Who ruled the castle?
WWE held another international premium live event, this time in Scotland for the first time in company history with Clash at the Castle. Five matches took place inside OVO Hydro, and they were all for championship gold.
Cody Rhodes and AJ Styles faced each other for the Undisputed WWE Championship after their instant classic at Backlash France, and they delivered in another title match. Drew McIntyre also went for the World Heavyweight Championship, but a familiar foe got in the way. European crowds have gained a reputation of being among the best in WWE, and it was another rowdy atmosphere.
Here is a recap of all the action from Glasgow:
Feeding off the crowd energy, Drew McIntyre came out of the gate firing on all cylinders, getting Damian Priest outside of the ring and flying over the top rope to take him out. There was a big botch when Priest tried to jump off the ring but he got his foot caught in the ropes in what looked like could’ve been a dangerous misstep. It was obvious Priest was injured in the mistake and he was hobbling for the rest of the match.
It took awhile for things to settle down but once it did, McIntyre and Priest traded blows for minutes. McIntyre was the one that was able to get the upper hand and went for his first claymore, but Priest countered it with a chokeslam. Priest went for the pin and McIntyre kicked out. Somehow after taking a hurricanrana off the top rope, McIntyre recovered quickly for a claymore. Priest kicked out of the pin.
The referee got taken out of the match thanks to a bump from Priest, and when McIntyre went for a pin after a claymore, there was no referee. One came out and counted to two but didn’t finish the pin. McIntyre looked up, only for it to be CM Punk and completely shock the challenger. A frustrated McIntyre went to attack Punk, but the heated rival delivered a low blow. Priest landed another choke slam and the referee came back to count the pin and give Priest the win, a stunner to the Glasgow crowd.
Analysis: What a chaotic way to end it. Yes, interferences are ruin matches, but this one was as perfect as it could be. The rivalry between McIntyre and Punk continues to be one of the best of the year and nothing comes close. People were so focused on The Judgment Day not being present for the match that no one remembered the hated Punk has for McIntyre. The Glasgow crowd was absolutely shocked and hated seeing their fellow countrymen lose at home, especially since Punk costed him the title yet again, but it makes for some amazing storytelling. The people may not love it, but it’s just another layer in what will be a spectacular match when McIntyre and Punk finally face off in the ring.
Drew McIntyre is going all out for his title match.
A Scottish band came out and played “Scotland the Brave,” one of the unofficial national anthems of Scotland. The crowd went wild when McIntyre emerged, and he held up the Scotland flag. By the time his music stopped playing, the crowd serenaded the arena by singing his name.
The crowd showing some just small favoritism to Bayley upset Piper Niven and it resulted in her going after the champion quickly in the match, which also got other fans behind her. Chelsea Green tried to intervene early and it was costly as she was kicked out of ringside. Still, it didn’t faze Niven as she continued to assault Bayley in and out of the ring. Bayley had some moments where she looked like she’d be getting ready to roll, only for Niven to counter.
Green came back out in a luchador mask in an attempt to come back, but referee Charles Robinson wasn’t fooled. However, it distracted him from counting a pin from Bayley. Niven was closing in on a win, but Bayley found an opening and countered to drive Niven’s head on the mat and rolled her up to get the pin.
Analysis: Piper Niven showed out in front of her home crowd and her homeland was loving it. She is a talented wrestler and she got the time she needed to prove it. While it was a great match, it was a choppy ending since Bayley didn’t have many opportunities on the offensive end, so it looked like she mores escaped the match rather than winning it. Regardless, it’s a big win to add more legitimacy to Bayley’s title reign. This should also show Niven is more than capable of being successful in a single push.
Chad Gable took out his frustrations on Sami Zayn early and the technical wizard showcased impressive combinations of submissions and powerful moves, all while battling the crowd that was clearly rooting for the champion. Gable kept tabs on Otis and Maxxine Dupri at ringside, making sure they were ready for whenever he needed them.
Zayn didn’t have many moments on offense since Gable was countering so many moments. Gable attempted to get Dupri to hit Zayn with the title when the referee wasn’t looking, but she couldn’t do it. Zayn tried to capitalize on a distracted Gable with a helluva kick, but he moved away just in time. Gable landed a chaos theory, but Zayn kicked out in surprising fashion. When Gable continue to scold Dupri, Otis got in the way, and the Alpha Academy member took a hit from Zayn as a result. Gable looked to have a window, only for Zayn to recover.
When Zayn got out of an ankle lock outside of the ring, it resulted in Gable taking out Dupri’s hurt left leg, frustrating Otis more. It left another chance for Alpha Academy to take out Zayn, however Dupri stopped Otis. He picked up Dupri and left the ring, and with Gable distracted, Zayn finally landed a helluva kick and got the pin.
Analysis: Gable and Zayn have put on great matches in recent months and this was another one that gave the belief the challenger could come out on top. With Zayn retaining, it should put this end to this rivalry and allow Gable to focus on the struggles going on with the Alpha Academy. Accident or not, Gable made contact with Dupri and that should be the last straw from Otis constantly being berated by his leader. A feud that fans are interested in should be on the horizon and headed toward SummerSlam.
The champions showcased their power early in the match as they’ve been accustomed to doing, with Belair taking control of Baszler and Dawn, and then Cargill dominating Stark and Fyre before both of them unleashed a punishing assault. Realizing they were overmatched, the challengers teamed up to attack the champions, which was a success.
With Belair and Cargill out, the challengers went blow-for-blow and the crowd clearly was rooting for the natives of Fyre and Dawn. Once Belair and Cargill came in, it was a frenzy with shots all over. Belair and Cargill looked like they were about to win after the power combo on Baszler, but Dawn snuck in to get rid of Cargill and she got the pin to become new champions.
Analysis: This was a stunner. For as cool as it would’ve been for the Scotland natives to win, Belair and Cargill have been such a powerful force that it didn’t seem realistic for them to lose the titles. But with it a triple threat match, it made it a perfect opportunity for the champions to be snuck up on and someone else capitalize on the moment. The reaction to Fyre and Dawn getting the win was amazing from the crowd, and it was a sweet moment seeing them celebrate with family and get their flowers in their home country. A spectacular moment for a team that didn’t have much going on prior to Clash at the Castle, and hopefully they’ll get a solid run as champions. Meanwhile, the loss puts Belair and Cargill in an interesting spot. Will they continue to team up, or split and eventually face one another?
We may know who Cody Rhodes’ next challenger is, and it could be someone he’s very familiar with.
After beating AJ Styles, Rhodes celebrated, only for Solo Sikoa to come out for a tense face-off, Tanga Loa and Tama Tonga came out to unleash an assault on the champion, but Kevin Owens and Randy Orton came to the aid of the champion. They were able to hold off The Bloodline, but it seems like Rhodes is headed toward another encounter with the family.
The crowd brought the electricity and made it clear it was rooting for the champion. Rhodes started the match on offense, took it outside of the ring and into the stadium hallways before the action returned to the ring. Rhodes tried a figure four lock in the first significant attempt to get someone to quit, but Styles was able to get out.
Styles then took control when he bounced Rhodes off the announcer’s table, and Rhodes was cut wide open on his face with blood coming out above his left eyebrow. Styles landed a knee drop on the chair wrapped on Rhodes head and then brought out the kendo stick to lay more punishment. Styles continued the onslaught after he used an STF on the champion by handcuffing Rhodes’ hands behind his back and unloading a ruthless attack. Each time Rhodes denied to say “I Quit,” the crowd would erupt in cheer.
After Styles got distracted with Rhodes’ mom, which included her slapping the star, Rhodes recovered and threw a chair when Styles tried a phenomenal forearm, which also cut the challenger. Rhodes landed three cross Rhodes and handcuffed Styles to the ropes as he relentlessly pelted him with the chair. Styles didn’t quit, but when Rhodes brought the steel steps into the ring, Styles understood it would get uglier and said, “I Quit.” Rhodes retained, but just for good measure, he hit Styles with the steel steps anyway for all the disrespect he took, and while the challenger laid in defeat, he stood on top of the steps in victory.
Analysis: The two had a hard act to follow from their first meeting, but this rematch delivered. The electricity from the crowd really added to the aura in this meeting, and there were some solid spots that gave it a unique spin on the punishment that happens during a “I Quit” match. The ending of the match was a really intriguing spot because it showed Rhodes can turn on another switch that turns him into a daunting, ruthless champion instead of being the babyface star everyone loves. It’s still hard to imagine Rhodes losing the title at any point in the near future, but his matches are doing a good job of presenting believable moments and making his reign legitimate.
The crowd is already off to an electric start. The Undisputed WWE Champion made his entrance and the crowd erupted, singing “Kingdom” much like the crowd at Backlash France.
When is Clash at the Castle 2024?
Clash at the Castle 2024 will be Saturday, June 15 at 2 p.m. ET. The event will begin at 7 p.m. local time.
Where is Clash at the Castle 2024?
Clash at the Castle will be taking place in Glasgow, Scotland. It will be held in the OVO Hydro.
How to watch Clash at the Castle 2024
The event can be streamed on Peacock, but you must have their premium or premium-plus subscription to watch. Internationally, it will be available on WWE Network.
Clash at the Castle 2024 match card
Matches not in order
- “I Quit” match for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. AJ Styles.
- World Heavyweight Championship match: Damian Priest (c) vs. Drew McIntyre.
- WWE Women’s Championship match: Bayley (c) vs. Piper Niven.
- Intercontinental Championship match: Sami Zayn (c) vs. Chad Gable.
- Triple threat match for the Women’s Tag Team Championship: Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill (c) vs. Zoey Stark and Shayna Baszler vs. Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn.
- “I Quit” match for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Cody Rhodes def. AJ Styles.
- World Heavyweight Championship match: Drew McIntyre def. Damian Priest.
- WWE Women’s Championship match: Bayley def. Piper Niven.
- Intercontinental Championship match: Sami Zayn def. Chad Gable.
- Triple threat match for the Women’s Tag Team Championship: Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill def. Zoey Stark and Shayna Baszler vs. Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn.
Scotland will be well represented when the first WWE premium live event takes place in the country. Drew McIntyre is the most notable star from the country, but three other Scottish natives will be in action on Saturday.
Piper Niven, Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn are from Scotland, and Dawn is from Glasgow.
Piper Niven will likely get the home crowd during her WWE Women’s Championship match against Bayley, but the champion is also expected to get love from the European fans.
When Bayley has gone to Europe, fans serenade her with a chant based off the 1961 song “Hey Baby” by Bruce Channel. The chant goes:
“Hey Bayley, ooh aah. I wanna know, if you’d be my girl.”
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