This Saturday at WWE Clash at the Castle, Roman Reigns defends his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against Drew McIntyre. It’s a dream match scenario because the previous match between the two at Survivor Series 2020 delivered at the highest level, and WWE has mostly kept them apart ever since.
Moreover, in the two years to follow, The Head of the Table has only built upon his credibility via a long title reign full of good-to-great matches. Meanwhile, fans have clamored to see McIntyre return to the main event picture after spending most of his time in the mid-card since mid-2021 when Bobby Lashley got the better of their WWE Championship feud.
That’s all the more true in the UK—a setting starving to see one of their own on top, not to mention starving for a PPV. This all comes to a head at Clash at the Castle, but how should this blockbuster match play out?
It’s Not Time For Roman Reigns To Drop The Titles Yet
WWE seems to have booked itself into a corner. The fans at Principality Stadium are likely to be very disappointed if Drew McIntyre doesn’t emerge champion. By the same token, Roman Reigns is on a historic and it stands to reason WWE will want him to remain champion at least until WrestleMania for his presumptive dream match with The Rock.
Ordinarily, the simple enough answer would be for McIntyre to win in Cardiff, then drop the title back to Reigns, but because so much of The Tribal Chief’s identity and credibility are wrapped up in having the longest world title reign in modern WWE history, that simply doesn’t seem like the right move at this time.
Drew McIntyre vs. Roman Reigns Has To Deliver
While Roman Reigns beating Drew McIntyre won’t make UK fans happy any way they cut it, one way to mitigate disappointment is to be sure the match itself delivers. Reigns and McIntyre are each exceptional talents and have proven chemistry—as long as WWE gives them time, they’re likely to hold up their end, particularly with a raucous crowd behind McIntyre elevating anything they do.
Delivering a match at or above the level of what they did at Survivor Series 2020 will go a long way toward helping fans feel like they saw something historic, regardless of the finish.
WWE Needs A Surprise to Balance UK Fans’ Disappointment
WWE has a proven track record of using a big surprise to lessen the sting of a disappointing moment or, more to the point, distract from a choice fans might otherwise reject. Consider Seth Rollins cashing in Money in the Bank to protect Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar alike in the main event of WrestleMania 31 and send fans home happy for the sense they’d been a part of something unique and electric.
While history hasn’t looked as kindly on it, one could even lump in Hulk Hogan beating Yokozuna after Yokozuna defeated Bret Hart for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 9 as another example of moving the storyline along, and throwing in a huge twist to captivate the audience.
Incorporating an attempted Money in the Bank cash-in by Theory could certainly factor into Clash at the Castle, though fans aren’t invested enough in the young star to be happy with him taking the title (besides which, that would still mark a premature end to The Tribal Chief’s title reign). Karrion Kross has also interjected himself already in the Reigns vs. McIntyre storyline and could factor in. The real key may rest with something Triple H has already embraced in his short time heading up WWE creative, though: the surprise return.
Having someone emerge to confront Reigns post-match, stealing fans’ attention away from McIntyre’s loss could offer Clash at the Caste a satisfying end. A UK-specific star showing up could have merit to pop the crowd in Cardiff, but unfortunately there aren’t many, if any, main event level talents waiting in the wings. It’s a stretch, but if WWE could book Davey Boy Smith Jr. to fill that role, he’s one of the few faces the fans live would accept, and whom WWE might be able to spin as credible short-term threat to Reigns.
Braun Strowman is a big enough name with former world champion credentials to conceivably fit as well. The best option, if WWE could pull it off, would be to pull the trigger on Bray Wyatt. This is purely fantasy booking as it’s unclear if Wyatt is available or interested in such a return (or if WWE, even without Vince McMahon, wants him). Nonetheless he’s probably the single most buzzworthy free agent out there, besides having a ready-to-tell story with Reigns given it was The Fiend whom Reigns beat for the Universal Championship in 2020, and Wyatt never got his rematch.
In the end, WWE will have its work cut out for it booking a finish at Clash at the Castle that pleases fans at home and in Wales, besides serving their long-term vision. There are no easy answers, but there are creative opportunities available to pull off something special.
