Roman Reigns v Drew McIntyre (Undisputed Universal Championship Match; WWE Clash at the Castle 2022)
Drew McIntyre won a Good Old Fashioned Donnybrook match to get a shot at Roman Reigns’ Universal Championship. It was a dream match of epic proportions, and what better place to settle this contest than in Drew McIntyre’s backyard? The Cardiff crowd was absolutely rabid for Drew McIntyre, bringing the atmosphere of this match to a whole other level.
If anyone wants to see how to produce a compelling wrestling match, this contest is the example to look to. Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre put on a wrestling clinic for 30 minutes. It was a story of power taking on power, and while it contained a slower pace, there was no point where the match wasn’t captivating.
Reigns was deep into his historic title reign, and it looked as if Drew McIntyre would be the man to end it. The false finishes had the whole world believing McIntyre was going to win, and all our hearts broke when Solo Sikoa made his presence felt. The air was taken out of Principality Stadium when Roman Reigns cheated his way to victory. The wrestling world believed that this was Drew McIntyre’s night.
Cody Rhodes v A.J. Styles (I Quit Match for the WWE Championship; WWE Clash at the Castle 2024)
Once Cody Rhodes finished his story, wrestlers were lining up to take down the new champ. A.J. Styles was the first man to challenge Rhodes, but fell short. Styles was not one to take that loss lightly, and after a well-timed fake retirement angle, an “ I Quit” match was booked for WWE Clash at the Castle.
It should never be questioned whether these two would wrestle a great match. Styles and Rhodes had been putting on classics all over the world, and their Backlash encounter was fantastic. They needed to ramp up the intensity, and Styles’ fake retirement and vicious attack made that possible.
They worked well within the I Quit stipulation, taking the action out of the ring and even into the back. The creative use of handcuffs helped set the match apart, and Style’s verbal jabbing with Cody Rhodes’s mother added yet another layer of emotion.
The emotion that led Rhodes to trap Styles and threaten him with the steel steps to force the utterance of “I Quit”. Opening up Clash at the Castle with this match was a great move by WWE, and one that started the night on the right foot.
