WWE SmackDown heads to Barcelona ahead of Clash in Italy

WWE’s Friday Night SmackDown aired from the Olympic Arena in Badalona, Barcelona on 29 May 2026, serving as the go‑home show before the company’s first Premium Live Event in Italy – Clash in Italy – scheduled for 31 May in Turin. The event streamed live internationally on Netflix at 2 p.m. ET and aired on tape‑delay on USA Network at 8 p.m. ET. The only confirmed match was hometown star Axiom versus The Miz, a bout sparked by a backstage exchange about a “curse.” Other storylines built towards the Turin show, including Cody Rhodes addressing Gunther’s attack, Jade Cargill delivering a final message to Rhea Ripley, and mentions of upcoming title defenses for the Undisputed WWE Championship, Women’s Championship, and World Heavyweight Championship.

Ticket sales were significantly lower than the previous year, with only 5,692 of the arena’s 12,760 seats sold and many tickets still available at reduced prices. A technical audio glitch occurred two minutes into the show, and wrestler Kit Wilson apologized on social media for missing the event, joking that “too much moisturizer” had grounded him and referring to a “curse.” A botched spot involving Alexa Bliss and Jade Cargill also generated attention. The Barcelona broadcast set the tone for the upcoming Clash in Italy, where matches such as Cody Rhodes vs Gunther, Roman Reigns vs Jacob Fatu, and Rhea Ripley vs Jade Cargill are slated.

The event underscores WWE’s expanding European tour, with live shows in Liverpool, Barcelona, and the upcoming historic event in Italy, while also highlighting fan‑interest challenges and production hiccups in the Spanish market.