7 Match Star Ratings For WWE Clash At The Castle
1. Roman Reigns Vs. Drew McIntyre - Undisputed WWE Universal Title Match
For so long, this was timeless pro wrestling magic.
Without doing much, Reigns and McIntyre had a white-hot crowd on strings. That's not to say they added 10 minutes of a chinlock to a match to waste time. The cagey start, in which both men recognised the danger that the other possessed, was superb in generating thick tension. Reigns in particular was on superb form, telling the story of his being more scared than he was prepared to acknowledge with his face. The pacing was exquisite.
The match felt enormous by the time they exchanged, with perfect dramatic timing, the big bombs, and the traditional epic big match feel was so well established that, when Austin Theory threatened to cash in, it felt like a transgression. The crowd bought two near-falls late to create a cauldron of an atmosphere. In the building, the fans weren't performative when counting 1, 2, 3 before the Spear and Claymore kick-outs. They lost their minds when they hadn't actually seen the finish yet. The finish itself was a superb delivery of an ill-advised idea. That crowd was convinced Drew was winning, were deflated when he didn't as a result of Solo Sikoa's shock debut. If not Drew, then who?
If WWE gets another babyface this hot, it will take some bloody doing.
Drama out the ass, but a familiar, alienating feeling.
Star Rating: ★★★★½