Tag: Clash At The Castle

Date: June 15, 2024
Location: OVO Hydro in Glasgow

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Show Recap — 

KICK-OFF SHOW 

Michael Cole, Big E and Kevin Owens hosted the (2-hour long) pre-show panel.

Jackie Redmond spoke about Piper Niven, Alba Fyre, Isla Dawn and Drew McIntyre. She mentioned Niven getting her start in Insane Championship wrestling, all the family and friends Dawn was bringing to the show, and McIntyre’s influence on the local scene. 

They aired part one of a sit-down interview Redmond did with McIntyre. Aside from his usual complaints, he was a complete babyface here. He said he considered taking time off when his contract expired. He lost his sister-in-law and his wife and mother-in-law were struggling. He visited his family in Scotland and seeing them hit him hard. He sat with his family and they decided it wasn’t time to leave the business. WWE were great to him and it felt like he had more balance in his life now. 

Cathy Kelley interviewed Chad Gable, alongside Otis and Maxxine Dupri. Dupri wore shades, seemingly to hide her expression. Gable said they would help him win his Intercontinental title no matter what. Kelley asked Dupri about her ankle. She wore a boot but Gable insisted she was fine. Gable also just realized Tozawa wasn’t there. He said Tozawa would pay on Monday. 

There were video packages for Sami Zayn/Chad Gable and Bayley/Niven. 

Kelley interviewed Bayley. Bayley knew how much tonight meant for Niven and appreciated everything she’s done. But Niven was the same person who has been attacking her for weeks and she couldn’t let that slide. Bayley would win tonight and was sorry it had to be in front of her friends and family. Kelley wrapped up the interview and Bayley sent us back to Cole while calling him an idiot.

Chelsea Green joined the panel and Cole was very dismissive of her. Cole wondered why Green kept saying that “we” would win the title (referring to her and Niven). Green said Cole was alone in life and didn’t understand. Owens mentioned that he was the Universal Champion while he was friends with “a Canadian” and they would say they were the champions together. He admitted that ended terribly. Green said that wouldn’t happen to her because she would be with Niven forever. Cole rudely kicked her out. 

There was a Roddy Piper video. Cole introduced the video by saying Piper came from the “shores of the United Kingdom.” Peter Rosenburg narrated the video and acknowledged that Piper was born in Canada.

Redmond replaced Cole on the panel. Owens and Big E lowered their chairs to be the same height as her. 

Still almost an hour to go.

They aired part two of Redmond’s interview with McIntyre. He didn’t appreciate Cole, the voice of WWE, using his position to call him a hypocrite. Cole sang his praises when he was on top during the pandemic. McIntyre was doing what he thought was right. If he was being presented as a bad guy, “then say hello to the bad guy.” Winning the title in Scotland after everything that’s happened would be perfect. He liked Damian Priest but didn’t think he was quite at the level he should be. Redmond wished him luck. He thanked her but said he didn’t need it. 

There was a video on the history of UK wrestling narrated by William Regal. 

Kelley spoke about the anxiety backstage surrounding the show and she wasn’t able to get Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill for an interview. She also mentioned Cargill lost her bags while travelling. 

There was a video for Fyre and Dawn.

There was an ECW video and the panel spoke about the promotion. 

The panel spoke about Priest and openly discussed that he wasn’t the focus of this show despite being the champion. This was followed by a McIntyre video package. 

There was about 15 straight minutes of ads and video packages, including one for Cody Rhodes/AJ Styles. The panelists spoke about their “I Quit” match. Big E said, “There will be blood” in reference to the match and the movie. Owens hasn’t seen it. 

Rhodes vs. Styles starts the show. 

CLASH AT THE CASTLE

Wrestlers were shown arriving. Damian Priest was booed, Drew McIntyre was loudly cheered. 

The intro video aired. (This aired  at least twice during the pre-show.) 

Michael Cole announced a sold-out crowd of 11,391. Cole, Corey Graves and Wade Barrett are the announce team.   

“I Quit” Match: Cody Rhodes defeated AJ Styles to retain the Undisputed Championship (27:47)  

Rhodes entered to a big reaction. The fans loudly sang his song and his name. Rhodes signed an autograph and embraced his mom Michelle at ringside. The crowd continued to sing for Cody as the match began. They also called Styles a wanker. 

(Samantha Irvin did the introductions and the referee explained the rules to the wrestlers.) 

Rhodes grabbed a table early in the match to the delight of the crowd. Rhodes was all over Styles early on and fought him in the crowd. They fought through a narrow hallway into a room in the back — near a bunch of production staff and computers. 

They went back to the ring and Rhodes applied a figure four but Styles escaped. They did a vertical suplex spot that sent both men over the top and out of the ring. Styles dropped Rhodes on the announce table and did a brainbuster on the table. 

Styles yelled at Michelle and she yelled right back. This was meant to distract us because the camera cut back to Rhodes who was suddenly bleeding. (I don’t think a brainbuster would have caused that damage.) The ref asked Rhodes if he wanted to quit after Styles hit a fireman’s carry neckbreaker but Rhodes said, “Absolutely not.” 

The crowd chanted, “F**k you, AJ.” Styles went for a Styles Clash off the steel steps but Rhodes countered with a back body drop. Styles used strikes but Rhodes came back with a Disaster Kick. Styles responded with a Pelé Kick and DDT. 

Styles wrapped a chair around Rhodes’ head and neck before knee-dropping the chair. Rhodes refused to quit so Styles hit him repeatedly with a kendo stick. The ref asked Rhodes if he quit and he said, “Hell no.” Styles whipped him repeatedly with a belt. 

Styles applied a crossface and Rhodes passed out. Styles thought he should be declared the winner but the ref said Rhodes had to say the words. Styles slammed a water bottle at him to wake him up. Styles grabbed handcuffs and cuffed Rhodes’ hands behind his back. Styles attacked with the kendo stick but Rhodes again refused to quit. 

Styles got in Michelle’s face so she slapped him three times. Styles grabbed a chair and walked towards Michelle but thought better of it. He used the chair on Rhodes instead. 

Styles wrapped a chain around his arm and went for a Phenomenal Forearm but Rhodes chucked a chair at his face. Styles fell backward off the top rope and through a well-placed table outside the ring. (That was a great spot.) 

Rhodes wrapped the chain around his hand and punched Styles before hitting a Cody Cutter. Rhodes fired up and the fans got on their feet. Rhodes hit consecutive Cross Rhodes and hit a third onto a chair. 

Rhodes wouldn’t let the ref ask Styles if he wanted to quit and instead cuffed him to the bottom rope. Rhodes repeatedly gave Styles body and back shots with the chair. The ref checked on Styles who said, “Screw you, Cody Rhodes.” Rhodes hit him again with the chair. 

With Styles backed into the corner (and still cuffed), Rhodes was about to smash him with the steel steps but Styles told the ref that he quit to end the match. 

— After the match, Rhodes grabbed the steps again but hesitated upon seeing his mom. Rhodes asked her if he should do it and she nodded. Rhodes smashed Styles with the steps to put him down for good. Cole called this a message to the locker room. Rhodes posed atop the steps with his belt and the fans cheered. 

Rhodes was attacked by The Bloodline on the ramp but Randy Orton and Kevin Owens ran out (to Orton’s music) to make the save. 

This was a great match, although the finish was oddly similar to the Adam Copeland-Christian Cage match in Toronto a few months ago.

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Triple Threat Tag Team Match: Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn defeated Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark and Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill to win the Women’s Tag Team Championships (12:19)  

The rules of the match meant that three wrestlers could be in the ring at once and, of course, you can only tag your own partner. Belair got the better of Baszler and Dawn before all three women tagged out. Stark and Fyre tried to team up on Cargill but she overpowered them and hit them with Stinger splashes. Cargill grabbed both women and hit a combo fallaway slam/Samoan drop. 

Belair and Cargill worked together to take everyone out, so their opponents decided to work together. Fyre hit Cargill with a suicide dive, Baszler and Stark gave her a double vertical suplex, and Dawn hit a knee strike off the apron. The teams turned their attention to Belair in the ring but the alliance ended when Stark decked Dawn. Stark and Baszler took over from there. 

Dawn fought back and tagged in Fyre who planted Baszler with a DDT before wiping out Baszler and Stark with a leaping dive off the top. Fyre hit a flying boot but Belair broke up the cover. Dawn did a tower of doom powerbomb but brought down her own partner in the process. Belair gave Stark a superplex. 

Cargill made a hot tag but she slipped and fell off the top rope upon trying a springboard move. She recovered and continued her sequence which included booting Baszler and dropping Stark with a sit-out powerbomb. 

Baszler put Cargill in the Kirifuda Clutch. It appeared that Cargill tapped out by tapping Baszler’s arm but she might’ve just been trying to communicate something to her. The ref didn’t see it at first and obviously didn’t call for the bell. 

Belair broke up the submission by hitting a 450 splash (which didn’t completely connect). Belair and Cargill hit a combo DDT/German suplex on Baszler but Dawn broke up the cover. Dawn gave Cargill a German suplex and covered Baszler for the surprise pinfall win. 

The crowd exploded as Dawn and Fyre were announced the new champions. 

— Dawn and Fyre embraced their family and friends in the front row and were given flowers. The crowd chanted, “You deserve it” as they posed with their belts. 

The match was going along well until the Cargill spots (slipping off the top and inadvertently tapping out). Dawn and Fyre did get over big with the win, so they can make something of it.

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The screen glitched and a message appeared on the screen: 

You were warned
Told to prepare
You will behold
The massacre is coming  

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Sami Zayn defeated Chad Gable (w/Otis & Maxxine Dupri) defeated Intercontinental Championship (22:13) 

The crowd was red hot for this too. They sang Zayn’s song and his name, called Gable a wanker, and chanted for Otis. 

Zayn had the early advantage until Gable targeted his arm and worked it over. Barrett mentioned Zayn’s previous arm and shoulder injuries. Zayn fought back while selling his left arm. Zayn hit a springboard dive and tried a move off the top but Gable dropkicked him out of midair for a two count. Zayn followed with a one-armed Michinoku Driver for two. 

Gable responded with a powerbomb and diving headbutt for two. Gable hit consecutive German suplexes but Zayn followed with two of his own. They traded counters until Zayn hit a half-and-half suplex for two. A replay showed Gable landing right on the top of his head. 

Zayn fired up with strikes but Gable wrenched him down into a crossface. Zayn reversed into a crossface of his own but Gable countered into an ankle lock. Zayn eventually countered into a rollup for two. 

Gable went outside the ring and grabbed the IC title belt. The ref yelled at him so he handed it to Dupri. This was a plan as Gable distracted the ref so Dupri could hit Zayn. Dupri wouldn’t do it, so Gable told her to get on the apron so he could admonish her. 

Zayn went for a Helluva Kick but Gable moved. Zayn avoided hitting Dupri but Gable used the distraction to hit a beautiful Chaos Theory suplex for a nearfall. 

Gable got in Dupri’s face outside the ring so Otis stepped up to Gable. The crowd popped. Zayn went for a flip dive but Gable moved and Zayn dropped Otis. Gable followed with a moonsault, knocking down Otis and Zayn. Back in the ring, Zayn countered Gable and hit an exploder in the corner. Zayn couldn’t hit the Helluva Kick because his ankle gave out. 

Gable put Zayn in an ankle lock outside the ring. Zayn flipped Gable around and Gable fell into Dupri — chopblocking her injured leg in the process. Otis was pissed but Gable slipped back in the ring. 

It seemed like Otis might attack Zayn but Dupri pleaded with him not to. She couldn’t even stand so Otis picked her up and took her to the back. 

Gable was distracted so Zayn hit Helluva Kick for the pinfall win. This was excellent. 

Zayn celebrated outside the ring as Gable gave him a death stare. Zayn looked at Gable and did the Vince Carter “It’s over” gesture. 

******** 

Dawn and Fyre did a victory interview with Kelley backstage. Dawn said they planned on keeping the belts for a long time.

Today is Bayley’s 35th birthday.

Bayley defeated Piper Niven (w/Chelsea Green) to retain the WWE Women’s Championship (13:33) 

Niven was cheered during intros, while Bayley received a mixed reaction. The crowd sang the Bayley song as it started but they chanted for Niven during the match. 

Niven knocked Bayley out of the ring and Green slapped her. Bayley went after Green but Niven dropped her again. Bayley avoided a crossbody and Green tried to get involved again so the ref tossed her from ringside. Niven was distressed by this turn of events. 

Niven hit Bayley with a cannonball off the apron and a senton in the ring. Niven tried a suplex but Bayley countered with a DDT. Bayley hit a suicide dive but Niven drove Bayley into side of the ring. Bayley fought bcak and with Niven draped over the middle rope, Bayley hit an elbow drop for two. Bayley followed with a flying elbow for two. 

Bayley tried a corner splash but Niven hit an STO and senton for two. Niven went to the middle rope but Bayley brought her down with a Bayley-to-belly. 

Green, wearing a Rey Mysterio mask, ran back down and distracted the referee while Bayley covered Niven. This gave Niven enough time to kick out. Niven followed with a Piper/Michinoku Driver for a nearfall. Bayley went after Niven outside the ring but Niven hit a Bossman Slam. 

Bayley avoided another senton but Niven hit a headbutt. Bayley came right back with a crucifix bomb into a cover for the pinfall win. (It sounded like they might’ve muffled the crowd when Bayley got the pin. Either that or they went suddenly quiet.) 

The crowd applauded Niven after the match but they kept Bayley’s music going. 

This match got off to a slow start but the latter half was pretty good. 

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The Inveraray & District Pipe Band played ‘Scotland the Brave’ ahead of McIntyre’s regular entrance. 

McIntyre had the letter “K” on his wrist tape in honour of his wife who was back in the United States recovering from surgery. 

The crowd was incredibly loud for McIntyre’s entrance. (They included a decibel metre on the screen.) They also sang McIntyre’s name over Priest’s entrance music.

Damian Priest defeated Drew McIntyre to retain the World Heavyweight Championship (20:17) 

McIntyre came out flying and hit an Undertaker dive 90 seconds into the match. He tried an overhead suplex but Priest drove him into the ring post and barricade. Priest tried a corner elbow but McIntyre caught him and hit a spinebuster moments later for two. 

Priest hit a flatliner, corner elbow and falcon arrow for two. McIntyre responded with a Michinoku Driver (the third one on tonight’s show) for two. McIntyre drove Priest into the announce table and into the Prime bottle display, knocking it over. 

Priest tried a flip dive but he actually slipped and got his foot caught between the ropes. This likely wasn’t the planned spot but McIntyre reacted right away and put the boots to him. McIntyre decided to help Priest out of the ropes and smartly noted he couldn’t win the title with Priest stuck. 

McIntyre hit a vertical suplex for two. Priest came back with a clothesline but McIntyre drove him into the ring post and hit Future Shock DDT for two. Priest booted McIntyre and Priest was clearly limping. Priest was able to hit a Razor’s Edge anyway for two. 

They traded right hands and strikes until McIntyre ducked a kick and hit a neckbreaker. McIntyre was about to set up for Claymore but Priest rolled out of the ring. McIntyre headbutted Priest and Claymore Kicked him through the barricade. 

McIntyre went for Claymore in the ring but Priest caught him with a South of Heaven chokeslam for a nearfall. The crowd chanted, “This is awesome.” 

Priest really sold his injured leg as he tried to fight off McIntyre. He managed to bring McIntyre off the ropes with a hurricanrana but the injury meant Priest couldn’t follow up. McIntyre flew in with a Claymore Kick for a close nearfall. 

McIntyre hit an overhead suplex and a chop. The ref almost got hit in the corner but he managed to escape the ring. However, Priest inadvertently knocked the ref off the apron and he flew into the barricade. With the ref out, McIntyre went for the Claymore but Priest countered with a powerbomb. 

Priest tried another chokeslam but McIntyre hit a Claymore. The ref was still out so a new referee ran out. You couldn’t see who it was because the camera deliberately stayed behind him (although it wasn’t hard to figure out). The ref stopped his count at two because it was CM Punk. 

McIntyre went after Punk so Punk kicked him in the nuts. Punk left the ring as the original ref woke up. The crowd booed. Priest hit South of Heaven for the pinfall win. 

The crowd reacted exactly as you’d expect to this. (Not only were they upset at the finish but I don’t think they wanted this from Punk either.) 

Priest and McIntyre appeared to exchange encouraging words as they were down in the ring. Punk posed with some of his fans in the front row as others gave him the finger. The announcers made sure to note that Priest was unaware that Punk was involved at all.