7 Ups And 4 Downs From WWE Clash At The Castle

1. Hard-Hitting Beyond Advertised

Everyone knew going in that Sheamus versus Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship was going to be a stiff, brutal slugfest between two of the hardest hitters on the roster.

What we got was an incredible display of sheer brutality between two beasts that completely captured fans’ hearts, with Sheamus playing the de facto babyface role. Gunther turned the Celtic Warrior’s chest into raw hamburger as he continuously chopped and slapped away, only for Sheamus to fire up and come back with forearms and his repeated 10 Beats of the Bodhran.

Sheamus pulled out a Celtic Cross for a super-hot near-fall, but Gunther put him away with a powerbomb and a lariat to successfully defend the IC title. Afterward, Sheamus got a well-deserved standing ovation from an audience that was practically willing him on throughout the match.

The match also was notable for the return of Giovanni Vinci, who rejoined his Imperium mates before the contest. Presumably, this re-establishes that stable to further feud with the Brawling Brutes, which could make for some fun television this fall.

Interestingly, it was the first time the Intercontinental Championship was defended at a PPV/PLE in more than 500 days, with the last match coming at WrestleMania 37.