4 things WWE got right at Clash at the Castle: Scotland
WWE Clash at the Castle took the OVO Hydro by storm in Glasgow last night. An action-packed thriller with plenty of note, the premium live event was thoroughly an enjoyable affair.
Only 5 matches took place on the show. The opening bout saw a grudge "I Quit" match between Cody Rhodes and AJ Styles with the Undisputed WWE Championship on the line. Chad Gable also took on Sami Zayn for the Intercontinental Title.
Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair defended the tag titles against the established team of Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark, and the upstart Unholy Union. Piper Niven battled Bayley for the WWE Women's Championship. The main event saw Drew McIntyre, hometown hero, battle Damian Priest.
As has become the norm in the Paul Levesque Era, WWE got plenty right at Clash at the Castle: Scotland, and here, we analyze 4 of these instances.
#4. WWE was right to quickly begin Cody Rhodes' next storyline
In a hard-fought win, Cody Rhodes forced AJ Styles to quit and retained the Undisputed WWE Championship in the process. The American Nightmare's triumphant moment of euphoria, however, was suddenly cut short by Solo Sikoa.
The Bloodline pounced on the champion, before Randy Orton and Kevin Owens intervened to even the odds. Rhodes vs. Sikoa seems to be the plan moving forward. While fans may have their opinions, WWE was certainly wise to immediately begin Rhodes' next program.
WWE Money in the Bank is only a few weeks away, and it was wise to go with a jumpstart on SmackDown's top program. Considering the history between Sikoa and Rhodes, it would also require less build.
#3. Sami Zayn retaining at Clash at the Castle was an understandable booking decision
Hours before Clash at the Castle aired, Chad Gable announced that he had officially re-signed with WWE. Considering the IC Title bout was his last chance, it seemed as if Gable was finally going to realize his dream.
However, The Master of The Alpha Academy failed as Sami Zayn once again proved he was the better wrestler and a fighting champion. Zayn going over Gable was an understandable booking decision, especially with all the drama that unfolded in Scotland.
The impending Alpha Academy implosion angle was furthered as Otis carried an injured Maxxine, run over by Gable, to the locker room. If the two had helped Gable win the IC Championship, the tension would have dissipated.
Furthermore, Zayn has done wonderfully as a champion. It was too soon to end his reign and WWE was right in extending at Clash at the Castle.
#2. The Judgment Day didn't interfere in The World Heavyweight Championship
The Judgment Day was barred from ringside at Clash at the Castle: Scotland. But, considering the reputation of the stable and the history of such stipulations, there was always a possibility that Finn Balor, JD McDonagh, and Dominik Mysterio were going to interfere in some manner.
However, Balor and company were nowhere to be seen as Damian Priest went into battle against Drew McIntyre alone in Scotland. While his victory against McIntyre wasn't clean, Priest held his own against a vibrant crowd and vengeful Scottish Warrior.
This helped establish credibility, which could have been diminished had The Judgment Day had interfered. Secondly, considering Punk got involved, any other interference would have run the risk of overbooking the main event.
#1. WWE nailed the CM Punk interference
When it was reported that CM Punk was in Glasgow, fans knew he was going to interfere and cost Drew McIntyre the World Heavyweight Championship again. However, few would have expected that WWE would have gotten extra creative with his return.
The official was knocked down at a crucial juncture in the main event, and McIntyre had downed Priest with the Claymore. A second referee ran to the ring and quickly counted to two, but stopped. The camera then changed angles to reveal CM Punk as the culprit.
WWE could have simply gone with the standard distracting the referee approach or attacking the superstar behind the official's back, but it was nice to see Triple H take a different route.
Secondly, with his interference at Clash at the Castle, Punk now looks like a tweener. Again, the company is trying to blur the traditional babyface-heel dynamics, which is always intriguing for the fans.