CM Punk Must Cost Drew McIntyre the World Championship at WWE Clash at the Castle
Drew McIntyre challenges Damian Priest for the World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of Saturday's Clash at the Castle in Glasgow, Scotland.
And while all signs would seem to point to The Scottish Warrior delivering a Claymore to The Archer of Infamy and taking the title in his home country, that should not happen.
And it shouldn't happen because of CM Punk, whose interference would cost McIntyre a dream victory.
Why rob the fans in Scotland of a joyous occasion, one in which a reinvented McIntyre celebrates a much-earned title victory with family and friends?
It turns out, the repercussions are many, with long-reaching effects on WWE Raw.
It Intensifies Punk-McIntyre Rivalry
1 of 4There is no better way for Punk to make McIntyre's life a living nightmare than by costing him the World Heavyweight Championship in Glasgow, with the challenger's family and friends watching on in anticipation of a defining moment for The Scottish Warrior.
The entire emphasis for McIntyre's heel turn, the moment that stuck with him for well over a year before he finally struck out and earned the fans' scorn, was his loss at Clash at the Castle in 2022.
The overwhelming fan favorite and the Superstar many hoped would end Roman Reigns' historic run with the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship was screwed over by The Bloodline and left Cardiff, Wales empty-handed.
He was wholly justified in his frustration and anger, but he expressed it the wrong way and earned the fans' displeasure. Imagine the level to which those two emotions rise if Punk, who has already cost him one world title, ruins his coronation in front of his countrymen.
What has already been one of the best and hottest feuds in WWE will intensify tenfold, with McIntyre no longer content to just shut Punk up and instead end his career for good.
Punk, on the other hand, will have taken steps to do what the Scot did to him earlier in the year: Keep him out of the main event of one of WWE's most prestigious events by ensuring he does not headline SummerSlam against Gunther.
Punk vs. McIntyre is the sort of rivalry that can dominate WWE programming for months, across multiple premium live events...and we are only just getting started.
The Best in the World ruining a moment tailor-made for the Scot by the biggest company in professional wrestling in his home country, would escalate it to a new stratosphere and give Raw a genuine marquee program between two of its most recognizable names.
Damian Priest Must Prove He Can Win on His Own
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From the moment he cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase at WrestleMania 40 to win the World Heavyweight Championship from Drew McIntyre, Damian Priest has made it his mission to prove he can win on his own without interference from his Judgment Day teammates.
Except he hasn't.
In his only defense of the title thus far, he relied on heavy interference from Finn Balor and JD McDonagh to defeat Jey Uso at Backlash in Lyon, France.
He will not have that luxury at Clash at the Castle.
Monday on Raw, McIntyre defeated Balor, ensuring The Judgment Day is barred from ringside for the match. Suddenly, a significant element of the Priest story is missing in action.
Except it isn't.
Punk interfering against McIntyre keeps that thread alive.
Priest will again benefit from someone other than himself impacting the match's outcome. As a result, questions will only intensify surrounding his ability to be a real champion and win on his own, without the benefit of someone setting it up for him.
At SummerSlam, Priest would face the challenge of 2024 King of the Ring Gunther, a man notorious for bludgeoning opponents with a barrage of chops and various other strikes en route to undisputed victories.
The Ring General would have the opportunity to criticize Priest as a champion, question his legitimacy since he has cheaply won and defended his championship.
It sets up The Archer of Infamy as an underdog babyface of sorts and forces him to prove himself against one of the most credible competitors on the roster.
It's a story that benefits Priest, whom fans have had trouble investing in given the spotlight on his opponents in each of his first two major title defenses.
That is what he, and the WWE Creative team under Triple H, need moving forward as Priest and The Judgment Day continue to take on enormous roles on Raw.
It Advances Judgment Day Storyline
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Priest has been pulled in so many different directions by challengers coming out of the woodwork to stake a claim to the next shot at his world title that his role as leader of The Judgment Day is slipping.
Over the last month or two, we have witnessed Balor and McDonagh talking to Liv Morgan, who appears intent on destroying the group.
The Irishman was spotted getting out of the same car as Morgan, and he was caught slipping her hotel key card into his pocket on Monday's Raw.
We have witnessed Balor and Priest flash intense looks at each other in recent weeks.
First, Priest implied that he knew the former universal champion was working behind his back. Monday, Balor stared directly at Priest during a backstage rah-rah speech, apparently displeased that he had been volunteered for a match against McIntyre.
Add to that the "will he or won't he" of Dominik Mysterio's temptation by Morgan, and you have a faction that has been an integral part of WWE programming for the last two years and is on its way to transitioning into a new era.
That cannot happen if Priest loses the title Saturday.
Sure, Balor could stage a takeover based on the idea that Priest failed the group, but the alternative is more interesting and lets the story continue to play out at its own pace rather than rushing it.
Sets Up 2 SummerSlam Main Events
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Punk screwing McIntyre over in Glasgow presents two SummerSlam main events WWE can build around.
First is the obvious Punk vs. McIntyre grudge match, a star-studded affair that does not need a championship at its core to be a legitimate show-closing headliner. It features stars, former WWE champions and an easily understandable central storyline riddled with emotion.
Second is Priest vs. Gunther, a match between two guys who could not be more different.
Gunther is the traditional wrestler who values the sacredness of the mat. He carries himself with class and dignity out of respect for the industry in which he works.
Priest is a brawler, the leader of the hottest faction on Raw, and a guy who is adorned in leather and tattoos.
The dichotomy alone makes for an interesting matchup, but the narrative of Priest having to prove himself a worthy champion against the most legitimate in-ring worker in the company is a story anyone can invest in.
That it would make for a hard-hitting, strike-heavy contest that would test Priest as a performer and Gunther as a world champion contender, makes it that much more interesting.
When you consider that WWE is unlikely to roll with a battle of two established heels in McIntyre vs. Gunther when Priest is on the cusp of a babyface turn, it makes even more sense for the Scot not to leave Glasgow with the title and for Punk to be the reason it doesn't occur.
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