Thirty years in the making. Three decades since Bret vs Davey. Since Macho vs Warrior. A long, patient, painstaking wait since the glory of SummerSlam ’92. Now we’re less than three months away from WWE Clash At The Castle.
The first stadium show that Vince McMahon’s promotion have hosted in the UK since that magical evening in August 1992.
And there are more than a few dream matches that we would like to see on said show.
Make no mistake, Vinnie Mac’s charges will be looking to deliver an evening for the ages on September 3rd. The Welsh capital will be the site for what could potentially become an annual affair. Initial ticket interest has been, unsurprisingly, through the roof. Demand is such for the event that there is an expectation that a crowd of over 70,000 could legit sell out the Principality Stadium.
With this in mind, it’s also worth seriously considering what the card itself could consist of. This cannot be a throwaway show, after all. It needs an almost WrestleMania level of attention to detail.
In short, it needs dream matches.
But what to book? Who to book? Why to book them?
Here’s a brainstorm of what the marquee matches could (and maybe should?) look like for WWE Clash At The Castle…
Universal Championship: Roman Reigns (c) vs Drew McIntyre
OK, so this is an obvious choice. But obvious is more often than not the best course of action to take. And in the case of Drew McIntyre, it’s a course of action sorely needed to reposition the Scotsman as a bona fide main event mainstay. The former ‘Chosen One’ saw his coronation as WWE Champion take place behind closed doors. Then his subsequent title reigns were played out in the sterile environment of the Thunderdome. For his efforts, setbacks and clear-as-day star quality, the giant Glaswegian deserves tens of thousands roaring behind him when he hoists a World Title triumphantly above his head.
Reigns, meanwhile, has not dropped an L since a December 2019 outing against Baron Corbin. He is staring down the barrel of three years as champion. Unprecedented in modern times. Unifying the WWE and Universal titles at WrestleMania also means he can stare at the lights for the right challenger while still being able to walk away with World Title gold.
Those three seconds on the mat should come in Cardiff. A capacity stadium-sized UK crowd going ‘banana’, to quote the late Pat Patterson, for a McIntyre victory would be a genuinely momentous happening that could rival any of the grandeur and nostalgia of SummerSlam ’92.
Intercontinental Championship: Gunther (c) vs Butch
OK, so he would be called Pete Dunne again for this match. The Bruiserweight would very much be back in business for a full-blooded bout against the man he dropped his NXT UK Title to. A partisan UK crowd wouldn’t allow for anything else, it’s safe to assume. Shedding the Butch moniker for one night would go over huge with the Cardiff crowd and could lead to the, let’s face it, rather unnecessarily rechristened Butch being banished forever. Regardless of what name he ends up competing under, however, Butch/Dunne going up against another renamed UK alumni in Gunther will bang. Hard.
The pair met at NXT TakeOver: New York, in 2019, with the then WALTER emerging victorious, ending Dunne’s run as UK Champion.
That match was, predictably, an absolute barnburner and this would be no different. While they may not be given 25 minutes to showcase their skills here, even 15 would be enough for a classic between a duo who are beloved in the British fanbase.
Gunther’s dominant start to life on SmackDown earning him IC gold so early into his run could bode well for a main event push in the near future and signals that WWE’s upper management has a lot of faith in him. Hopefully said faith emerges in the form of a prominent position on the WWE Clash At The Castle card in September.
SmackDown Women’s Championship: Ronda Rousey (c) vs Meiko Satomura
WWE Clash At The Castle should be a platform to showcase the promotion’s United Kingdom brand. And what better way to do so than by giving one of their champions a major match on the card? Satomura was already a legendary name before she arrived in NXT UK and has been a dominant Women’s Champion for the still burgeoning brand over the last year. With Rousey more effective as a heel than a babyface, a turn against a challenger the Cardiff crowd will be right behind feels like a natural move, especially with challengers relatively thin on the ground on SmackDown at the current time.
Setting Satomura up as the number one contender for Rousey’s gold would be relatively easy also. Have Rousey mow down a couple more contenders between now and SummerSlam before issuing an open challenge on television.
A video package airs chronicling Satomura’s remarkable 27-year career and her litany of achievements. The next week she appears on SmackDown and takes Rousey down in short, brutal fashion. Immediately over and a viable threat. This short feud could provide long-lasting exposure and legitimacy for the UK brand, while also providing us the fans with a terrific match to boot. Everyone’s a winner.
Finn Balor vs Edge
Having replaced the Rated R Superstar in the recently formed The Judgement Day, Balor is now enjoying his first main roster heel run since signing with WWE. It is a move that is long overdue. With Edge on the shelf due to Judgement Day’s conchairto-based attack last week on Raw, there is ample time for Balor to flex his newfound heelish muscle in the former 11-time World Champion’s absence. SummerSlam, at the end of July, gives a returning Edge the opportunity to gain a measure of revenge, where he could deal with Balor’s Judgement Day stablemate Damian Priest. This would set up nicely for a showdown with the former Universal Champion at Clash At The Castle.
The Demon King once seemed destined for a spot at the top of the card, when he became the inaugural Universal Champion, back at SummerSlam 2016. The shoulder injury suffered during that title win has seemed to permanently derail his main event status ever since, though. A return to NXT in 2019 proved successful, but until his recent turn, wasn’t indicating that the same results would be replicated on Raw.
Now though, a high-profile victory over a Hall of Fame superstar would surely help cement Balor as one of the top heels in the company.
Tyson Fury vs Kevin Owens
This was very nearly Fury vs Omos. Really, it still could be. The 7’2 giant is clearly someone Vince McMahon wants to package as a star attraction. The addition of MVP as a mouthpiece further clarifies this assumption. The only issue is, is that in-ring-wise, Omos is still some way from being able to bring a worthwhile outing from an outsider. Fury’s last venture inside a WWE ring, against Braun Strowman at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia, was heavily criticised. Against a more able opponent, however, Fury would thrive. Especially someone who he could verbally spar with in the weeks leading up to the bout.
Since his duel with Strowman three years ago, the WBC Heavyweight Champion of the World has only grown in stature as a draw in the United States. Not to mention his popularity continuing to soar on this side of the Atlantic also. Owens, meanwhile, is no stranger to elite-level attraction matches. The former Universal Champion main vented WrestleMania 38 against a returning Stone Cold Steve Austin just two months ago.
The Prizefighter may not have remained in the spotlight as brightly since his brawl with Austin, but his feud with Ezekiel/Elias has still been absolute gold nonetheless.
Owens is the perfect opponent for Fury at WWE Clash At The Castle
Once Ezekiel/Elias is behind him, Owens can continue to rack up the W’s until he shifts to the Fury programme. Fury himself has been clamouring for a return since his debut WWE outing in 2019. It makes too much sense for him to be on the Clash card in September.
Drew McIntyre was initially expected to be his opponent. But why make either man heel? Especially when Owens is already at your disposal. World-class on the stick and in the ring, he is a believable and reliable rival. The verbal jousts could be all-timers if handled correctly. Fury has a history of not exactly being PG, after all.
Also, given Fury’s size in comparison to KO, the Canadian will likely indulge in some of his well-renowned (and, frankly, terrifying) Mick Foley-esque bumping to ensure the fight is remembered for years to come. Fury has proven in the boxing world that he equals ratings. He can bring bigger numbers to the ‘E with Owens as his opponent. While the interest perhaps wasn’t there surrounding a Saudia Arabia clash with Strowman, it absolutely will be for a UK clash with Owens. Book it now. Please.
Featured Image Credit: WWE
