On Saturday, June 15th, WWE held its big event live from Scotland, “Clash at the Castle.” The show saw a ton of fantastic action and moments. The show was headlined by a huge match that saw Damian Priest put his WWE World Heavyweight Championship on the line against the hometown hero, Drew McIntyre. But that was just the beginning.
We also saw Cody Rhodes defend his Undisputed WWE Championship against AJ Styles, Bayley put her WWE Women’s Championship on the line against Piper Niven, Sami Zayn defend his Intercontinental Championship against Chad Gable, and so much more. So, what were the top three moments of the show?
Honorable Mention: The Unholy Union win the Women’s Tag Team Championships
In the second match of the night, we saw Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill put their WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships on the line against Zoey Stark and Shayna Baszler, and the hometown heroes of Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn. This was a very fun match that had a VERY unexpected ending.
The match ended with Belair and Cargill landing their finishing move on Baszler. This allowed The Unholy Union to pick up the scraps and win the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships in their hometown. This was a great call. The Unholy Union is one of the most talented women’s teams around today, and they more than deserved this win.
Top 3 Moments of WWE Clash at the Castle 2024
3. Cody Rhodes makes AJ Styles say “I Quit”
In the opening match of the night, we see Cody Rhodes put his Undisputed WWE Championship on the line against “The Phenomenal One,” AJ Styles. This is a rivalry that has gotten very personal between these two men. It recently took a whole other turn when Styles faked a retirement just to attack Cody with The OC. This match had it all.
Rhodes and Styles went to war over the top prize in the WWE, and it set the tone for a fantastic show. Styles busted Rhodes wide open with a brain buster on the announce table and unleashed a whole new side of aggressiveness. However, Cody got his payback by bloodying Styles with a trio of cross Rhodes, and the third came on a steel chair. Ultimately, the match ended when Rhodes handcuffed Styles to the rope and pulled out the steel steps, and looked to use them on Styles.
Styles quit to avoid further injury, and Rhodes still knocked Styles out with them after the match ended. After the match, Rhodes had a staredown with Solo Sikoa, which led to the Bloodline jumping Rhodes. Randy Orton and Kevin Owens made the save to even the odds. It looks like we are “re-igniting” Rhodes vs. The Bloodline. Overall, this was a fantastic “I Quit” match, and probably the best match between Styles and Rhodes, and what happened after the match set the tone for what’s to come.
2. Sami Zayn retains when Alpha Academy leaves Chad Gable
In the middle of the show, we saw Sami Zayn put his Intercontinental Championship on the line against Chad Gable. Gable was accompanied to the ring by Otis and Maxxine Durpi. This is a rivalry that has gotten very personal as of late. While Gable helped Zayn before WrestleMania 40, that friendship is long gone now.
The matches between Gable and Zayn always deliver, and this one was no different. However, there was a newly added element of Alpha Academy and not knowing where their heads were. This was a very physical match between the two men. During the match, Maxxine was tasked with hitting Zayn over the head with the Intercontinental Championship, which she couldn’t do it.
Gable got in the face of Dupri, but Otis got between them and had a staredown with Zayn. This led to Otis shoving Gable out of the way and eating a high-risk move from Zayn. Zayn accidentally sent Gable into Maxxine, where he took out her bad ankle. This pissed Otis off and instead of helping Gable, Otis takes Dupri to the back and abandons him. This costs Gable the match and Zayn retains with a helluva kick. This was a great match, and Alpha Academy seemingly made up their minds. Now, enter The Creed Brothers and Ivy Nile.
1. CM Punk screws over Drew McIntyre
In the main event of the show, we saw Damian Priest put his World Heavyweight Championship on the line against Drew McIntyre. McIntyre is the hometown hero in this match and has the entire Scotland fanbase behind him. The last time McIntyre had the chance to win the title in front of his hometown, he came up short against Roman Reigns thanks to some outside interference from a debuting Solo Sikoa.
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On the other side of things, Priest is looking to continue his reign, which started back at WrestleMania 40 when he cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on McIntyre. This match was a war in every sense of the word. At one point, McIntyre landed a huge claymore kick on Priest through the barricade. The fans chanted “THIS IS AWESOME” as the match went on, and it was for good reason. This match was truly awesome.
At the end of the match, the official was taken out. This led to a new official entering the ring, turning out to be CM Punk. Punk screwed over Drew with a low blow, which allowed Priest to hit his finisher for the three-count. Truly, this was the right call. Drew McIntyre vs. CM Punk does not need the title involved. Now waiting in the wings for Damian Priest, GUNTHER.
