WWE is building toward a WrestleMania rematch in Italy as Oba Femi prepares to face Brock Lesnar again—after Lesnar’s surprise return interrupted Femi’s momentum on the May 18 edition of Raw and now leads into WWE Clash in Italy on Sunday, May 31.
On the road to WWE Clash in Italy, the question isn’t whether Brock Lesnar can still change the temperature in a room—it’s whether Oba Femi can survive what “The Beast” does when he chooses the moment.
Femi’s first clash with Lesnar at WrestleMania 42 sent shockwaves through WWE. He conquered Lesnar. a win dramatic enough that Lesnar appeared to retire right after the match by leaving his boots and gloves in the center of the squared circle. For a while, it looked like WWE was moving into a new chapter centered on The Ruler.
Instead, the next chapter arrived with a different kind of sound. After the WrestleMania victory, Femi celebrated a new era by starting the Oba Femi Open Challenge and went on to post dominant wins against several Superstars. It was momentum that built week after week—until it didn’t.
That momentum came to a crashing halt on the May 18 edition of Raw. Lesnar suddenly returned and unleashed a surprise attack on The Ruler, interrupting the run Femi had been carefully establishing. The attack did more than end a streak. It set the stage for a rematch that has now been placed front and center ahead of WWE Clash in Italy.
The schedule matters here: WWE Clash in Italy is set for Sunday, May 31. The broadcast is listed for 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT, available on the ESPN App with an ESPN Unlimited plan in the United States and on Netflix internationally.
There’s a sharp irony in how the story has been shaped so far. Lesnar’s WrestleMania 42 exit came with boots and gloves left behind in the squared circle—an image built to suggest closure—while Femi’s rise was matched by his decision to open the challenge for anyone to face him. Then Raw on May 18 cut through that contrast with one return and one attack that pushed the match back to the most dangerous possible answer: Brock Lesnar. again. this time with the rematch already in motion.
Oba Femi Brock Lesnar WWE Clash in Italy WrestleMania 42 Raw May 18 Oba Femi Open Challenge ESPN App Netflix