It’s been 30 long years since the WWE graced these isles with a bona fide pay-per-view event. Every long-term WWE fan holds Summerslam 1992 dear in their heart and now, this present generation of grappling fans have their own prestigious event, as the sports entertainment powerhouse brings Clash At The Castle to the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
As is the case with the US events, when the WWE comes to town, they take it over, as Cardiff residents no doubt noticed. Flags adorned the streets for weeks, a massive semi-truck was parked outside the castle and various interactive events whetted the appetite. The big ticket itself, in the Principality on Saturday night, didn’t disappoint.
People entering the stadium are greeted by huge, castle-shaped screens above the ring – utilised, first off, by Madcap Moss, who teamed with the ever-entertaining Street Profits to face Alpha Academy and Austin Theory in a six-man tag team match. Warming the crowd nicely, the Profits pick up a well-earned win, whereupon some very impressive pyro signals the start of Clash At The Castle proper.
Kicking off with a six-woman tag match, the Welsh crowd is already in full song and the atmosphere really is quite special as Damage Control and Iyo Sky pick up the win over Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss, and Asuka by pinfall in a clumsy-looking faceoff. In what promises to be an absolute bruiser of a match, the Intercontinental Championship is at stake next: hard-hitting champion Gunther facing equally robust Irishman Sheamus. The crowd are fully engaged in this match, oohs and aahs accompanying every big hit, until Gunther eventually gets the pinfall after a “clothesline from hell”.
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The WWE Smackdown Woman’s Championship has taken on new popularity in recent times, thanks in no small part to its current champion Liv Morgan. At 5’3”, what she lacks in stature she more than compensates for in heart as she takes on the fearsome Shayna Bayzler. After a hard-fought bout, Morgan eventually nails the win after hitting her ObLIVion finishing move. The excitement builds somewhat, as next up are some genuine WWE legends: Rey Mysterio and Edge take on Edge’s former stablemates The Judgement Day.
Speaking to the latter beforehand, all three expressed a certain amount of gratitude for the chance to work with such legendary names as Edge and Mysterio, but any sentiment is pushed aside as this blood feud tells the next part of its story. Grabbing the win after a 619 and spear combination, Edge and Mysterio have little time to celebrate – Rey’s son, Dominik Mysterio, brutally betrays the pair in a truly shocking moment. The gasps in the crowd are audible.
One of Raw’s most popular current stars is Matt Riddle, whose ongoing feud with Seth ‘Freakin’ Rollins has become deeply personal. This shows in an energetic, emotional battle that sees Rollins once again utilise the curb stomp to gain the win. And with that, we come to the main event.
The hype in the build-up to Clash At The Castle has all been on ‘The Scottish Warrior’ Drew McIntyre, whose dream to take the WWE Universal Championship on UK soil would be “a dream come true” in his words to me beforehand. The crowd are now at fever pitch – having attended rugby, football and concerts at this stadium, I can honestly say this is the loudest I’ve ever heard it. With Tyson Fury watching on at ringside, the stage is set for McIntyre’s crowning moment. His opponent Roman Reigns has not been pinned since 2019, so it won’t be easy, but home advantage may get Drew over the line.
What we get is a classic encounter that has it all. An attempted ‘Money In The Bank’ cash-in from Austin Theory is thwarted by a brutal left from Tyson Fury, while the match itself swings one way then the other, finally seeing McIntyre at match point. But before he can hit another claymore kick, interference from Reigns’ cousin Solo Sikoa followed by a ferocious spear sees Reigns retain.
As the title-holder’s music is played, Fury enters the ring; the anticipation that we might see some more action from the Gypsy King is quickly quashed as he extends the hand to the champion before picking up McIntyre for a bit of karaoke. As Fury is belting out American Pie, you can’t help but be in awe at the scale of it all. Nobody does entertainment quite like WWE.
words CHRIS ANDREWS photos KEVIN PICK
