Giulia Addresses Giving Rhea Ripley a Black Eye In Brutal SmackDown Match

TLDR

Giulia has addressed giving Rhea Ripley a black eye during their February 20, 2026 SmackDown match that ended in disqualification after nine minutes. Speaking to Adrian Hernandez on March 20, 2026, Giulia said she "just showed my respect for Rhea" and described the physicality as intentional intensity based on her respect for Ripley as a competitor. Ripley had previously shown off the visible bruise damage on Instagram following their stiff match.