WWE’s “Clash at the Castle” event marks the first premium live event the wrestling company held within the United Kingdom in over 30 years. Held at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales on Sept. 3, the show featured an anticipated WWE Undisputed Championship main event between defender Roman Reigns and UK native Drew McIntire. The superb card was made even better with an electrifying European crowd.
Summer 2022 marked a transition period for WWE; after previous CEO Vince McMahon withdrew from from the corporation following numerous allegations of sexual harrasment, daughter Stephanie McMahon and son-in-law Paul “Triple H” Levesque took over the roles of CEO and Executive Vice President of Talent respectively. The takeover was loved by fans due to Levesque’s past works in WWE’s “NXT” brand.
While July’s “SummerSlam 2022” was the first premium live event held under Levesque and McMahon’s leadership, many fans were excited for “Clash” due to the WWE’s recent changes in both tone and direction. One major change includes a new focus on younger talent to build new staples within the company.
The pre-show match between Madcap Moss and The Street Profits versus the Alpha Academy and Austin Theory displayed this newfound focus on younger wrestlers. Each man got to display their talent, athleticism, and charisma, with a sleeper performance by Moss. One notable moment included Montez Ford of The Street Profits diving into the entire group of men and then hitting a Frog Splash from the top ropes for the team’s victory.
The team of Bayley, Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky defeated Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss and Asuka in the first show match. This match served as a solid show-opener, but did not fully show what each woman was capable of.
Possibly the best match of 2022 followed the woman’s trios match with Gunter versus Sheamus for the Intercontinental Championship. Both men battered each other with many chops, slaps and forearm hits to the delight of the crowd. Despite not winning the championship from defender Gunter, Sheamus received a standing ovation for an outstanding performance.
Liv Morgan protected the SmackDown Women’s Championship title from challenger Shayna Bazler in a match that felt like a natural progression from Morgan versus Ronda Rousey at “SummerSlam.” Morgan came off as a much more capable champion than against Rousey, showing satisfying character development for the up-and-coming star.
Edge and Rey Mysterio defeated The Judgment Day’s Finn Balor and Damien Priest in a fun match, topped off by wrestling icons Edge and Mysterio doing their finishing moves in front of the passionate and nostalgic crowd. However, many fans discussed more of the match’s outcome, as Mysterio’s son Dominick betrayed Edge and Rey to a flurry of boos from the crowd.
Another match fit to be called the best of the year, fan favorites Seth “Freakin” Rollins and Matt Riddle fought in a highly competitive match, both men showing their high-class wrestling abilities and agility. The hard fought battle ended with Rollins finishing Riddle with a second rope stomp to the head, hopefully meaning another match by the two is to be expected for an upcoming event.
Leading up to the event, WWE built Reigns versus McIntyre as a monumental occasion, and the match itself certainly delivered. The brutes pushed themselves to their absolute limits, with multiple appearances from outsiders adding to the stakes. While many fans disagree with the outcome of Reigns being victorious, the scene of 60,000 European fans chanting Drew’s name was one of the greatest WWE moments of 2022.
Both “SummerSlam” and “Clash at the Castle” were excellent events, pleasing the many fans who returned to WWE after new management arrived. WWE is looking to get even better moving forward, meaning now is a better time than ever to check out the action.
