Backlash is in the rearview mirror, and it’s on to Europe for Clash In Italy on May 31, where the path to Turin runs through the three rivers of Fort Wayne, Indiana, for Saturday Night’s Main Event.
The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, site of WWE’s next streaming special, lists CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, and Gunther among the stars scheduled to appear. WWE’s website notes in its ticket section that “Featured Superstar information for this event is not yet available.”
So what might fans expect?
One possibility is further development of the Rhodes-Gunther storyline. On SmackDown, Paul Heyman revealed he was repaying a debt to Gunther by securing him a shot at Rhodes’ Undisputed WWE Championship at Clash In Italy. With the contract still unsigned, a Fort Wayne signing could be on the table.
On Friday, Jade Cargill returned with her faction, taking out Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley, who defeated Cargill for the WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 42. Coincidentally, all three women are also listed for Fort Wayne.
Judgment Day is also on the arena’s bill. The group is currently feuding with Finn Bálor, who defeated Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania 42 and then split a pair of matches on Raw with JD McDonagh. A rematch with Mysterio carries PLE potential, while a rubber match with McDonagh could anchor the show on Peacock.
This year’s Saturday Night’s Main Event comes on the 40th anniversary of one of its most infamous moments ever. On May 3, 1986, Jake Roberts assaulted Ricky Steamboat before their match, dropping him headfirst onto the arena floor with a DDT. The incident kicked off one of WWE’s most memorable feuds of its golden era.
As a nod to that history, WWE could lean into the show’s nostalgia with a possible legends appearance from Roberts and Steamboat, although nothing has been officially announced.
With just a short window between two shows a week apart, fans can expect a whirlwind build to Fort Wayne and Turin, beginning as early as this Monday on Raw.
Saturday Night’s Main Event airs live in the United States, streaming exclusively on Peacock on May 23 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.
