Major betrayal, huge SummerSlam match - 4 possible challengers for Damian Priest following WWE Clash at the Castle Scotland
WWE Clash at the Castle Scotland aired just two days ago. The big event took place at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland, in front of well over 10,000 rowdy fans who were extremely loud and sucked in by the product.
There were a handful of world title matches, which included Cody Rhodes successfully defending his gold against AJ Styles in an I Quit Match and Bayley narrowly escaping Piper Niven's wrath.
The other world title match on the card saw Damian Priest defeat Drew McIntyre to retain his World Heavyweight Championship, albeit in controversial fashion thanks to interference from CM Punk. Despite the outcome, however, the match was fantastic.
Now, though, Damian remains the champion and fans are curious about who will be next to step up to the champion. This article will take a look at a handful of talented performers who could be the one to step up and battle The Judgment Day leader in the future.
Below are four possible challengers for Damian Priest following WWE Clash at the Castle Scotland.
#4. Damian Priest could wait to defend the gold until SummerSlam
While we don't know who Damian Priest's next challenger will be, we do know who a future challenger of the World Heavyweight Championship is and when the title will be defended. The coveted prize will be on the line at WWE SummerSlam 2024.
Gunther will be the man facing whomever the champion is come the summertime event. He earned the title opportunity by becoming the 2024 WWE King of the Ring, defeating the likes of Sheamus, Randy Orton, and Jey Uso to earn the accolade.
SummerSlam will take place at the beginning of August. While Damian could defend or even lose his title before then, there is a chance he simply waits to put his gold on the line until the big show. This would mean Gunther is his next challenger.
#3. Drew McIntyre is surely owed a rematch by WWE
As noted, Damian Priest defeated Drew McIntyre at WWE Clash at the Castle Scotland 2024. He didn't exactly win without controversy, however. He seemingly had the Judgment Day member defeated when chaos erupted.
The referee was down and another came rushing down to the ring. They counted one, then two, but then the referee stopped. It quickly became apparent that it wasn't a WWE official, but instead CM Punk wearing the striped shirt. Drew McIntyre flipped out, only for Punk to hit a low blow. Moments later, Priest hit the South of Heaven Chokeslam.
Given that Drew only lost thanks to interference from Punk, it could be argued that Triple H and Adam Pearce owe him a rematch. One more bout between Priest and McIntyre could potentially be on the horizon.
#2. CM Punk could claim Damian Priest owes him a title shot if he's recovered
CM Punk's return to WWE has been, much like the bulk of his wrestling career, filled with controversy and uncertainty. His return at the 2023 Survivor Series WarGames event was one of the best moments in history, but he quickly became injured.
Despite that, he remains part of the plans, as evident by his issues with Drew McIntyre. In fact, the former WWE Champion won't let up on McIntyre at all. At the Clash at the Castle Scotland Post Show, Punk even noted that he would make sure Drew never won a world title again.
Clearly, Punk is proud of his actions and he may hold what went down over Damian's head. He could rub in the fact that Priest only retained his title because of The Straight Edge Superstar and use that fact to obtain a title opportunity himself. Of course, this would only further set Drew off.
#1. Finn Balor could betray Damian Priest
The Judgment Day has been one of the most dominant factions in WWE. The group consists of Rhea Ripley, Damian Priest, Finn Balor, JD McDonagh, and Dominik Mysterio, though a handful of names are seemingly looking to join in Carlito and Liv Morgan.
Despite the group being so successful, there has been a lot of turmoil. Especially with Rhea Ripley absent, it seems like some members just can't get on the same page. Finn Balor and Damian, who have had their fair share of issues in the past, are two of them.
Priest is vocally annoyed with his stablemates and it could lead to a shocking betrayal sooner rather than later. Judgment Day could eject the champion from the group and Finn could then chase after the title. The two "brothers" clashing over the World Heavyweight Championship would make for great television. The betrayal would be heartbreaking given how tight the the faction has been.