Giovanni Vinci, freshly kicked out of Imperium, decided to make his grand return to WWE SmackDown this week, showing up decked out in a tracksuit so Italian it could’ve passed for a pizza delivery uniform. The hype surrounding Vinci’s big comeback had been building for weeks, and fans were expecting fireworks, maybe even a Vespa entrance. But what they got instead? A flash loss quicker than ordering a double espresso.
As Vinci, looking every bit the proud Italian icon, made his way down the ramp, he took his time high-fiving fans and basking in the spotlight. Unfortunately, his first mistake was underestimating how fast Apollo Crews can move when given an opportunity. While Vinci was still halfway out of his jacket, Crews decided to skip the formalities and rolled him up faster than Nonna rolls dough. One, two, three—game over. Vinci was left standing in the middle of the ring, mouth wide open, like someone had just told him there’s no more gelato.
To say his return was less than triumphant would be an understatement. Vinci barely had time to pose before he was on his back, staring at the lights, wondering how this could’ve gone so wrong. Of course, WWE’s been promoting his return like he was the second coming of Caesar, so one can only assume this is all part of some grand, convoluted plan. Right? Right?
It remains to be seen what’s next for Vinci. A feud with former Imperium pals Ludwig Kaiser and GUNTHER seems inevitable, though the brand split might complicate things. In the meantime, a rematch with Crews—whom Vinci had previously dominated on Main Event and NXT—is probably on the horizon. After all, Vinci’s gotta do something to get back at Crews for ruining his tracksuit debut.
And let’s not forget Apollo Crews here. The man hasn’t seen a win on WWE television since Kevin Owens was still calling himself “Big KO.” Crews snatching a victory this fast? It’s his first taste of victory on SmackDown in over two years, so you can bet he’ll be clinging to this like his last paycheck.