Subhojeet Mukherjee on March 20, 2026
Rhea Ripley walked away from SmackDown with a black eye last month — and now Giulia is finally addressing it.
The moment came during their February 20, 2026 match, where the two went hard for nine minutes before the match ended in a disqualification. Ripley later showed off the damage on Instagram, with the visible bruise quickly becoming a talking point across wrestling circles. But now there’s an update — and it’s coming straight from Giulia.
Speaking to Adrian Hernandez on March 20, 2026, Giulia was asked directly about the black eye and the physical nature of their match. Instead of brushing it off, she leaned into it — framing the moment in a very specific way: “Oh, yeah. I just showed my respect for Rhea, and that’s it.”
That’s how she sees it. Giulia didn’t present the moment as reckless or accidental — she framed it as part of her style and how she approaches competition, especially against someone like Ripley. She then made it clear the physicality wasn’t random — it was about who she was in the ring with: “Yeah, she’s strong. She’s amazing. She’s exactly a superstar. So, yeah — just respect.”
The match itself had already shocked fans for how stiff it got, with one sequence in particular — a hard kick that drove Ripley into the mat — standing out immediately. Now, with Giulia addressing it directly, the tone of that moment shifts.
This wasn’t just a hard hit — it was intentional intensity. And if that’s the level both are bringing, it says a lot about how far they’re willing to push things inside the ring.
Do you think Giulia’s explanation makes sense, or did that match cross the line? Let us know your thoughts and leave your feedback below.
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
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