Bianca Belair, Asuka & Alexa Bliss vs. Damage CTRL (Bayley, Iyo Sky & Dakota Kai)

Background: After Bianca Belair retained the Raw Women’s Championship at SummerSlam, she was confronted by the newly formed stable of Bayley, Dakota Kai, and Iyo Sky. On the following episode of Raw, Bayley, Kai, and Sky interfered in a match between Alexa Bliss and Asuka. Belair would join the fray, siding with Bliss and Asuka. The following week, Bayley, Kai, and Sky challenged Belair, Bliss, and Asuka to a six-woman tag team match at Clash at the Castle, which was accepted by Belair.

Previous PPV matches: This is a first six woman tag team match involving these six ladies.

Match: As the bell rings a big “Hey Bayley, I want to know if you’d be my girl” chant breaks out. All six women then go at it leaving Bianca and Bayley to start the match. All six women get involved again and Bianca’ team hit a triple suplex to Damage CTRL. Bayley looks like she breaks character for a couple of seconds as the chants break out again. Iyo and Alexa officially tag in. There’s some quick tags between Damage CTRL as they keep Alexa away from her partners. Asuka tags in and picks up the pace but Damage CTRL once again take control. Bayley gets cheers whenever she tags in so tags right back out. Alexa gets dominated for a while until making the hot tag to Asuka. There’s some clunky teamwork from Bayley and Iyo on Asuka.

Bianca gets a hot tag and picks up the pace against Bayley. Alexa and Asuka hit a double superplex off Bianca’s back on Bayley. Asuka and Alexa then watch as Iyo hits them both with an Asai moonsault. Bianca hits a powerbomb on Dakota but Kai avoids a top rope move and hits a scorpion kick. Bayley grabs Belairs’ braid allowing Dakota to hit Bianca with a running kick. Bayley then hits Bianca with a roseplant and Iyo follows it up with a moonsault! Bayley hooks the leg of Belair and gets the three!

Result: Bayley, Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai win by pinfall.

Review: This was definitely the right result and sets up Bianca vs. Bayley down the line. This match was decent but not spectacular. It started with a good pace but slowed down as the match went on. I’m not totally convinced on Damage CTRL yet but hopefully their chemistry develops over time. Bianca takes the fall which seems unnecessary bit it sets up the match with Bayley down the line.

Rating: 5.5/10

Gunther (c) vs. Sheamus – Intercontinental Championship match

Background: On the August 19 episode of SmackDown, Sheamus won a fatal five-way match, earning a match against Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship at Clash at the Castle.

Previous PPV matches: This is a first time PPV match between these two men.

Match: Sheamus is joined by Ridge Holland and Butch. Gunther is joined by Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci. Imperium and The Brawling Brutes fight it out around the ring as Gunther and Sheamus stare at one another inside the ring. The bell rings and the two men slug it out. This match is a real scrap. Sheamus launches Gunther into the ring steps. Sheamus goes up to the top at one point but Gunther chops him right down to the floor below. The two men just chop the hell out of each other. Gunther applies a Boston crab and then looks for a crossface but Sheamus breaks free. The fight goes outside the ring and back in where Sheamus hits ten beats of the bodhran before hitting more outside the ring. Sheamus hits a kneedrop off the top rope before another back and forth. Gunther hits a German suplex and Sheamus hits a running knee for a near fall. Sheamus hits white noise for a near fall. Gunther avoids a brogue kick ands hits a dropkick and powerbomb for a near fall. Sheamus hits a Celtic Cross, a move we haven’t seen in a long time and gets a near fall. Sheamus looks for a brogue kick but pulls up holding his back which allows Gunther to hit him with a powerbomb. Gunther then hits a big clothesline and hooks the leg for the three.

Result: Gunther retains the Intercontinental Championship by pinfall.

Review: That was one of the stiffest matches I’ve ever seen, if not the stiffest. Two hard-hitting superstars beating the hell out of each other. Gunther wins the match which I’m fine with. The crowd were definitely behind Sheamus in this one. Hopefully not the last time we see these two men one on one. This was a fantastic match and lived up to the expectations. An absolute classic.

Rating: 9/10

Liv Morgan (c) vs. Shayna Baszler – Smackdown Women’s Championship match

Background: On the August 5 episode of SmackDown, Shayna Baszler won a gauntlet match, earning a match against Liv Morgan for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at Clash at the Castle.

Previous PPV matches: This is a first time singles match between these two girls.

Match: It’s a scrappy start to the match with both girls attempting to end the match early. Liv looks for a springboard move but Shayna just shoves her out of the ring before mocking the Raw Women’s Champion. Shayna dominates form here, attempting submission holds and hitting strikes. Shayna looks like she’s bleeding on the face but it may just be her make-up. Morgan applies an armbar but shayna breaks out and goes back to work on the injured arm of Morgan. Liv hits a powerbomb for a near fall and Shayna quickly goes back to attempting submission holds. Liv hits a codebreaker and then oblivion for the win/

Result: Liv Morgan retains the Raw Women’s Championship by pinfall.

Review: This match was ok. It was flat compared to the previous match and bought the crowd back down. I feel like Shayna has lost a lot of momentum recently and think she was better placed when tagging with Nia. The main roster hasn’t worked out as well as NXT did but she still has all the tools to make it as a singles champion. Liv retains the championship but I don’t see her holding it until Wrestlemania. Not a great match here.

Rating: 4/10

Edge & Rey Mysterio vs. The Judgment Day (Finn Balor & Damien Priest)

Background: Since Finn Balor, Damien Priest and Rhea Ripley kicked Edge out of The Judgment Day that have set the sights on Rey and Dominik Mysterio. Edge and Rey Mysterio are old time friends and have come together once again to rid the WWE of Judgment Day. Dominik Mysterio, the son of Rey, seem conflicted having been accidentally speared by Edge.

Previous PPV matches: This is a first time tag team match between these two teams.

Match: Edge, who runs out wearing a mask, gets a huge ovation with the whole arena singing his entrance music. I was there and I can tell you, it was loud. Rey Mysterio and Finn Balor kick off the match with Balor taking the early advantage. Rey picks up the pace and Finn tags out to Priest who wants Edge and gets him to a huge pop. Rey soon tags in and Edge throws him out of the ring onto their opponents. Priest and Balor soon take control, making quick tags and keeping Rey away from Edge. Priest throws Rey out of the ring and looks for a powerbomb off the barricade but Mysterio crotches Damien. Rey makes the hot tag to Edge and he picks up the pace against both Balor and Priest. Edge hits a terrible 619 on Finn Balor and Rey follows it up with a splash off the top for a near fall. Edge spears Damien Priest off the apron as all hell breaks loose.

Balor counters a spear attempt with a slingblade and then hits a big dropkick. Finn heads to the top, Dominik distracts the referee before getting wiped out by Rhea Ripley as Rey hits a top rope hurricanrana on Balor. Rey hits another hurricanrana on Finn but gets taken out by Balor before he can hit a 619. Dominik trips Balor and Rey hits a dropkick and a 619 before Edge hits a spear on Finn for the win!

Result: Edge and Rey Mysterio win by pinfall.

Review: This was a good tag team match between four talented competitors. It had a real good pace to it and the crowd were hot for Edge which really added to it. I’m not sure Edge and Rey Mysterio as winners was the right call, especially with Edge pinning Balor. Judgment Day need some momentum if they’re going to be taken seriously. A good match tonight though.

Rating: 7/10

Matt Riddle vs. Seth Rollins

Background: At SummerSlam, Matt Riddle was originally scheduled to face Seth “Freakin” Rollins, however, the match was called off due to Riddle suffering an injury (kayfabe) incurred by Rollins on the Raw prior to the event. At the event, however, Riddle appeared and called out Rollins and the two brawled, which ended with Rollins performing the Stomp on Riddle. On the August 15 episode of Raw, Riddle revealed that he was medically cleared. Later that same night, Riddle engaged into another brawl with Rollins before challenging him to a match at Clash at the Castle, which was made official.

Previous PPV matches: This is a first time singles match on PPV between these two men.

Match: Matt Riddle comes out of the blocks quickly, laying into Rollins with kicks before hitting gut-wrench suplexes. The fight goes to the outside where Rollins powerbombs Riddle into the barricade. Rollins dominates for a while and then hits a superplex before looking for a falcon arrow but Riddle counters and hits a fishermans buster. Riddle takes control, hitting a floating bro to the outside. Riddle then counters a pedigree and hits a bro to sleep and some knee strikes for a near fall. Riddle looks for another floating bro but Rollins gets his knees up. Riddle counters a stomp and a German suplex before applying a triangle submission. Rollins hits Bro-Derek for a near fall. Rollins hits a pedigree for a near fall and then fires up Riddle by talking about his family.

Seth hits Orton’s draping DDT and then looks for a stomp but Riddle counters again. Riddle fires up and looks for a chair on the outside but as he slides back into the ring Rollins hits him with a stomp. Rollins then goes up to the second rope and hits another stomp for the win.

Result: Seth Rollins wins by pinfall.

Review: This was a really good match. It had a great pace to it and the psychology was there too. Seth Rollins got the win which I like, he hasn’t had too many big wins as of late and this will keep the rivalry going. I have no doubt that these two men will meet again. A great match between these two men tonight.

Rating: 7.75/10

Roman Reigns (c) vs. Drew McIntyre – Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match

Background: On the July 8 episode of SmackDown, Drew McIntyre was scheduled to face fellow European native Sheamus to determine the number one contender for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Clash at the Castle. As Sheamus feigned illness, the match did not occur. The match was later rescheduled for the July 29 episode as a “Good Old Fashioned Donnybrook” match, which McIntyre won. At SummerSlam the following night, Roman Reigns retained the undisputed title, thus confirming that Reigns would be the defending champion against McIntyre at Clash at the Castle.

Previous PPV matches: This is the four PPV single smatch between these two men, Roman Reigns won the previous three.

Match: Drew is definitely the crowd favourite in this one. Roman Reigns comes out for this match alone. Drew McIntyre shakes up Roman early on causing the champion to retreat. Both of these men are the same age with only one month between them (Roman is older). McIntyre clotheslines Reigns out of the ring. Karrion Kross throws a water bottle at McIntyre outside the ring. The distraction allows Reigns to take control, launching Drew into the ringpost. Reigns continues to dominate, hitting a big jumping clothesline but only for a one count. Reigns continues to dominate and then asks for a microphone before asking the crowd to acknowledge him. He then turns around into a Glasgow kiss. Drew hits belly to belly suplexes and a neckbreaker before kipping up and slugging it out with Reigns on the top rope.

Drew hits a throws off the top rope and then motions for a claymore but Reigns slides out of the ring. Reigns hits a Rock bottom for a two count. Drew counters a superman punch and hits the futureshock DDT. Roman then counters a claymore with a superman punch for a near fall. Roman hits a spear but Drew kicks out of the pinfall attempt. Reigns then locks on a guillotine but Drew breaks out of it. The fight goes to the outside where Drew spears Roman through the barricade. Back in the ring and McIntyre calls for a claymore but Reigns counters with a spear! Reigns argues with the referee which allows McIntyre to hit a claymore but that knocks Roman into the referee! Austin Theory’s music then hits and he looks to cash in his Money In The Bank contract but Tyson Fury knocks him out! Drew hits a claymore on Reigns in the ring but Roman kicks out at 2! I thought that was it.

The two men slug it out, Reigns hits a superman punch, McIntyre hits a Glasgow kiss, a spear and a claymore but as he hooks the leg someone drags the referee out of the ring. It’s Solo Sikoa! Sikoa hangs McIntyre on the top rope and Roman hits a spear for a three!

Result: Roman Reigns retains the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship by pinfall.

Review: This was a really good main event. The psychology was spot on. Lots of false finishes. And then an interference from Solo Sikoa that cost Drew the match. Drew seems to have a lot of people against him at the moment. I loved the spot with Austin Theory and Tyson Fury, that was absolutely perfect. There were times that I thought Drew McIntyre was going to win but it was not to be the case. It would have gone a mega pop though. Roman Reigns retains and has a new member of The Bloodline, the younger brother of The Usos, Solo Sikoa.

Rating: 8.25/10