WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns gave it to Jacob Fatu straight last week. Perhaps he should have listened to the Tribal Chief.
“I am going to domesticate you. If you can’t beat me you will serve me and in time you will love your Tribal Chief,” he said.
Now that he has defeated the Samoan Werewolf, one wonders what Roman will make Fatu do besides acknowledge him as the Tribal Chief when it comes WWE TV this week?
As Jacob came down to the ring for the championship and Tribal Combat match at Clash In Italy he is wearing more traditional Samoan wrestling gear, I guess you would call it. He has a lavalava on over his tights. Roman arrives with his title and the Ula Fala around his neck.
Roman. Roman Reigns. Roman. Roman Reigns.
Roman and Fatu stare each down for a long time after the bell has already rung. Finally, they lock up. Roman sends Fatu back into a corner. A shoulder tackle by Fatu puts Roman down. A clothesline from Roman puts Fatu down. Roman drags Fatu around the ring smashing his head into each and every turnbuckle.
Roman rules out of the ring when the Tongan Death Grip gets close to his throat. Fatu leaps out of the ring onto Roman. Roman is thrown over the barricade. They fight in the crowd. Fatu is put over a railing. Roman unloads with some right hands as the crowd counts along.
Fatu bounces Roman’s head of a steel chair. At a concession stand, Roman throws some ice at Fatu. Fatu sends Roman into a steel post. They fight back to the ring. The official has some words for Fatu.
“Shut your ass up!” growls Fatu.
Fatu is looking for something under the ring but Roman stops him. He gets thrown into a steel post. Roman and Fatu fight over a table. Roman slides it into the ring. Roman is run into one set of steps and then another.
Fatu slides steel steps into the ring. Roman heaves the steel steps out of the ring and off Fatu’s head. A drive-by head-first into a steel post. Roman points at his head. He has all the brains, I assume. Roman cleans Fatu’s clock with a series of forearms in a corner.
Fatu ducks a Superman Punch. Clothesline, senton and splash in the corner on Roman. Fatu head butts Roman in a corner. Fatu slings Roman off the ropes but it is Roman who turns things around with a Superman Punch.
Roman’s spear is countered with a kick and the Tongan Death Grip. Roman drops to one knee. Fatu sends Roman over the ropes to the floor. Fatu dives and Roman punches him in the face. Roman pulls out a tool box from under the ring. He slams the box down on Fatu’s hand.
“You cannot do s–t with it now, can you?” yells Roman in Fatu’s face.
Mamma Mia! Mamma Mia! Mamma Mia!
Roman sets up a table in a corner. Fatu runs around the ring only to get Superman Punch in the face. Roman spears Fatu through a barricade and back in the ring for a two count.
Roman tells Fatu he has never needed anyone to beat him. Roman begins ripping off the turnbuckles.
” I don’t need anyone!” says Roman.
Fatu tries to lock on the Tongan Death Grip but his hand hurts so he cannot secure it. Fatu’s head bounces off the exposed turnbuckles. Fatu spears Roman for a two count. Fatu missed his moonsault. Roman runs in for a spear but he is caught for a pop-up Samoan Drop. Fatu lands his moonsault but that only gets him a two count. Roman kicks out and appears to low-blow Fatu as he does.
Both men throw hands as they are on their knees. Roman escapes the Tongan Death Grip by driving Fatu’s heads a million times into the exposed turnbuckle. Roman spears Fatu through a table. He gets back to his feet only to be speared again for the three count.
After his victory, The Uso come down to the ring to put the Ula Fala back around his neck as Jacob sits in a corner. As the trio leaves the ring, they see Solo Sikoa at ringside with his crew. The Usos signal to Fatu to follow them to the back and he does.
The rest of the show displayed an off-balance WWE with many of the matches being ruined to a degree by an unusual amount of botches or just plain old confusion between talent. Although the talent didn’t throw in the towel and did soldier on it made the company look like they weren’t prepared for their matches tonight.
Clash in Italy Results
Cody Rhodes (c) versus Gunther – Undisputed WWE Championship Match
As Gunther makes his way to the ring, the crowd actually sings along with his song. As the Italian commentary team is introduced their sound cuts out.
Gunther and Rhodes stare each other down. Nobody wants to make the first move. Cody gives Gunther a clear break and somersaults across the ring, for some reason.
Cody. Cody Rhodes. Cody. Cody Rhodes.
Guther doesn’t break clean. He chops him across the chest knocking him to the mat. Drop down punch from Cody. Cody goes for the Cody Cutter but gets chopped out of the air.
Cody shrugs off a sleeper hold but takes a big boot to the face. A shoulder tackle brings down Cody again. Cody powerslams a staggered Gunther. Jabs to the ribs, a Bionic Elbow and a Pediagre for a two count. Dinosaur kick and a massive powerbomb from Gunther for a two count.
Gunther missed a lame, weak frog splash. Cody got his knees up. Crossroads for a two count. Gunther catches Rhodes in a sleeper as he attempts a Cody Cutter. He gets taken down to the mat. Cody makes it back to his feet lifting Gunther off the ground on his back. Cody drops Gunther to the mat but the sleeper gets locked in again.
Cody! Cody! Cody!
Cody gets his foot on the ropes to break the sleeper. Cody and Gunther trade chops and punches. Cody Cutter off the ropes and a big clothesline stuns Gunther. Cross Rhodes for a three count…in an awkward ending.
Gunther claims his foot was in the ropes which should have broken the count but Cody appears to have pulled that leg in at the last second. Still a very, very short match for what is expected from these two.
Gunther continues to argue with the official outside the ring as Cody celebrates inside of it. Can you say, rematch at SummerSlam?
Winner: …and still Undisputed WWE Champion, Cody Rhodes at 11 minutes and 48 seconds.
Rating: 7 / 10
Rhea Ripley (c) versus Jade Cargill – WWE Women’s Championship Match
A lot and I mean a lot of awkward spots and messy work by both of these ladies. Some embarrassing stuff to be sure.
Big time boos for Cargill. Big time cheers for Ripley.
Ripley is wearing red tonight. Interesting that. Ripley is a bit extra…as the kids would say…singing her theme as he makes her way down to the ring. She then drops onto her back in the middle of the ring ending her performance and her theme.
Let’s go Rhea! Let’s go Rhea!
Rhea cannot budge Jade and gets frustrated.
Let’s go Mami! Let’s go Mami!
Jade slams Ripley down in the middle of the ring and starts doing push-ups. Rhea slaps Jade in the face. Things head to the floor as Rhea attempts a sloppy cannonball. Jade catches her, sorta, slamming Rhea on the apron.
Jade dumps Rhea on the floor with a fallaway slam. Jade chokes Rhea over the middle rope and then stomps away in a corner. Jade whips Rhea into a corner and then time for more push-ups. A couple of snap suplexs for a two count.
Jade slams Rhea down by her hair. Jade charges at Rhea. Rhea steps out of the way. Jade hits a corner and a steel post. Slam and missile drop kick by Rhea. A German Suplex sends Jade to the floor where Rhea hits her cannonball off the apron properly this time. Drop kick from the top rope for a two count.
After a back body drop to Rhea, Jade takes a kick to the head. Both women are down. As they stand, they are face to face. They exchange punches. Razor’s Edge to Jade and a Shining Wizard gets Rhea a two count.
Rhea has Jade in an electric chair. Rhea has to jump, pussh off to send them both over the top rope where Rhea lands on her feet slamming Jade on the apron.
Jade counters Rhea’s finisher with a DDT. Jade takes too long to get to the top rope. Rhea slams Jade’s head off the steel post. Top rope superplex by Rhea for a two count.
B-Fab and Michin hit the ring. A very bad Riptide on Jade. As Jade attempts a pin, B-Fab is supposed to pull Jade’s leg onto the rope but she misses and the official is forced to delay his count giving her time to do what she needs to do.
The crowd boos.
The official sends B-Fab and Michin to the back. Charlotte Flair splashes both heels. Back in the ring, a Jaded on Rhea. Charlotte puts Rhea’s leg over the ropes to break the count.
Head butt and another Riptide for the win.
Winner: …and still WWE Women’s Champion, Rhea Ripley at 17 minutes and 23 seconds.
Rating: 7.5 / 10
Brock Lesnar versus Oba Femi
The crowd sings along with Lesnar’s theme song. The Beast is all business as he prowls around the ring wating for Oba. Heyman takes away the microphone from Alicia Taylor. He makes The Beast’s intro in Italian.
Brock rushes at Femi before the bell even rings and the lights can even turn back on. Four F-5s. Femi kicks out. Lesnar puts Femi in the Kimura Lock.
Oba stands up with Lesnar slamming him to the mat. Lesnar is in disbelief. Lesar puts the arm lock on Femi. Femi slams Lesnar into corner after corner. Another F5. Femi kicks out. Lesnar snaps.
Femi slips out of an F5 chokeslamming Lesnar with only one arm. Oba and Lesnar go over the top rope to the floor. Lesnar whips Oba’s arm into the steel post. Lesnar put the arm lock on again but Oba slams him into a steel post. F5 through the announce table.
Lesnar rolls back into the ring hoping for a countdown. Femi stands up holding his arm and returns to the ring. Femi with running uppercuts and a slam. Lesnar escapes Fall of Grace as Femi’s arm is too injured to hold him. F5 for the win.
“One plus one. You are done, bitch,” says Lesnar leaving the ring.
Winner: Brock Lesnar at 6 minutes and 13 seconds.
Rating:8 / 10
Becky Lynch (c) vs. Sol Ruca – WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship Match
Man, what did they do to Ruca’s music? It is freaking terrible.
Lynch reads the riot act to the official Jessika Carr before the match starts. Ruca slams Lynch’s face into a corner and a standing moonsault gets her a two count. Lynch follows Ruca into the ropes and clotheslines her to the floor for a baseball slide kick. Ruca does a handstand on the apron so Lynch punches a steel post. Ruca executes a moonsault on Lynch.
Ruca goes to bounce on the ropes. Lynch knocks her down on her ass taking the wind out of Sol. Lynch leaps off the apron punching Ruca in the face. She throws her into the barricade twice.
Lynch literally takes a hundred years to get on the top rope for a leg drop. Release German suplex and a missile drop kick from the top rope for Ruca. A running knee for a two count. Lynch turns an attempted Sol Snatcher into an arm bar. Sol turns that into a crossface submission.
Lynch drives Sol towards Carr. Carr bails from the ring and her count for Lynch ends up being slow. Lynch lets her have it…verbally. Ruca with an X Factor off the top rope for a two count. Lynch tries to drag Carr into Sol. Carr ends up hitting the ropes knocking Sol down. Sol flips out of a DDT kicking Lynch in the face.
Ruca does her handstand flip out of the ring but messes that up. She doesn’t even hit Lynch. Lynch catches Ruca for a Manhandle Slam for a two count. Ruca gets a two count with a Manhandle Slam. After some confusion as who was doing what to whom, Ruca hits the Sol Snatcher and gets the pin. Lynch is shown overacting in the ring. She is all sad like.
Winner: …and new WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion, Sol Ruca at 14 minutes and 21 seconds.
Rating: 7 / 10
Roman Reigns (c) versus Jacob Fatu – WWE World Heavyweight Title Tribal Combat Match
Winner: …and still WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Roman Reigns at 27 minutes and 35 seconds.
Rating: 8 / 10
Overall Event Rating: 7 / 10
