Giulia’s Europe appearance left WWE SmackDown with a question it can’t ignore

European crowds are supposed to be a cheat code for live television. They’re the audiences that make midcard angles feel like WrestleMania.

So when SmackDown rolls into Berlin and a Women’s United States Title defense feels like it’s happening in a library… that’s not “tough crowd” energy. That’s a giant, blinking warning light.

That’s also what made Giulia’s Jan. 9 title defense against Alexa Bliss so jarring. WWE literally went out of its way to put the belt in a spotlight overseas — on a big stage, with an opponent that has name value. 

Giulia’s quiet Europe reaction hints SmackDown needs a hard reset

Giulia retained (with the Nia Jax/Lash Legend chaos lurking in the finish), but the vibe was unmistakable: the match happened, and the building didn’t care. 

That shouldn’t be the story of a champion — especially not a champion WWE just repositioned as important.

Giulia winning back the Women’s United States Championship from Chelsea Green on the Jan. 2 SmackDown should’ve been the reset moment. WWE framed it as a “kick off 2026” beat on a show that had just swung back to three hours. 

Instead, one week later, we’re talking about crowd silence. And that’s where the uncomfortable question comes in:

If Giulia is this good, why doesn’t SmackDown know how to present her like she’s that good?

Right now, Giulia is being asked to carry a “presentation crutch” instead of a character. Kiana James as the mouthpiece/translator feels like WWE trying to solve a problem that Giulia doesn’t actually have: she doesn’t need someone to explain her — she needs the show to commit to who she is. The act, as-is, drains the mystique instead of sharpening it, because the pairing doesn’t add heat, status, or storytelling clarity. And the comparison on your own roster makes it worse.

Lash Legend is still new to this level, but WWE gave her instant gravity by linking her to Nia Jax — a ready-made threat with history and credibility. That’s how you “borrow status” and fast-track a presentation. 

Giulia and Kiana don’t borrow status from each other. They cancel each other out.

This is the fix: stop treating Giulia like a project and start treating her like a point of view. Give her a simple, repeatable identity that the crowd can latch onto in 10 seconds:

• Let her speak in her own cadence (subtitles are fine if they want to go that route; pre-tapes worked great for Shinsuke Nakamura). The audience doesn’t need perfect English. They need intent.
• If you insist on a partner/manager, make it someone who raises her ceiling — not someone who makes her feel like an exchange student being escorted through the segment.
• Most importantly: after the bell, give her moments. A retention shouldn’t end with “well, that happened.” It should end with a hook.

Because if Giulia can win a title on Jan. 2 and defend it on Jan. 9 in Berlin and still feel easy to forget, the issue isn’t the wrestler. It’s the character WWE is asking her to play.

And if SmackDown wants that Women’s U.S. title to feel like more than set dressing, it starts by making sure Giulia never feels like a "cool down" moment again.