WWE Clash at the Castle is all set to take place today (Sat., June 15, 2024) from the OVO Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland. It begins at 1:00 pm ET with the Countdown show leading right on into the main course at 2 pm ET on Peacock in the U.S., WWE Network everywhere else, or your local cable pay-per-view provider.
Luckily for you Cagesiders, our staff of learned wrestling blowhards is here to help figure out just how the event is going to play out with predictions for each match on the card.
Let’s get to it.
WWE CLASH AT THE CASTLE PREDICTIONS
WWE Championship I Quit Match: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. AJ Styles
Geno Mrosko: Probably a good match incoming but there’s just zero doubt about the outcome. I wonder if they can salvage the story to make the future, or whatever’s left of it, even more interesting for Styles. Pick: Cody Rhodes
Sean Rueter: It’s been fun, and a better post-WrestleMania feud than other new champs have gotten. They’ll likely cap it off with a violent spectacle here, too. But the title isn’t changing hands. Pick: Cody Rhodes
Kyle Decker: I would have saved this for Money in the Bank. (I feel that it’s not a Big 4 show, one main men’s title and one main women’s title should be defended because that gives the impression it very important while two main titles diminishes the worth the other if on the same show.) Given they didn’t, it means there’s definitely no way AJ is winning. This isn’t going to be the main event (Drew is) and Cody isn’t going to lose his title anywhere but the main. Not that he wasn’t going to lose it this early anyway, but very safe bet it won’t be here. Pick: Cody Rhodes
Claire Elizabeth: I might have bought a Dusty Finish or shenanigans before they dropped the stipulation, but retirement fakeout or no, once this became an “I Quit” match it became a definitive win in the American Nightmare’s ledger. Pick: Cody Rhodes
Cain A. Knight: The top babyface in WWE is not going to say those two words. Pick: Cody Rhodes
Marcus Benjamin: Cody’s winning. No way he loses. So for me, the fun lies in how they get there. I can’t imagine AJ saying those two words, so how Cody gets him there will speak volumes about Cody’s character and his reign, Pick: Cody Rhodes
World Heavyweight Championship: Damian Priest (c) vs. Drew McIntyre
Geno Mrosko: I can’t think of a single good reason not to put the title on McIntyre here, giving him a signature win and a big moment. Sure, it means a painfully brief reign for Priest but he’s not exactly setting the world on fire and CM Punk will be back sooner rather than later. A SummerSlam showdown with the Scotsman for the world title sells itself. Pick: Drew McIntyre
Sean Rueter: No Judgment Day at ringside is a big deal, but it doesn’t preclude interference by anyone else — and smart money (and at least one fan at the Glasgow airport) says CM Punk will be there. But while screwing his nemesis again would fit their story, I’m betting either he doesn’t or his attempt backfires. Scotland gets to celebrate with their guy. Pick: Drew McIntyre
Kyle Decker: Listen, I like Priest, but he really feels like a transitional champion. He never felt like a guy who was built for a long title run. McIntyre does. He feels like a guy you can put the main strap on and run with for as long as you want. Pick: Drew McIntyre
Claire Elizabeth: Drew McIntyre winning the title in Scotland and closing the circuit he didn’t get to the last time he challenged for a title in the UK is absoltely the right call in every way. Pick: Drew McIntyre
Cain A. Knight: Drew McIntyre has to win this match, even if it means overcoming interference from CM Punk. Pick: Drew McIntyre
Marcus Benjamin: Drew needs this title and the moment more than Damian Priest right now. The Judgment Day have enough drama, and losing the title will cause even more. Drew gets his moment and sets up a big summer feud with Punk. Pick: Drew McIntyre
Women’s Championship: Bayley (c) vs. Piper Niven
Geno Mrosko: They’re giving McIntyre his big moment later in the night. I don’t think Niven gets hers. Pick: Bayley
Sean Rueter: Wouldn’t be shocked by a change here, and would love a SummerSlam hoss fight between Niven and Queen Nia. But WWE needs its established names featured prominently heading into the Biggest Party of the Summer, and that means the only Horsewoman currently healthy and on the roster retains. Pick: Bayley
Kyle Decker: It’s good that she got a title match in her home country but, yeah. Pick: Bayley
Claire Elizabeth: On the flip side... glad to see Piper get a cup of coffee in the proverbial big time, at least. Pick: Piper Niven
Cain A. Knight: I haven’t looked it up, but I’d bet that Piper Niven has zero wins on WWE PPVs / PLEs. Pick: Bayley
Marcus Benjamin: This feels like a “job well done” spot for Piper in her homeland. Pick: Bayley
Intercontinental Championship: Sami Zayn (c) vs. Chad Gable
Geno Mrosko: It’s time for Otis to finally get good and fed up and take matters into his own hands. That means a DQ finish, which will mean a victory for Gable but no title change. That sounds rough but the way they play it will probably get over big. Pick: Chad Gable
Sean Rueter: Otis finally snaps, but the Alpha Academy headmaster’s got a “Plan B”. Why else has he been chatting up The Creeds backstage at Raw? Pick: Chad Gable
Kyle Decker: I thought they’d be further a long in the story by Chad’s next title match. I figured Otis would already be gone and he’d win when he revealed the Creeds as his new muscle. But we haven’t gotten to the Otis leaving Chad beat yet - and that’ll happen to the detriment of the Master. Which I think means he loses here unless they rush two chapters of this story after slow walking it for over a month. Pick: Sami Zayn
Claire Elizabeth: Honestly I’m just kinda see of seeing Chad walk all over Alpha Academy and I want this over with. Pick: Sami Zayn
Cain A. Knight: I think Otis finally has enough of Gable’s shit and helps Sami win. Pick: Sami Zayn
Marcus Benjamin: They gotta pull the trigger on Otis here right? He finally makes the ultimate choice and then the fun starts. Pick: Sami Zayn
Women’s Tag Team Championship: Jade Cargill & Bianca Belair (c) vs. Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark vs. The Unholy Union
Geno Mrosko: They don’t do a very good job of creating credible challengers for these titles, do they? Pick: Jade Cargill & Bianca Belair
Sean Rueter: The one match with Scots in it where I have no doubt about the outcome. Pick: Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill
Kyle Decker: It’s cool that the Unholy Union get a match in their hometown. It’s less cool that they took a clean L on Raw prior making them feel like they have no chance to win the actual match. Especially given they’re not winning here. Pick: Jade Cargill & Bianca Belair
Claire Elizabeth: I mean there’s a world where I could see the champs slipping on a banana peel to move to a breakup feud or something, but I don’t think it’s this one. Pick: Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill
Cain A. Knight: LOL. Pick: Jade Cargill & Bianca Belair
Marcus Benjamin: The beast continues getting fed. Pick: Jade Cargill & Bianca Belair
That’s how we see things playing out.
You?