‘WWE Clash at the Castle’ PPV Review
Welcome to this review of WWE’s eagerly awaited first pay-per-view event in the UK since Summerslam ’92. Yes, we’ve got Clash at the Castle 2022… a show that courted controversy with sky-high ticket prices but still attracted almost 63000 UK fans to the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. Let’s get into the review!
Match #1: Madcap Moss & The Street Profits def. Theory & Alpha Academy
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Dawkins and Gable started the match off hot, with Ford mocking Gable after Dawkins left him laying following a shoulder block. After Dawkins tagged in Ford, Ford got caught in an Ankle Lock, giving the advantage to The Alpha Academy and the braggadocious Theory. Ford valiantly fought out of a grounding by Otis and Gable, planting both of them with a double DDT. After a quick series of tags, Gable hit Dawkins with the Rolling German Suplex, nearly earning the victory before Moss broke up the pinfall. A fired-up Moss blasted Otis with a Fallaway Slam that sent the colossal competitor flying to the outside. In a jaw-dropping moment, Montez Ford flew over the top rope, nailing an Assisted Blockbuster on Gable to the outside of the squared circle. With Gable down in the ring, Ford went up high and capped off the match with a From the Heavens Top-Rope Splash to seal the victory.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #2: Bayley, Dakota Kai & IYO SKY def. Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss & Asuka
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Belair, Asuka and Bliss delivered a triple suplex to all three of their opponents to light up the crowd, but Bayley’s group cut off the ring on multiple occasions and didn’t allow Belair to tag in. When Belair finally got the tag, she was a house on fire, knocking Kai into SKY to send both tumbling to the ringside floor. Asuka and Bliss, with the help of Belair’s back, took out Bayley by executing a double suplex. After Belair nearly put away Kai with the K.O.D., the incredible teamwork of Bayley’s group again paid off when SKY got Kai out of harm’s way. Bayley then hit the Rose Plant on Belair, and SKY struck with the Over the Moonsault, allowing Bayley to pin the Raw Women’s Champion to once again take control.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #3: Intercontinental Championship Match – Gunther def. Sheamus
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Sheamus had Butch and Ridge Holland with him, but Gunther evened the odds by having the trusty Ludwig Kaiser and the debuting Giovanni Vinci at his side, reforming Imperium. Just like a few weeks ago on SmackDown, Gunther and Sheamus maintained eye contact while the other members of The Brawling Brutes and Imperium clashed with each other. Once the bell rang, however, it was all business with the two hard-hitting Europeans going blow-for-blow. Gunther delivered on his promise to chop Sheamus to bits, leaving The Celtic Warrior’s chest scarred with bruises. After all the punishment Sheamus received, he kept bouncing back, repeatedly hitting The Ring General with the Beats of the Bodhran. With the Intercontinental Championship being the last title Sheamus needed to become a Grand Slam Champion, Sheamus poured his heart into this matchup, feeding off the energy that Cardiff, Wales gave him. Even a brutal Powerbomb from Gunther couldn’t quell the heart of The Celtic Warrior. To the dismay of many, Gunther kicked out of the Celtic Cross, which nearly sealed the deal for Sheamus. Another Powerbomb and a wicked lariat finally put Sheamus down as Gunther retained his Intercontinental Championship. After the match, Sheamus received a standing ovation and raised his arms into the air, the WWE Universe appreciating his valiant performance.
My Score: 4.5 out of 5
Match #4: SmackDown Women’s Championship Match – Liv Morgan def. Shayna Baszler
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The only woman who has pinned Ronda Rousey twice took on Rousey’s supposed best friend in Shayna Baszler in another test of Morgan’s young reign. A Kirifuda Clutch right out of the gate nearly caught Morgan by surprise before she rolled through and into a pinning attempt. Baszler went right for the left arm of Morgan, which had been injured by Rousey in Morgan’s title defense at SummerSlam. Even with the bad arm, Morgan showed fight, screaming while kipping up before connecting with double knees to the face. As Baszler was about to break Morgan’s arm, Morgan countered with an armbar, almost capturing the victory in what would be a humiliating way to lose for Baszler. Survival was Morgan’s MO for the match, especially when Baszler applied the Kirifuda Clutch on multiple occasions. Morgan shocked Baszler with another double knees, capping it off with the Oblivion to once more survive a tremendous SmackDown Women’s Title defense.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #5: Edge & Rey Mysterio def. The Judgment Day
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While Mysterio and Bálor started off the match, the crowd erupted when Damian Priest, after being tagged in, pointed at Edge and goaded him into entering the match. The former WWE Tag Team Champions took it to The Judgment Day early, with Edge assisting Mysterio in a moonsault to the outside. Priest was disrespectful throughout the contest, spitting at his former mentor. Edge was livid after the disrespect, and he hit an Edgecution on Priest before nailing a 619 on Finn Bálor. Edge kept up his attack by hitting Priest with a Spear through the ropes. Dominik proved key during the match, distracting the referee as Bálor was about to hit Coup de Grace. Dominik doubled down by catching Bálor’s boots, leading to a 619 from his father and a Spear by Edge to put away Bálor and The Judgment Day. After the match, Dominik shocked Cardiff, Wales as he betrayed Edge by savagely kicking him below the belt. Though his father tried to calm him down, Dominik soon responding with a vicious clothesline to his own father.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #6: Seth “Freakin” Rollins def. Matt Riddle
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
In arguably the most heated matchup on the card, Seth “Freakin” Rollins evoked Elton John’s “Rocket Man” as he made his way to the ring to face Matt Riddle. Riddle brought the heat early but was reprimanded by the referee as Riddle got in his face. Riddle was left reeling after a barricade version of the buckle bomb was executed brilliantly by Rollins. Much like how the rest of the evening had unfolded, the WWE Universe in Cardiff, Wales was vocal, singing Rollins’ theme song throughout the contest. This serenade propelled Rollins to deliver a superplex, but Riddle countered the follow-up falcon arrow with a wicked fisherman’s buster. Riddle followed up by hitting a Floating Bro to the outside, a Bro-To-Sleep and a gnarly high knee strike but could only garner a two-count. Rollins fought back and hit a humiliating Bro Derek on Riddle, but Riddle kicked out of what would have been a devastating way to lose. Rollins made the bout increasingly personal as he continually berated Riddle, calling him a loser and bringing up his wife. Rollins continued the vitriol by hitting Riddle with an Elevated DDT before mocking RK-Bro even more with a Randy Orton mat pound. This was too much for Riddle, who viciously pounded Rollins with strikes and even grabbed a steel chair. Rollins moved out of the way, however, when Riddle attempted to smash Rollins with the chair while The Visionary was draped across the announce table. Rollins then caught The Original Bro with a Stomp and a second Stomp from the top rope to claim the win.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #7: Undisputed WWE Universal Championship Match – Roman Reigns def. Drew McIntyre
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
All eyes were on the main event, with boxing legend Tyson Fury as well as Karrion Kross and Scarlett at ringside to witness the first main event at a stadium show in the United Kingdom in over 30 years. Heading into the ring without The Bloodline, Reigns was perhaps the most vulnerable he had been in his historic two-year championship reign. McIntyre let his emotions get the better of him as he berated Karrion Kross at ringside, which led to Reigns gaining the upper hand. In the middle of the match, Reigns grabbed the microphone, angrily telling Cardiff to “Acknowledge Me” before he was clobbered by a Glasgow Kiss from the challenger. Reigns notched his first two-count with a Rock Bottom to McIntyre. Reigns then set up a Superman Punch but was countered with a Future Shock DDT. McIntyre tried to send Reigns to Claymore Country, but Reigns had a counter of his own, hitting the Superman Punch. A colossal Spear by Reigns had the WWE Universe sure that Reigns would retain, but McIntyre shockingly kicked out. A second Spear by Reigns also could not seal the deal, as McIntyre showed incredible heart. An irate Reigns berated referee Charles Robinson until McIntyre Claymored Reigns into the official, knocking the referee to the outside. To the surprise of many, Theory’s music hit as Mr. Money in the Bank attempted to cash in his contract. Tyson Fury, however, belted Theory to nullify the attempt. As McIntyre was looking to finish Reigns after a Claymore,Solo Sikoa pulled the referee out of the ring. Sikoa’s shocking presence gave Reigns enough time to Spear McIntyre and retain the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 4/5
Let’s be fair, the UK crowd made this show a lot bigger and a lot more exciting than if it had taken place on US soil. Having not had a huge PPV event in the UK in 30 years made the crowd red-hot! Not that the matches didn’t deliver, apart from the first kick-off match this card was stacked and each and every one was given the time and space to tell its story well. Unfortunately for the matches that followed nothing, absolutely nothing, on the card could match up to the Intercontinental Championship match between Sheamus and Gunther – talk about putting prestige back on that belt. It really did feel like that match was a much bigger deal than the main event title match. No doubt thanks to stunning performances from both men AND the crowd… who were rooting for Sheamus all the way but appreciated the entire thing for the tremendous wrestling it was. The only downside to the PPV? The abysmal end to the show as Tyson Fury tried to get the crowd in a sing-song to American Pie. Really? Really? No wonder Drew McIntyre tried to get everyone singing Oasis to follow up – which was almost as bad. What were they thinking?
