Predictable Finish Doesn’t Detract From Quality of WWE’s Clash at the Castle

From Tyson Fury to Adrian Street, the stars were out for the United Kingdom’s first stadium show in 30 years as Roman Reigns and Sheamus impress.

The most significant story in WWE is the dominance of Roman Reigns and The Bloodline. That plot line is prevalent at all times, the centerpiece everywhere the company travels.

Even in Cardiff, Wales, where WWE held Saturday’s Clash at the Castle event, Reigns defeated Drew McIntyre–a fan favorite who grew up in Scotland. This show was built around McIntyre returning home for WWE’s first United Kingdom stadium show in 30 years. Yet, in the end, McIntyre was presented as the opponent for Reigns, who was presented as the star.

Reigns won courtesy of interference from The Bloodline. Despite the fact that Paul Heyman and The Usos were not ringside, it was Jimmy and Jey Uso’s younger brother, Solo Sikoa, preventing McIntyre from winning.

The entire card represented some of the best WWE can offer, even if the main event ended with a repeat of what is seen during the vast majority of Reigns’s title matches. It followed the blueprint of Reigns winning courtesy of outside interference. That role is typically filled by The Usos, so Sikoa was a new twist, but it was has become too predictable that Reigns is going to prevail due to help from his friends.

A peculiar moment took place before the show went off the air. Boxing champion Tyson Fury, another beloved star from the United Kingdom, stepped into the ring for a staredown with Reigns. This was a real, tense moment, but it ended much too quickly, and neatly, with a handshake. Fury–who was part of the show, reaching over the barricade to knock out Austin Theory before he could cash-in his Money in the Bank title shot during the main event—then helped McIntyre to his feet. The two men then held a singalong with the crowd—yes, you read that correctly—as the show went off the air.

There were a few impressive cameos from legends in the crowd during the show. That included Adrian Street, an international wrestling star from the 1970s and ’80s, as well as his wife/longtime manager, Miss Linda. There was also a loud ovation for Bret Hart, who was highlighted for his role in the SummerSlam ’92 classic against the late “British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith, which took place at London’s Wembley Stadium. That match, which was correctly praised by commentary as the greatest match in SummerSlam history, featured a clean finish and a native son winning. Those two elements were ignored in the Clash at the Castle main event.

Here are the results:

• Bayley, Iyo Sky, and Dakota Kai defeated Bianca Belair, Asuka, and Alexa Bliss
• Intercontinental champion Gunther defeated Sheamus
• SmackDown women’s champion Liv Morgan defeated Shayna Baszler
• Edge and Rey Mysterio defeated Finn Bálor and Damian Priest
• Seth Rollins defeated Matt Riddle
• Roman Reigns retained the Undisputed WWE Universal championship with a successful defense against Drew McIntyre

Clash at the Castle opened with a blazing hot crowd and a six-woman tag featuring Raw women’s champion Bianca Belair, Asuka, and Alexa Bliss against Bayley, Dakota Kai, and Iyo Sky. This was a showcase for all six women, especially for the heels.

The faction of Bayley, Kai, and Sky was introduced in July at SummerSlam, and the group is set to continue to become even more dominant. They were victorious, and the finish made sense as Bayley pinned Belair. Bayley is the next challenger for Belair’s title, and there is ample reason to believe she will become the new champ. The finish was also well-executed, and it protected Belair, who was triple-teamed before getting pinned.

Courtesy of WWE

Surprisingly, no titles changed hands. The most likely match to involve a title change was Gunther defending the Intercontinental championship against Sheamus. Born in Dublin, Sheamus was seeking his first-ever run with the IC title. Though he currently presents himself as a heel, he worked a fan-favorite style in the match, and the crowd ate it up. Considering Bret Hart was present, at WWE’s very first UK stadium pay-per-view since Hart defended the IC title in the main event 30 years ago, all signs pointed to Sheamus winning the belt. A devoted Bret Hart fan, Sheamus’s favorite memories of pro wrestling are all ones where “The Hitman” played a starring role.

“I was never a fan of Superman or any of those indestructible superheroes, but I was a fan of the ones that had some sort of vulnerability,” Sheamus told Sports Illustrated two years ago. “That was Bret. He sold so well. You’d believe he was getting the crap kicked out of him, and then he’d come back. I can still picture how he’d take the turnbuckle. He was never afraid to beat his body up in order to get people invested and bring that believability into his work.

“Hulk Hogan is an unbelievable icon in the business, and people loved when he’d ‘Hulk up.’ But I always preferred to see Bret fighting from underneath. His ability to sell really captivated me. Bret always found a way to overcome the odds. That’s what endeared me to wrestling.”

Sheamus won over the crowd with his performance, but Gunther won the match. Gunther has the makings of a major player for WWE, and his presentation will only be enhanced after WWE welcomed back Giovanni Vinci to reunite Imperium. But Clash at the Castle lacked a defining moment, a void that would have been filled had Sheamus won the IC title. Even in defeat, he left the ring to a standing ovation.

The weakest match of the night was Liv Morgan defending the SmackDown women’s title against Shayna Baszler. Originally Ronda Rousey’s spot, it was changed to Morgan after Rousey failed to connect with the crowd as a fan favorite. That is starkly contrasted by Morgan, whose popularity continues to grow. But she was hurt by her opponent, as Baszler has been so devalued by the company over the past two years that she was never a threat to win. That is especially maddening, as prior to that, she was presented in NXT as an unstoppable force. How is Baszler supposed to magically return to that untouchable powerhouse without first going on a significant, lengthy winning streak? Morgan won, but the outcome was never in doubt.

Another enjoyable match was Rey Mysterio and Edge teaming up to defeat Finn Bálor and Damian Priest. Somehow, at the age of 48, Edge continues to look spectacular in the ring. It was nostalgic to see the two team together—they were tag champs for a brief 12-spurt in 2002—and thanks to interference from Dominik Mysterio, they emerged victorious. Upset that he was not chosen to be Rey’s tag partner, Dominik laid out both Edge and his father after the match. While it appears he will join Judgment Day, he walked out alone.

Another outstanding match was Seth Rollins against Matt Riddle. Rollins won after connecting with a stomp off the second rope, capitalizing by using Riddle’s emotions against him. The performance also further cemented Rollins’s candidacy for wrestler of the year. Despite the loss, this match played an integral role in the process designed to transform Riddle into a more serious, complete performer. Riddle now has to continue to chase Rollins in search of revenge.

Overall, this felt like a superb house show, not entirely dissimilar to what WWE produced at Super ShowDown four years ago in Australia. The manner in which the main event unfolded also felt like a page out of Vince McMahon’s playbook for a Reigns match, even though it is officially no longer part of the company’s creative process.

Even without a title change or a surprise return, there was a lot to like at Clash at the Castle. The matches delivered, and even with the disappointing finish, this was still a very enjoyable show.