In his home country of Scotland, Drew McIntyre is getting a shot at championship gold.
WWE has confirmed that Damian Priest will defend his World Heavyweight Championship against McIntyre at Clash at the Castle 2024. The PLE is being held at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow on Saturday, June 15.
The announcement of the match was made by Paul “Triple H” Levesque during WWE King & Queen of the Ring on Saturday.
Neither Priest nor McIntyre had matches at King & Queen of the Ring. McIntyre has been out of action since April due to an elbow injury. The injury forced McIntyre out of WWE’s King of the Ring tournament before it began. On the May 13 episode of Raw, Priest agreed to give McIntyre a title shot once McIntyre was cleared to return.
McIntyre briefly held the World Heavyweight Championship after defeating Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 40. Immediately after that match, Priest cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase on McIntyre to win the title. The story was that McIntyre allowed his obsession with mocking CM Punk to cost him the title and his WrestleMania moment.
Scottish star Piper Niven may also be featured in a title match at Clash at the Castle. On Friday’s SmackDown, WWE began building up a feud between Niven and WWE Women’s Champion Bayley.
An April 2023 press release inadvertently revealed how much WWE received in Welsh government subsidies for last September’s Clash at the Castle pay-per-view in Cardiff.
First reported by Wrestlenomics, the release stated that the 2022 event “delivered a massive 10:1 return on investment by channelling £21.8 million back into the Welsh economy.” That is just under $28 million USD.
That implies the cost paid by the government to bring WWE to Cardiff was one-tenth of that which would be roughly $2.8 million USD.
In the past, WWE CEO Nick Khan has said WWE will look to gain subsidies for their PPV/PLEs.
One example, as Wrestlenomics pointed out, was the city of San Antonio, Texas, who won the rights to bring in this past January’s Royal Rumble in what was called a “competitive bidding process.” They declined to answer Freedom of Information Act requests about their financial commitment due to their desire to bid for WWE events in the future and that by divulging the information, it would make it more difficult for them to win.
Sheamus says he’s frustrated by how his character has been handled following WWE Clash at the Castle.
Gunther vs. Sheamus at WWE’s event in Wales last September was widely praised and received a rating of five stars from our own Dave Meltzer. However, Sheamus recently told the Daily Star that he feels the company didn’t capitalize on the organic momentum he had coming out of the PLE.
“I’m not upset about that at all,” Sheamus said about losing to Gunther at Clash at the Castle. “I felt it was great, it was just the type of character Sheamus is, all fits and elbows.“
“What I was upset about and what really bothered me was the creative after that.”
“I came out of that with so much organic momentum, and it was just wasted. It didn’t go anywhere.”
“It was a dead end, just like with WrestleMania. Drew went away because he was injured, but I was ready to go and then just nothing.”
“There were no avenues and nowhere to go and that’s frustrating.”
“I did the War Games thing [after Clash at the Castle] but that was s*** – that’s how I felt, though others might have felt differently.”
Sheamus continued to say that the story of him chasing the one title in WWE he’s never won, the Intercontinental belt, is still a fresh story.
“It’s still a fresh story. Even with Gunther and Drew’s match at SummerSlam, people are still mentioning me because it’s still my story,” Sheamus continued.
“I’d definitely like to retire with [the title], but that stuff is out of my control. I can just do what I can do.”
Following Clash at the Castle, Sheamus would team with the rest of the Brawling Brutes and wrestled Imperium at Extreme Rules in October. That match was awarded four and a half stars from Meltzer. Sheamus would then earn the second five-star match of his career at WrestleMania earlier this year in a triple-threat match against Gunther and Drew McIntyre. The 45-year-old hasn’t wrestled on a WWE PLE since, having been left off the cards for Backlash, Night of Champions, and Money in the Bank. He is scheduled to be in the SummerSlam Battle Royal on Saturday.
WWE is touting the success that its Clash at the Castle event achieved across multiple areas of business.
On Monday, WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque tweeted a graphic stating that Clash at the Castle achieved the following:
The most-watched international PLE (Premium Live Event) in WWE history
The highest-grossing European gate ever for WWE
WWE’s best-selling non-WrestleMania event in terms of merchandise
The highest-rated international PLE in WWE history in terms of fan reaction (the source that WWE used for this wasn’t identified)
#WWECastle trended number one on Twitter
The Clash at the Castle post-show press conference had the highest concurrent views on WWE’s YouTube channel for anything other than a PPV pre-show
Levesque wrote: “#WWECastle was a massive success for @WWE across all lines of business and the #WWEUniverse in the UK… the next question is where should we go next?!”
Clash at the Castle took place at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. It was WWE’s first major PPV to be held in the United Kingdom since London’s Wembley Stadium hosted SummerSlam 1992.
Clash at the Castle was headlined by Roman Reigns defeating Drew McIntyre to retain the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. The PPV also included an instant classic match with Gunther retaining the Intercontinental title against Sheamus.
Make no mistake, the Vince McMahon era of WWE is over.
While most WWE premium live events post-WrestleMania have been good, Clash at the Castle was the best showing by WWE all year, and, dare I say it, could be in contention for show of the year. Between a dramatic main event between Drew McIntyre and Roman Reigns and an extremely physical encounter between Sheamus and Gunther, it’s going to be hard to top a show with this many great matches that was helped by one of the best crowds WWE has had in awhile in Cardiff, Wales.
Reigns’ long run with the Undisputed Universal WWE Championship continues, as he defeated McIntyre in what ended up being a slow-paced, yet dramatic main event with many twists and turns, including Austin Theory (he has his first name back) attempting to cash in, only to get knocked out by Tyson Fury, who was sitting at ringside. However, it was the debut of NXT’s Solo Sikoa that gave Reigns the distraction needed for the win, continuing his long reign as champion for as long as WWE wants.
The question, as it is following every Reigns title defense, is what’s next? Unlike the Vince McMahon era where no one seems ready, there are actually a few people that could challenge Reigns next, including Karrion Kross, Kevin Owens, and even Fury, who had a staredown with Reigns after the match. Not that the latter would necessarily be a good match, but at least there’s a few directions WWE can go in that will at the very least be intriguing.
The strongest match of the night absolutely goes to Gunther and Sheamus, who destroyed each other in a match that saw Gunther successfully retain the Intercontinental title after one of the most wicked lariats you’ll ever see. Going in, I expected this to be a hard-hitting match and now I can pat myself on the back, as they delivered a classic with sick sounding shots amid a great atmosphere. With Giovanni Vinici being called up as a surprise to reform Imperium, it is likely we’ll at least get one trios match between Imperium and the Brawling Brutes going forward.
Liv Morgan and Shayna Baszler had a good match. Considering they had to follow one of the better WWE matches of the last few years, they did a tremendous job. With Ronda Rousey’s suspension being lifted, it is very likely that Rousey and Morgan will go at it once again, likely at the October pay-per-view.
The trios match won’t be remembered for what happened before or during the bout. It’s too bad, as it was good and there were some fun moments. But it was the backdrop for what happened after Edge and the Mysterios won, as months of speculation finally became reality as Dominik Mysterio turned on both Edge and his father following some miscommunication. I am not sure exactly where Dominik goes from here, as his record so far is…mid. But it’s possible he could be better as a heel than a babyface.
Seth Rollins and Matt Riddle (another who has gotten his full name back) had a great match, though I am not sure if Riddle should have lost the match as this is his second loss in a row to Rollins. I have a feeling there will be a third match, and probably one that will involve many weapons. It’s a match Riddle needs to win; with the new regime, there’s a chance he could break out into one of WWE’s top babyfaces if given the opportunity.
Bayley vs. Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s title seems to be the next match for Belair, as she was pinned in a hot trios match that opened the show. It seems natural based on the surprise finish on Raw, Bayley’s faction (named Damage Control) needed a big win, which they got here.
WWE’s next show will be in October with Extreme Rules. The women’s title directions seem to be clear (Rousey/Morgan, Belair/Bayley), and I think the next Rollins/Riddle match will be here in some sort of stipulation match. What will headline will be anyone’s guess, as Roman Reigns isn’t scheduled to be on the show. Whatever it may be will be the next test in the new WWE regime. It’s one thing to hold big stadium shows like SummerSlam and Clash at the Castle. We’ll know be seeing what kind of matches we’ll get on a show that’s designed for a much smaller in-person audience.
Following Saturday’s WWE Clash at the Castle event, Paul “Triple H” Levesque and several wrestlers talked to the media for over a half hour about the show. The wrestlers answered mostly in character.
“This was a global event.”
As expected, Levesque was thrilled with the show and how the city embraced the event. He put over the attendance (62,296) coming from 42 countries. 78% of the crowd.came from outside Wales.
Levesque said they are looking forward to doing more shows like this around the world in the coming years.
Roman Reigns
Reigns was asked one question, he pondered it, asked the reporter to “acknowledge him” and then walked off the set.
Gunther said matches like today’s with Sheamus were “intense, a dramatic battle” that he enjoys. He was asked about Rollins’ outfit and Rollins had some fun with the reporter for asking about it.
Rollins said his jacket was inspired by Bret Hart and the 1992 SummerSlam. Morgan said she has never seen it which got her razzed by Rollins.
Drew McIntyre/Tyson Fury
McIntyre talked about his history in the city and how his career has come full circle to be here. He talked about being “screwed over” by Reigns and should have expected it, but will deal with him at another time. He wanted to look at the positives and this week has had a lot of them.
McIntyre’s focus is to keep improving and help the company however he can. He credited building himself back up when he was gone to being able to rebuild himself.
Fury said he would fight Alexander Usyk this year when the challenge was laid out, but since Usyk wants to wait, he is not going to wait and will be announcing a fight next week.
Fury said he is still focused on boxing the next few years, but has a passion for WWE. “Never say never and I would be open to it in the future for sure,” he said.
Levesque said, “When Fury is done with time inside the boxing ring…the door is always open for him. We would love to do business with him.” He said that when Fury stared down with Reigns, they’ll have to build some bigger stadiums for that event when that time comes.
Levesque then finished up the last 10 minutes.
Are there plans for more overseas shows in Europe?
Levesque said yes. He is very excited for NXT Europe and that the pandemic ruined their plans for WWE NXT UK. “The time to make that move is now,” he said. “The long-term goal is to be in markets all around the world and have them compete against each other World Cup-style.”
Tonight was step one in the plan, and he said people will be hearing a lot with more announcement in the next few months and years. He hopes the media has their passports in order.
Future of Clash at the Castle IP?
Levesque was asked about the Clash IP and whether that would work other places. He joked there weren’t a ton of places with castles, but that it could work. He also brought up Crown Jewel.
The return of Bad Bunny?
Asked if Bad Bunny would return at some point, Levesque said he loves working with people that have the same passion for the business as Bad Bunny does. He put over how Bunny was working at the Performance Center and trained every single day. He also talked about Logan Paul’s work ethic.
He then said he and Bad Bunny are going to have a conversation very, very soon. It’s scheduled and they will see what’s available.
"@sanbenito and I are gonna have a conversation very, very soon. It's already scheduled, we're gonna see what's available." – @TripleH
HUGE news at the #WWECastle Press Conference from The Game!
Saturday’s Clash at the Castle pay-per-view concluded with NXT wrestler Solo Sikoa making his main roster debut and helping Roman Reigns retain the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. Sikoa pulled the referee out of the ring just as McIntyre was about to get the victory.
McIntyre hit a spear on Reigns near the end of the match and then connected with a Claymore. The referee was about to count to three but then got pulled out of the ring by Sikoa. McIntyre went to go after Sikoa, but that allowed Reigns to hit a spear and pin McIntyre to win the match.
Sikoa is the son of Rikishi and the younger brother of Jimmy & Jey Uso. Until Sikoa’s appearance, Reigns didn’t have anyone at ringside with him at Clash at the Castle. The Usos didn’t appear at the PPV after getting laid out by McIntyre on Friday’s SmackDown. Paul Heyman hasn’t been on WWE television since Brock Lesnar gave him an F-5 through the announce table at SummerSlam.
Sikoa (real name Joseph Fatu) signed with WWE in August 2021 and made his NXT TV debut later that year.
There was a moment during Reigns vs. McIntyre where Austin Theory tried to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase. Boxer Tyson Fury, who was sitting at ringside, knocked Theory out with a punch before he could cash in.
After the main event, Fury went face-to-face with Reigns before the two shook hands. The PPV then ended with Fury and McIntyre singing “American Pie” by Don McLean together in the ring and McIntyre singing some of “Don’t Look Back in Anger” by Oasis. McIntyre promised that he’ll never give up.
Saturday was the 734th day of Reigns’ ongoing title run.
A noteworthy heel turn took place at Saturday’s Clash at the Castle pay-per-view in Cardiff.
Dominik Mysterio turned heel at the PPV, betraying his father Rey Mysterio and attacking Edge. The heel turn happened after Rey & Edge defeated The Judgment Day (Damian Priest & Finn Balor) at Clash at the Castle.
Dominik entered the ring following Rey & Edge’s win. Instead of celebrating with them, Dominik gave Edge a low blow. Rey then argued with Dominik and pleaded with him to stop the attack. But Dominik responded by laying out Edge with a lariat.
The Judgment Day reacted by laughing at Rey and Edge. It wasn’t confirmed if Dominik will be joining Judgment Day.
As Dominik headed to the back alone, he ripped off his “Mysterios” T-shirt and threw it to the ground.
Leading into Clash at the Castle, The Judgment Day had attempted to recruit Dominik into their ranks. There was a moment on Raw this past Monday where Dominik refused to hit Rhea Ripley with a kendo stick.
Dissension between Dominik and Edge was established last month when Edge accidentally gave Dominik a spear when Ripley pushed Dominik in the way.
At Saturday’s Clash at the Castle pay-per-view, Giovanni Vinci rejoined Imperium and reunited with his stablemates Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser. Vinci had left the faction shortly before Gunther and Kaiser were called up to SmackDown this April.
Vinci and Kaiser brawled with Ridge Holland and Butch as Gunther’s Intercontinental title defense against Sheamus began. Officials broke up the brawl and Vinci, Kaiser, Holland, and Butch were sent to the back, leaving Gunther and Sheamus to go at it one-on-one with no one at ringside.
Despite rejoining Imperium, Vinci is still going by the name “Giovanni Vinci.” He previously went by his real name Fabian Aichner until being repackaged in NXT earlier this year.
Gunther retained the Intercontinental title against Sheamus at Clash at the Castle, pinning him after hitting a powerbomb and a lariat. Sheamus went for a Brogue Kick near the finish, but his back gave out following all of the punishment he had taken in the hard-hitting match.
Vinci and Kaiser returned to ringside after the match to celebrate with Gunther. When they left, the crowd gave Sheamus a standing ovation.
At Clash at the Castle this afternoon, Theory was introduced as “Austin Theory” when he entered for a six-man tag team match on the pre-show. Since April, he had been going by the name “Theory” after having his first name dropped.
Theory teamed with Alpha Academy in a loss to Madcap Moss & The Street Profits on the Clash at the Castle pre-show. Montez Ford pinned Chad Gable to get the victory.
PWInsider reported earlier this week that Theory (real name Austin White) would be returning to using the full name Austin Theory. Matt Riddle also got his first name back on Raw this Monday.
PWInsider wrote that the “shortened names were an edict under the Vince McMahon regime that has now been reversed.” The move comes after Paul “Triple H” Levesque was put in charge of WWE creative following McMahon’s retirement.
“I would say no. Just because I love Theory,” Theory said when asked if his first name would be returning. “To me, Austin was always the throw-on, my first name. Theory is what I created in the backyard as a kid. I love it. Theory. It’s all we need.”
Theory currently holds the Money in the Bank briefcase, which grants him a shot at the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship whenever he wants it.
Theory began a feud with Johnny Gargano when Gargano returned to WWE on Raw last month. The two were formerly stablemates in NXT.
WWE heads to Cardiff, Wales this afternoon for its first major pay-per-view in the United Kingdom in more than 30 years.
Clash at the Castle takes place at Principality Stadium in Cardiff. The show will be something of a homecoming for the Scottish-born Drew McIntyre, who challenges Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship in the main event.
McIntyre will be looking to end one of the longest title reigns in WWE history. Reigns’ run as champion officially reached the two-year mark earlier this week.
Five other bouts are also scheduled for Clash at the Castle. Liv Morgan puts her SmackDown Women’s title on the line against Shayna Baszler, Sheamus challenges Gunther for the Intercontinental title, Matt Riddle and Seth Rollins meet in a grudge match, Bayley, Dakota Kai & IYO SKY take on Bianca Belair, Asuka & Alexa Bliss, and Edge teams up with Rey Mysterio against The Judgment Day.
Clash at the Castle streams live on Peacock/WWE Network at 1 p.m. Eastern time. There will also be a pre-show starting at noon.
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Pre-Show
The pre-show panel was in studio with Jackie Redmond, Matt Camp, and Pete Rosenberg. They ran down the lineup and announced Madcap Moss & The Street Profits vs. Austin Theory & Alpha Academy for the Kick-off show.
They aired a Matt Riddle vs. Seth Rollins video package. The panel used Matt Riddle’s full name during the segment.
They discussed SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan vs. Shayna Baszler next. They showed Morgan in the locker room talking to UFC Welterweight Champion Leon Edwards.
The panel brought in Wade Barrett to discuss Gunther vs. Sheamus. Barrett was excellent in explaining why all U.K. fans would support Sheamus and McIntyre. Barrett was great in the short segment. He should be hosting the panel.
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MadcapMoss & Street Profits defeated Austin Theory & Alpha Academy (6:30)
This started off as just a basic pre-show match until the last few minutes. The finish was awesome and got a huge pop from the crowd.
Moss got a good reaction for his entrance. The fans popped big for the Street Profits. Austin Theory has his first name back.
Angelo Dawkins and Chad Gable started off with a hot sequence. Ford caught Gable with a standing dropkick to take over. Austin Theory made the blind tag and took out Ford’s knee with a chop block. The fans broke into a loud “You suck” chant directed at Theory.
The heels isolated Ford on their side of the ring. Ford fought back, and Moss got the hot tag. The fans popped for Moss’s comeback.
Dawkins tagged in and hit a twisting splash on Theory. Gable hit a rolling German suplex on Moss for a close near fall. Otis avoided Moss and caught him with a shoulder tackle.
In an awesome spot, Otis went for a flying cross body, but Moss caught him and hit a fallaway slam. The fans popped big for that spot.
The finish was awesome. Everyone was on the floor except for Ford and Gable. Gable tried to give Ford a German suplex off the apron to the floor, but Ford held onto the ropes.
Dawkins then pulled Gable off the apron and placed him on his shoulders. In a crazy spot, Ford hit a dive over the top rope into a blockbuster on Gable off of Dawkins’s shoulders onto Moss, Otis, and Theory at ringside. Ford then hit the frog splash for the win. The fans went crazy for the last few minutes.
They showed Roman Reigns arriving at the arena to end the pre-show.
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Main Show
The entrance ramp is basic, but there’s a giant castle above the ring.
Damage Control (Bayley, IYO SKY & Dakota Kai) defeated Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss, & Asuka ( 18:49)
This was a good opener and a fun match. The story was Damage Control worked together better as a team than the faces. The crowd was on fire the entire match.
The fans sang, “Hey Bayley, I wanna know if you’ll be my girl” at the bell. She tried to get the fans to stop, but they kept doing it more. They kept signing it throughout the match. Bayley tried being a heel, but the fans love her. They didn’t boo the faces, though.
The faces had the early advantage and gave the heels a triple suplex. Belair hit a head spring moonsault on all three heels for a near fall.
Asuka and Sky squared off. Sky avoided a kick and rolled up Asuka for a near fall. Damage Control took over and isolated Asuka on their side of the ring. The fans broke into a brief “Bayley” chant. Bayley tagged in and got a huge pop. She acted annoyed and tagged back out to boos.
Bliss caught Bayley with a cannonball of the apron. Kai took advantage and blindsided Bliss with a shotgun dropkick. The heels cut Bliss off from her corner. Bliss fought back and caught Sky with a sunset flip, but Kai made a blind tag.
Kai rocked Bliss with a running kick in the corner. Bliss recovered and went for the tag, but Bayley pulled Belair off the apron. Asuka got the hot tag and ran wild. She rocked Sky with a knee, spinning back fists, a German suplex, and sliding clothesline for near fall.
Belair finally tagged in, and the fans popped. She hit a spinebuster and standing moonsault on Bayley for a two-count. Belair and Bayley fought on the top rope. Belair avoided Kai and threw her out of the ring.
Somehow, Belair hit the middle turnbuckle. Bayley tried to tie her up, but Asuka and Bliss gave Bayley a double superplex off Belair’s back.
Sky hit an Asai moonsault onto the faces at ringside. In the ring, Belair was firmly in control. She went for the KOD on Kai, but Kai escaped.
The finish came when Bayley tied up Belair in the corner with her hair. Kai hit the running boot in the corner. Bayley followed up with the Rose plant, and Sky hit a moonsault. Bayley then pinned Belair for the win.
Michael Cole, Corey Graves, and Byron Saxton made a big deal out of Bayley pinning Belair.
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They showed Drew McIntyre backstage earlier today. Tyson Fury showed up to greet McIntrye. They showed Fury at ringside to a massive pop.
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They showed highlights from SummerSlam 92 of The British Bulldog defeating Bret Hart for the Intercontinental title. Cole called it the greatest match in SummerSlam history.
In the arena, they announced The British Bulldog’s family at ringside to a good pop. Then they showed Bret Hart at ringside to a gigantic pop.
Intercontinental Champion Gunther (w/Ludwig Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci) defeated Sheamus (w/Butch & Ridge Holland) to retain the title (19:33)
Walter and Sheamus had a great match. It was brutal and hard-hitting. Walter destroyed Sheamus’ chest with violent chops. They both worked hard and just beat the hell out of each other.
The Brawling Brutus got a huge pop. During Gunther’s intro, Kaiser brought out Giovanni Vinci (Fabian Aichner) to reform Imperium. The fans booed Gunther but popped for Imperium.
Imperium and The Brawling Brutes squared off in the ring. Butch and Holland brawled with Vinci and Kaiser around ringside. Sheamus and Gunther stayed facing off in the ring. Butch hit a moonsault on Imperium. They fought to the back.
The fans popped when Sheamus and Gunther traded shots at the bell. Sheamus had the early advantage. The fans broke into a “Let’s go, Sheamus” chant.
Sheamus and Gunther traded hard shots in the corner. Sheamus knocked Gunther down and pulled himself up to the top rope. Gunther jumped to his feet and chopped Sheamus to the floor. Gunther then gave Sheamus a slam onto the ring steps. The fans broke into a “Walter” chant.
Gunther rocked Sheamus with hard chops and a kick to the face. He backed Sheamus against the ropes and destroyed Sheamus with vicious chops.
Sheamus tried getting up, but Gunther rocked him with a boot to the face. The fans broke into another “Let’s go, Sheamus” chant. Gunther locked on the Boston crab and transitioned into the cross face. Gunther rocked Sheamus with a brutal chop to the back.
Sheamus and Gunther traded brutal shots. Gunther held onto Sheamus’ arm and hit a series of vicious chops. The fans broke into another “Let’s go, Sheamus” chant.
Sheamus blocked the last chop and fought back. Gunter recovered and slammed Sheamus onto the floor. He then tossed Sheamus over the announce desk. Sheamus fired up and hit the ten beats of bodhran on the desk, the ropes, and the barricade.
Sheamus hit a diving knee. Gunther and Sheamus traded hard shots again in the ring. Gunther hit a German suplex, but Sheamus got back to his feet. Sheamus then rocked Gunther with a knee for a two-count. The fans broke into a “This is awesome chant” chant.
Gunther got Sheamus in the sleeper. He went for the piledriver, but Sheamus countered with white noise for near fall. Sheamus set up for the Brogue kick, but Walter avoided it. He followed with a powerbomb for a two-count. Walter targeted Sheamus’s back.
Walter climbed to the top rope, but Sheamus cut him off. They trade traded hard chops and slaps.
Sheamus regained control and hit the Celtic cross for a very close near fall. The fans thought that was the finish. Sheamus went for the Brogue kick again, but his back gave out. Gunther hit a powerbomb and destroyed Sheamus with a lariat for the win.
After the match, Imperium celebrated with Walter and left. The fans gave Sheamus an amazing reaction and a standing ovation after the match. This felt like a special moment after an amazing match.
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They showed a Shayna Baszler vs. Liv Morgan video package.
They showed UFC Welterweight Champion Leon Edwards at ringside to a big pop.
SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan defeated Shayna Baszler to retain the title (11:00)
Morgan and Baszler had a good match. The story of the match was Baszler targeting Morgan’s injured arm. Instead, Morgan worked on her submissions and injured Baszler’s arm, which worked into the finish.
They did the special ring introductions. The crowd was still hot. They erupted in boos for Baszler and popped big for Morgan. Cole noted Morgan trained with Riddle for the match.
They traded submission moves for the first few minutes. Morgan took over and tried to stand on the top rope. Baszler pushed Morgan off and she caught her arm on the rope as she fell.
Baszler slowed the pace down and destroyed Morgan’s arm. Morgan tried to fight back, but Baszler caught her with a back suplex. Baszler slowed the pace down.
Morgan broke free and hit a middle rope dropkick. Morgan jumped to her feet and fired up. She caught Baszler with a knee off the middle rope for a two-count.
Baszler regained control and teased stomping on Morgan’s injured arm. Morgan locked on the triangle and an arm bar. Baszler escaped and rocked Morgan with a knee for a two-count.
Morgan recovered and hit a running powerbomb for a two-count. Baszler kicked out into the kirifuda clutch. Baszler couldn’t keep the hold because of her injured arm. The finish came when Morgan hit the code breaker and oblivion for the win.
After the match, Morgan got a great reaction from the fans as she celebrated.
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They showed Adrian Street & Miss Linda at ringside.
They showed a Judgment Day vs. Edge & Rey Mysterio video package.
Edge & Rey Mysterio (w/Dominik Mysterio) defeated Judgment Day (Finn Balor & Damien Priest w/Rhea Ripley) (12:25)
This was a really good tag team match. The fans went crazy for everything and popped big for the finish.
The big story was the angle after the match. Dominik finally turned on Edge and his father. The turn got a massive reaction from the fans. The heat was intense, and they erupted in boos.
Dominik didn’t leave with Judgement Day, so it’s unclear if he’s with them. If he’s with Judgement Day, the finish doesn’t make sense since he helped Edge and Mysterio win.
On commentary, Cole noted Dominik showed some jealous tendency lately and was upset that Rey picked Edge as his partner.
Rey and Dominik got a good reaction. Edge got a huge pop and came out wearing a luchador mask. The fans sang Edge’s theme music. The fans loved Edge and are still a hot crowd.
Balor and Mysterio started off with fast-paced back-and-forth action. Balor tagged in Priest. He demanded Edge get in the ring, and the fans popped.
Priest was briefly in control. He whipped Edge into the corner, but Mysterio protected him. The heels tried the same spot but Edge kicked Balor. Edge then gave Mysterio a reverse powerbomb onto the heels at ringside. The fans broke into a “Rey Mysterio” chant. The heels took over and isolated Mysterio in their corner.
Balor slowed the pace down with a chin lock. Mysterio fought back and sent Balor over the barricade. Mysterio jumped on the barricade, but Priest cut him off. Mysterio then crotched Priest on the barricade, which Priest sold big.
Edge got the hot tag and ran wild. He set up for the spear, but Priest caused a distraction. Mysterio took out Preist with a senton off the apron. In the ring, Edge hit the 619 on Balor. It wasn’t pretty, but he hit it.
Mysterio hit a splash on Balor for a near fall. Edge then speared Preist off the apron to the floor. Balor set up for the coup de grace on Edge, but Dominik caused a distraction. Mysterio then gave Balor a hurricanrana off the top rope.
Ripley took out Dominik at ringside. She picked him up for a slam, but Mysterio took them out with a dive. Mysterio set up for the 619, but Balor hit a clothsline instead.
The finish came when Dominkik grabbed Balor’s leg, which allowed Mysterio to hit the 619. Edge then speared Balor for the win. On commentary, they pushed that Dominik played an important role in the win.
After the match, the faces celebrated the win when Dominik suddenly gave Edge a low blow. The crowd erupted in boos. Dominik then laid out his father with a clothesline to louder boos.
The heat was pretty intense. The fans booed Dominik as he walked out. Judgement Day laughed at Edge and Rey but Dominik didn’t leave with them.
*********
They announced tonight’s attendance of 62,296.
Seth Rollins defeated Matt Riddle (17:20)
Rollins and Riddle had a great match. The story of the match was Rollins got Riddle so angry and emotional that he made a mistake.
Matt Riddle has his first time back. He got a big pop during his entrance. Rollins came out in a spectacular ring outfit. The fans sang Rollins’s entrance music throughout the match.
Riddle and Rollins charged at each other at the bell. They traded shots in the corner. Riddle got in the referee’s face. Riddle then got the triangle on Rollins, but they both fell over the top rope. Rollins took over and hit a suicide dive.
Rollins was in control but got in the referee’s face. Riddle fought back and climbed to the top rope. Rollins cut him off and went for a reverse suplex. Somehow, Rollins lost his grip. He recovered and caught Riddle in the tree of woe. He followed up with a double foot stomp.
They continued to fight on the top rope. Rollins hit a superplex and rolled through for the falcon arrow. Riddle countered and hit the fisherman buster for a near fall instead.
Riddle hit the floating bro off the second rope to the floor. Rollins went for the pedigree, but Riddle escaped. Riddle countered into the bro to sleep into a powerbomb into a jumping knee for a two count.
Riddle went for the floating bro, but Rollins got his knees up. Riddle avoided the stomp and locked on the triangle. Rollins broke free and hit Riddle’s Bro Derek for a close near fall.
Riddle avoided the phoenix splash and hit the Pele kick. Riddle jumped to his feet, but Rollins rocked him with a forearm. Rollins then hit the pedigree for a very, very close near fall. The fans couldn’t believe Riddle kicked out.
Rollins screamed at Riddle that he’s a loser and mentioned his wife leaving him. He said Riddle’s kids would soon know he’s a loser too. Riddle snapped, but Rollins took advantage. He hit Randy Orton’s draping DDT to a chorus of boos that turned into fans singing Rollins theme music.
Rollins set up for the RKO, but Riddle locked on the sleeper. The fans broke into a “This is awesome” chant. Riddle grabbed a chair, but Rollins avoided the chair shot.
Rollins hit the stomp for a near fall as Riddle got into the ring. Rollins then hit another stomp off the second turnbuckle for the win.
********
They showed a Becky Lynch video package.
Earlier today, Roman Reigns hung out with Tyson Fury. They showed Fury at ringside again.
They also showed Karrion Kross and Scarlett at ringside.
They showed a Reigns vs. McIntyre video package.
WWE Undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns defeated Drew McIntyre to retain the title (30:39)
This was an awesome match. The fans loved McIntyre and wanted to see him win more than anything. They chose not to do the title change, but it felt like the right place because of the atmosphere. They had Tyson Fury and McIntyre cut a promo and sing after the match to send the fans home happy.
The story of the match was Reigns didn’t have the help of Paul Heyman, The Usos, or Sami Zayn. However, his cousin and Uso’s younger brother Solo Sikoa debuted to help Reigns win.
They aired a cool little video about McIntyre before his entrance. They did the special ring introductions, and McIntyre got a massive pop.
The fans broke into a loud “Drew” chant. They erupted into loud boos for Reigns. The fans love McIntyre and hate Reigns. They broke into several “Drew” chants and “Drew McIntyre” football chants throughout the match.
McIntyre had the early advantage after pushing Reigns into the corner. Reigns tried a shoulder tackle, but it didn’t move McIntyre. Reigns was shocked and rolled out of the ring.
Reigns was briefly in control, but McIntyre fought back. He sent Reigns outside with a hard clothesline. McIntyre then tossed Reigns into the steps.
Karrion Kross distracted McIntyre from the crowd. Reigns took advantage and blindsided McIntyre. Reigns grabbed the mic and demanded the fans acknowledge him. They erupted in boos. As Reigns turned around, McIntyre rocked him with a sick-looking Glasgow kiss.
McIntyre and Reigns traded shots in the middle of the ring. The fans did the “Yay” and “boo” chants. McIntyre ran wild and hit a belly-to-belly suplex and a neck breaker. He did a kip up to a huge pop,
McIntyre hit a spine buster for a close near fall. Reigns fought back and hit the rock bottom for a two-count. Reigns went for the Superman punch, but McIntyre reversed into the future shock DDT. McIntyre went for the claymore, but Reigns hit the Superman punch for a close near fall.
Reigns went for the spear, but McIntyre kicked him in the face. Reigns recovered and hit the spear for a very close two-count. Reigns locked on the guillotine submission, but McIntyre broke free.
Reigns rolled to the floor. McIntyre went after him and speared Reigns through the barricade. In the ring, McIntyre went for the claymore, but Reigns hit the spear for another very close near fall. The fans were relieved that wasn’t the finish.
Reigns was furious and yelled at referee Charlies Robinson. McIntyre hit the claymore, and Reigns bumped into the referee knocking him out of the ring.
Suddenly, Austin Theory’s music hit, and he ran down to cash in the briefcase with a second referee. The fans were furious until Tyson Fury knocked out Theory to a huge pop.
In the ring, Reigns went to hit McIntyre with a chair. McIntyre avoided and hit the claymore for another close near fall. The fans thought that was the finish.
McIntyre and Reigns traded hard shots in the middle of the ring. McIntyre took out Reigns with a spear and hit the claymore. McIntyre had the match won when someone pulled the second referee out of the ring. He took off his hood to reveal the Usos’ younger brother Solo Sikoa.
McIntyre got in Sikoa’s face. Sikoa hung McIntyre on the top rope as Robinson got back in the ring. Reigns then hit the spear for the win. The fans were furious and massively disappointed.
After the match, Tyson Fury got in the ring and shook Reigns’ hand to a chorus of boos.
Reigns and Sikoa walked off to loud boos. In the ring, Fury helped up McIntyre to loud cheers from the fans. They gave him a good reaction.
Fury grabbed the mic and praised McIntyre. He told him to be proud because he fought hard. Fury sang “American Pie” to McIntyre, and the fans joined him. McIntyre admitted he was disappointed but will win the Universal title someday.
McIntyre sang and then posed with Fury to end a very good Clash at the Castle. The fans seemed to enjoy Fury and McIntyre’s interaction.
One of the biggest weekends of the year, one with three major events from WWE and AEW, likely not coincidental, is upon us.
WWE has Clash at the Castle on 9/3 at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. For such a major event, it’s really a one-match show with Roman Reigns defending his Universal title against Drew McIntyre.
Reigns goes in with a two-year run as champion. With him wrestling The Rock as the current WrestleMania plan, it doesn’t need to be a title match. But they’ve kept the title on him for so long that most figured it was because they didn’t want to beat him prior to the match. The reality is that McIntyre could win, and lose it back before Mania and they could still do Reigns vs. Rock, and/or the Money in the Bank winner.
The advantage of McIntyre is obvious. They would have a champion who would appear on television once or twice a week, on every PPV show and on the house show circuit. With a new regime that may want to rebuild house shows and maximize television numbers, a champion in play full-time would help. But Reigns is also the biggest star in the company, and Levesque likely comes from the school where the champion should be the biggest star because if he’s not, you’re really devaluing the title itself.
WWE posted a video of the 34-year-old boxer confirming his attendance for the event. Fury noted that he will be sitting ringside for the show.
“Hi, Tyson Fury here. I’m really excited for the first WWE Premium Live Event in 30 years going down at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff,” Fury says.
“I will be sat ringside, live and exclusive to watch this great event.”
GiveMeSport reported on Wednesday that Fury would be at the event but is not expected to get physically involved with the action.
“The decision to keep Tyson away from the ring is likely due to the fact he doesn’t want to risk picking up an injury ahead of a potential return to boxing,” wrote Louis Dangoor.
Fury is rumored to be facing Oleksandr Usyk later this year.
During a post-fight press conference in April, Fury teased possibly wrestling Drew McIntyre in Cardiff.
“I got to speak to Vince and the boys, maybe make this happen. I know Drew McIntyre has been saying a lot of things about me, I’d love to knock him out. I’d love to be at Cardiff. I’d love to be back at center stage in the UK,” he said.
Tyson Fury is reportedly set to make an appearance at WWE Clash at the Castle on Saturday.
According to a report from GiveMeSport, the 34-year-old will be in attendance at the show in Cardiff but will not be getting physically involved in the action.
“The decision to keep Tyson away from the ring is likely due to the fact he doesn’t want to risk picking up an injury ahead of a potential return to boxing,” wrote Louis Dangoor.
Despite announcing his retirement from boxing after his defeat of Dillian Whyte in April, Fury has been training for a potential fight with Oleksandr Usyk later this year.
Fury teased a potential match with Drew McIntyre in Cardiff during a post-fight press conference after his victory over Whyte.
“I got to speak to Vince and the boys, maybe make this happen. I know Drew McIntyre has been saying a lot of things about me, I’d love to knock him out. I’d love to be at Cardiff. I’d love to be back at center stage in the UK,” he said.
Fury has only competed once in a WWE ring. He defeated Braun Strowman via count-out at Crown Jewel in 2019. He alo performed on the November 8, 2019, edition of SmackDown from Manchester when he and Strowman were involved in a segment with Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel.
A new tag team match has been added to WWE Clash at the Castle this Saturday.
It was announced during Monday’s Raw that Edge and Rey Mysterio will face off against The Judgment Day (Finn Balor and Damian Priest). Dominic Mysterio will be in the corner of his father and Edge, while Rhea Ripley will be in the corner of Balor and Priest.
Edge defeated Damian Priest in a match that took place on Raw last week. However, he was jumped by the rest of the Judgment Day and was about to be laid out with a conchairto when Beth Phoenix ran in for the save.
After Judgment Day defeated Dolph Ziggler and AJ Styles on Monday’s Raw, Edge came out and laid a trap on the Judgment Day, distracting them long enough for Rey and Dominik Mysterio to arrive with chairs. Dominik and Ripley ended up confronting one another, with Dominik giving Ripley a kendo stick he had before Rey and Edge made the save.
Here is the current card for Saturday’s Clash at the Castle:
Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship
Liv Morgan vs. Shayna Baszler for the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship
Gunther vs. Sheamus for the Intercontinental Championship
Seth Rollins vs. Riddle
Edge & Rey Mysterio vs. The Judgment Day (Finn Balor & Damian Priest)
Bianca Belair, Asuka, and Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley, Dakota Kai, and IYO SKY
