5 reasons why no titles changed hands at WWE Clash at the Castle
WWE reportedly drew over 62,000 attendees inside the Principality Stadium to watch Clash at the Castle. Seven matches took place, including the pre-show six-man tag team match. Three champions defended their championships, with four belts up for grabs in total.
However, to the surprise of many in attendance and those watching at home, every champion won their respective matches and retained their titles. Not a single wrestler from the British Isles won a match or a title during WWE's 2022 trip to Cardiff, Wales.
Drew McIntyre, in particular, was red hot going into the event. The Scottish Warrior is yet to have a WWE World Title victory in front of a huge crowd, and he'll just have to wait for that moment if and when it happens. In the meantime, let's review 5 reasons why no titles changed hands at Clash at the Castle.
#5. Gunther maintains dominance
Gunther is already looking like one of the most dominant champions on the main roster of WWE. However, he hasn't been the Intercontinental Champion for very long, winning gold less than three months ago.
Gunther likes to impose his dominance, meaning that if he holds a title, The Ring General will have a deathgrip on the gold. Under his Walter moniker, he had the NXT United Kingdom Championship for over two years, totaling 870 days.
Shawn Michaels previously named Walter as the most dominant champion in WWE history. If WWE wants Gunther to maintain his dominant aura, then a long, hard-hitting reign with the Intercontinental Title ought to be in store for the Austrian.
#4. Roman Reigns keeps his aura intact for WrestleMania
The Tribal Chief is arguably on another level from the rest of the roster, holding two top titles and being the champion for over 700 days. A big chunk of The Big Dog's aura lies in his lengthy title reign.
If Drew had beat Roman, The Tribal Chief would definitely have been knocked down a peg or two. And if WWE is planning to book Reigns for the main event of WrestleMania 39 and not McIntyre, it'd be good to keep Roman's red-hot momentum going all the way to 'Mania. At the Show of Shows he can have a match against someone like The Rock or Cody Rhodes.
With the win over McIntyre, Reigns maintained his status as the top wrestler in all of WWE. The metaphoric armor that protects Reigns remains intact with a victory despite being tested by a convincing opponent in The Scottish Warrior.
#3. WWE's experiment with Liv Morgan isn't over yet
Liv Morgan has only been the SmackDown Women's Champion for a shade over the last two months. She defeated Ronda Rousey at SummerSlam under controversial circumstances and needed a strong win to solidify her title reign as legitimate and not a fluke.
With a clean win over Shayna Baszler in Cardiff, the promotion has clearly shown that they're not ready to give up on their Liv Mogan experiment. If Baszler had beaten Morgan cleanly and moved onto Rousey, it could have potentially hurt Morgan beyond repair, making a waste out of a worthwhile push.
WWE hasn't given up on Liv just yet. The company has relied upon beautiful blondes to push their Women's Division in the past. It appears that Morgan will continue to be one of the top female superstars on the blue brand going forward.
#2. Increase heel heat for Roman Reigns & make the crowd want Drew McIntyre to win even more
Roman Reigns has filled the character role of the cool heel in recent months. However, considering how much the crowd wanted McIntyre to win in Cardiff, it arguably made Reigns more of a classic dastardly heel. A heel that'll rob the crowd of that experience.
It would have likely been a monster pop if Drew had won in Cardiff, and Reigns and his cousin Solo Sokai stole that from the fans. If the promotion wanted the crowd to boo Reigns even more, they might have made the right call on Saturday.
And considering that McIntyre got robbed of the Undisputed Universal Championship, he was protected in defeat. If Drew is able to keep his momentum going, a top title reign may be in the Scotsman's future.
#1. WWE didn't need to make any title changes
WWE can pull off a memorable Premium Live Event without having to swap any of their champions around, and the company proved just that on September 3.
Increasing the length of each individual title reign could potentially also increase the credibility of that title. This isn't necessarily the case all the time. But when it does happen, both the title and the champion can be taken to the next level. In case of Roman Reigns, it is true, as he has ascended to GOD Mode. And wrestling fans only need to look at the 24/7 Championship or late-stage WCW on what happens when the gold is moved around too often.
Clash at the Castle was a fun night of sports entertainment. And while some fans would have liked to see a title change or two (or three), the company was still able to pull off an event that is worthy of a re-watch.
Do you think a title change should have taken place at Clash at the Castle? Give your thoughts in the comments section below.
Recommended Video - Exclusive: 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin believes Drew McIntyre & Sheamus will go into WWE Hall of Fame