Cody Rhodes (c) vs. AJ Styles – I Quit match for the Undisputed WWE Championship

Background: At Backlash France, Cody Rhodes defeated AJ Styles to retain the Undisputed WWE Championship. On the May 24 episode of SmackDown, Styles met with SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis to request another championship match against Rhodes, noting he did not have much time left in his career and it may be his last opportunity, but Aldis declined, stating Styles would have to earn it. The following week, as Styles was seemingly announcing his retirement, he called out Rhodes for a passing of the torch moment; however, after celebrating, Styles viciously attacked Rhodes. On the next episode, angered at Styles, Rhodes accepted Styles’s challenge for another championship match at Clash at the Castle: Scotland, but as an “I Quit” match and Aldis made it official.

Previous PPV matches: This is a second PPV match between these two men. Cody Rhodes won the previous match at King And Queen Of The Ring.

Clash At The Castle Record: Both men wrestle at this event for the first time tonight.

Match: The crowd are behind Cody Rhodes in this one and he takes the early advantage. The fight goes to the outside where Rhodes launches Styles into the ring steps and then over the barricade. The two men battle into the backstage area and then back down the aisle. AJ hits a brainbuster on the announce desk and takes control of the match. Rhodes is busted open. Styles looks for a Styles Clash off the ring steps but Cody counters with a back body drop. Rhodes hits a disaster kick but AJ counters a cross-Rhodes attempt with a Pele kick and a DDT. Styles wraps Cody’s head in a chair and hits a kneedrop but Cody still won’t quit. AJ lays into the WWE Champion with a kendo stick. AJ handcuffs Cody’s hands together and continues to hit him with a kendo stick before berating his mother who is sat at ringside. Styles looks for a phenomenal forearm but Cody throws a chair at him and Styles goes flying through a table below him.

Cody takes off the handcuffs, nailing AJ Styles with them as he does. Rhodes hits a Cody-cutter and two cross-Rhodes before hitting a third on a chair. Cody then handcuffs Styles and lays into him with a chair. Rhodes throws some ring steps into the ring and holds them above his head which causes AJ Styles to shout that he quits! Rhodes throws the stairs at AJ anyway!

Result: Cody Rhodes retains the WWE Undisputed Championship.

Review: This was a really good match to kick off the show. These two men have a lot of chemistry and will be looked back on as two of the best of all time. Cody Rhodes wins, expectedly, and puts an end to this rivalry. AJ has been a good first challenger for Cody Rhodes. These was blood, backstage fights and berating of mothers but it was a great match.

Rating: 8.5/10

Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill (c) vs. Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark vs. Isla Dawn & Alba Fyre – Women’s Tag Team Championship match

Background: On the May 20 episode of Raw, Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark won a fatal four-way tag team match to became the number one contenders for Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill’s WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship. The following week, Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn mocked Baszler and Stark, saying that they had never beat them. On the next episode of Raw, Baszler and Stark called out Belair and Cargill. After some mocking, the title match took place, but ended in a disqualification win for Belair and Cargill after Fyre and Dawn interfered. On that week’s SmackDown, a brawl broke out between the three teams. Later, Belair and Cargill spoke with SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis and announced that they would defend the Women’s Tag Team Championship in a triple threat tag team match against Baszler and Stark, and Fyre and Dawn, in the latter’s home country at Clash at the Castle: Scotland.

Previous PPV matches: This is a first time PPV match between these three teams.

Clash At The Castle Record: Bianca Belair and Shayna Baszler are 0-1, the other four girls make their Clash At The Castle debut tonight.

Match: This match has three girls in at any one time. Bianca, Isla and Shayna kick off the match for their teams and Belair starts the match best. All three girls make tags and Jade Cargill gets double teamed but outpowers her opponents. Belair and Cargill double team their opponents and dominate. The other two teams decide to create an alliance to take out Bianca and Cargill and they do take out the champions. Zoey and Shayna soon turn on Isla and Alba, taking control of the match themselves. Isla makes a hot tag to Alba Fyre who picks up the pace and hits some high risk moves on Shayna and Zoey. There’s a big powerbomb/superplex spot and Isla Dawn looks like she’s really hurt herself. Jade Cargill gets a hot tag but slips on a springboard clothesline. She’s right back up though and hitting spinebusters. Baszler locks a kirafuta clutch on Cargill but Bianca breaks it up with a 450 splash. Bianca and Cargill hit their double team German suplex but in comes Isla Dawn who hits Jade Cargill with a German suplex and pins Shayna for the three!

Result: Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre win the women’s tag team championships by pinfall.

Review: This was a decent match. It had a fast pace to it and the spots were well executed. It was a shame for Jade Cargill to slip on the top rope, I’m pretty sure she’s done that before so she probably needs to stop doing that move. Jade will go on to have an incredible career so she doesn’t need to worry too much. It’s a nice moment for Fyre and Dawn, who win the women’s tag team championships in their home country to a big pop. I honestly didn’t see it coming, I thought Cargill and Belair would retain. I was wrong.

Rating: 6.5/10

Sami Zayn (c) vs. Chad Gable – Intercontinental Championship match

Background: Since mid-April, Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn had been feuding with Alpha Academy’s Chad Gable; after being defeated by Zayn for the championship, Gable viciously attacked him, turning heel in the process. After that, Gable began humiliating his Alpha Academy stablemates, Otis, Akira Tozawa, and Maxxine Dupri. Zayn and Gable’s rivalry continued and at King and Queen of the Ring, Zayn retained his title in a triple threat match also involving Gable, after the latter accidentally got hit by Otis. On the May 27 episode of Raw, after Otis lost a match, Gable said he would discipline him. When Gable was about to hit Otis with a strap, he was interrupted by Zayn, who asked how long Alpha Academy would put up with Gable’s humiliation. After more provocation, Zayn and Gable brawled, with the latter coming out on top. On the next episode, Zayn called out Gable, however, he sent the Alpha Academy with a letter from Gable, who challenged Zayn for another Intercontinental Championship match. Zayn then agreed to defend the title against Gable at Clash at the Castle: Scotland.

Previous PPV matches: These two men have never wrestled one on one on PPV before.

Clash At The Castle Record: Both men make their Clash At The Castle debut tonight.

Match: Chad Gable has Otis and Maxxine Dupri in his corner tonight. It’s a cagey start to the match until it breaks down with some back and forth wrestling. Otis and Maxxine soon become the focus as Sami tries to talk sense to them. Chad Gable takes control and works the left arm of the Intercontinental Champion. Zayn fires back but sells the arm injury before hitting a moonsault to the outside. Sami hits a Michinoku driver for a near fall. Gable hits a powerbomb and a flying headbutt for a near fall before the two men exchange German suplexes. Chad applies an ankle lock but Zayn rolls him to break the hold. Gable then hands Maxxine the Intercontinental Championship and distracts the referee so Maxxine can hit Zayn with the belt but Maxxine refuses. Gable berates her, avoids a helluva kick and hits chaos theory for a very near fall.

Chad Gable goes back to berating Maxxine but Otis gets in the middle of them. Sami then dives to the outside but Otis takes the bullet. Gable hits a moonsault on both Zayn and Otis. Back into the ring and Sami hits an exploder into the corner and then looks for a helluva kick but Chad rolls out of the ring. Gable applies an ankle lock on Sami outside the ring but Zayn rolls through, sending Chad into Maxxine! Otis intimidates Gable back into the ring, Gable distracts the referee, Otis raises an arm to Zayn but instead picks up Maxxine and carries her to the back. Zayn then hits a helluva kick on Gable and pins him for the three!

Result: Sami Zayn retains the Intercontinental Championship by pinfall.

Review: This was a good match. The psychology was similar to the last match between the two but the wrestling side of it was better. I think there will be some changes to the Alpha Academy soon, namely with The Creed Brothers. But this was a good match that could have gone either way. I don’t think Chad Gable’s quest for the Intercontinental Championship is over yet.

Rating: 7/10

Bayley (c) vs. Piper Niven – WWE Women’s Championship match

Background: On the May 10 episode of SmackDown, Chelsea Green and Piper Niven were unhappy after WWE Women’s Champion Bayley said she was looking forward to seeing Jade Cargill in the Queen of the Ring tournament; Cargill was scheduled to face Niven later that night, where Niven lost. Green and Niven continued to provoke Bayley, and a non-title match between Bayley and Green took place on the May 24 episode, where Bayley won. On the next episode, Green and Niven viciously attacked Bayley, and later that night, they both defeated Bayley in a tag team match. Later, Bayley was scheduled to defend the WWE Women’s Championship against Niven in the latter’s home country at Clash at the Castle: Scotland.

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

Clash At The Castle Record: Bayley is 1-0, Piper Niven wrestles at this event for the first time tonight.

Match: Piper Niven gets the first knockdown in and follows it up with a powerslam. Chelsea Green also gets a cheap shot in on the outside. She attempts a second cheap shot but gets caught by the referee and sent to the back. Niven regains the advantage and hits a big cannonball off the apron. Piper hits some corner splashes and then a suplex for a two count. The match is back and forth from here with Bayley hitting a suicide dive and a even a top rope elbow but she can’t keep Niven down. Bayley hits a Bayley to belly off the middle rope but back out comes Chelsea Green, this time in a lucha mask! She distracts the referee kong enough for Niven to be able to kick out of the pinfall attempt. Bayley takes out Chelsea but that distraction is enough for Piper to counter a roseplant attempt with a Piper driver for a near fall. Bayley counters a Vader bomb but gets caught with a spinning sidewalk slam on the outside. Bayley avoids a senton and Piper counters a roseplant but Bayley hits a crucifix driver out of nowhere which is enough for the three!

Result: Bayley retains the WWE Women’s Championship by pinfall.

Review: This was a decent enough match. It wasn’t spectacular but I didn’t mind it. Chelsea Green is a lot of fun and adds a lot of personality to the match. Bayley is great and led the match but that was Piper’s biggest match in her WWE career. I’m not sure who will dethrone Bayley, her title reign kind of feels transitional.

Rating: 6/10

Damian Priest (c) vs. Drew McIntyre – World Heavyweight Championship match

Background: On Night 2 of WrestleMania XL on April 7, Drew McIntyre won the World Heavyweight Championship. After the match, McIntyre taunted special guest commentator CM Punk, who he had been mocking for months, only for Punk to attack him. The Judgment Day’s Damian Priest subsequently cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on McIntyre to win the title. On the May 13 episode of Raw, Priest agreed to give McIntyre a rematch once he was medically cleared from an elbow injury. At King and Queen of the Ring on May 25, WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque announced that McIntyre was medically cleared and that Priest would defend the title against McIntyre in the latter’s home country at Clash at the Castle: Scotland. On the last Raw before the event, after McIntyre claimed that Priest could not retain his championship without his Judgment Day stablemates (“Dirty” Dominik Mysterio, Finn Bálor, and JD McDonagh), Priest said that Bálor would face McIntyre later that night where if McIntyre won, all members of Judgment Day would be banned from ringside during the championship match, but if Bálor won, then Judgment Day would be allowed at ringside. McIntyre subsequently defeated Bálor.

Previous PPV matches: These two men previously met at Wrestlemania XL when Damian Priest cashed in his Money In The Bank contract on McIntyre and beat him for the World Heavyweight Championship.

Clash At The Castle Record: Both men are 0-1 at this event.

Match: Following the pipe band, Drew McIntyre gets a monster pop. Drew takes an early advantage, hitting a big plancha to the outside but Priest soon takes control. It becomes a back and forth battle of the big men. Priest looks for a plancha of his own but gets his foot stuck in the ropes. Drew then takes advantage with boots. Drew hits the futureshock DDT for a near fall. Priest sells the ankle as he climbs to the top but after a couple of counters he hits a Razor’s Edge for a near fall. The two men slug it out with right hands, kicks and heabutts until it ends with a neckbreaker from McIntyre. Outside the ring and Drew hits a claymore on Priest through the barricade. McIntyre looks for another claymore inside the ring but Priest counters, hitting south of heaven for a near fall. Damian hits a hurricanrana off the top but McIntyre responds with a claymore for a near fall.

Drew accidentally sends Priest into the referee, knocking him down. Priest hits a powerbomb and then Drew hits claymore but the referee is out. Another referee comes running out but it’s CM Punk who refuses to count the three! Punk then low blows McIntyre and leaves him laying. Priest hits south of heaven and hooks the leg for the three.

Result: Damian Priest retains the World Heavyweight Championship by pinfall.

Review: This was a decent match. I thought there was more chance of Drew winning than Damian but I was wrong. A huge win for Damian Priest that sucked all of the air out of the building. This was a good, but not great, match. I really liked the CM Punk part, the camera angle was perfect too. Come Summerslam there is every chance we will see Drew McIntyre vs. CM Punk and Damian Priest vs. Gunther.

Rating: 7/10