During an interview with ESPN Unsportsmanlike, Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes discussed the growing significance of WWE’s Clash premium live events.
Rhodes positioned Clash alongside WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, and SummerSlam as one of WWE’s premier events:
I think Clash is sneaking up as one of WWE’s ‘Big Four’ PLEs. The fact that it’s somewhere new international each year. And Italy, I think they’re up to the task.
The 2026 edition marks the fourth international Clash event, following Clash at the Castle from Cardiff and Glasgow, and 2025’s Clash in Paris.
Crediting WWE President Nick Khan for identifying international markets, Rhodes highlighted how crowds compete to deliver the most enthusiastic reception:
I think right now one of the things you’re seeing with the international crowds and Nick Khan’s been so good about identifying this in the different markets, is they’re almost competing with each other in a fun way.
In a sense of, ‘Well, Lyon, France is the loudest crowd ever in WWE history. We’re going to be even louder.’ Even some more subdued, you know, the German crowd always fills the arenas but they’re a little bit more subdued in the noise and the acoustics, even they have decided, ‘No, we’re getting in on being the loudest crowd.’ And that’s really the challenge that we present to them.
Cody Rhodes will defend the Undisputed WWE Championship against Gunther at WWE Clash in Italy at Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy on Sunday, May 31.