tribal Chief. Also, the rules and concept leave room for surprises. Could we see new alliances, betrayals, heel turns or even new arrivals? All of that makes the match a little more intriguing.
Reigns has prior Tribal Combat history. He defeated Jey Uso at SummerSlam 2023 in one of the defining Bloodline-era matches and later beat Solo Sikoa under the same stipulation.
Fatu attacked Reigns at Backlash 2026 in Tampa despite losing the title match, refusing to acknowledge the OTC and continuing his assault on the Usos. The Turin rematch is the logical landing spot, and Tribal Combat is the stipulation that gives WWE creative room to take the storyline anywhere from a clean Reigns win to a full Bloodline reset.
I’m betting on Fatu getting the title.
Lesnar's retirement was a ruse, as some predicted. You'd like to think that when Lesnar does hang them up, it won't be done as a surprise. That's what made his actions after WrestleMania 42 so shocking. We'll see if his feud with Femi is extended to SummerSlam or if it ends in Italy.
The original WrestleMania 42 result — Femi pinning Lesnar in under five minutes via Fall From Grace — looked like a clean torch-passing retirement. Boots and gloves in the ring, Heyman hug, "Thank you Brock" chants.
One month later, Lesnar is back in WWE storyline circulation and the Clash in Italy rematch is the immediate destination.
Femi’s main roster run has been the cleanest debut WWE has booked in years, and the second Lesnar bout will be either WWE creative protecting its next-big-thing or extending his feud with legend.
Ripley and Cargill will be involved in a six-woman tag-team match on Saturday Night's Main Event and it is likely that sets up their rematch in Italy.
That tag layout is a clean way for WWE creative to extend the storyline one more week before locking the singles match in. Ripley is the established enforcer champion, Cargill is the undefeated attraction that doesn’t respect anybody's pecking order, and Monday's Raw included the staredowns, interference and post-match chaos that typically precede a Premium Live Event announcement.
The expected announcement timing at SNME the weekend before Italy fits the standard WWE pattern of locking in major women's matches at the broadcast directly before the PLE.
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