WWE matches typically get a tough rep from Dave Meltzer.
Despite being in business since all the way back in 1953, when Vincent J. McMahon ran the first show under the name Capitol Wrestling Corporation, the company now known as WWE has produced thousands upon thousands upon thousands of matches, and yet, over that near-70-year run, Meltzer has only handed out 16 matches with a five-star rating to The Fed, with just five earning more than a five-star rating.
Crazy, right? It took over a decade for Meltzer to give a WWE match a five-star rating since the initial “perfect” match was awarded to Ric Flair vs. Butch Reed in April of 1982, when Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels achieved the feat at WrestleMania X. Since then, the vast majority of the “modern” WWE five-star matches have been on the NXT brand, with Walter/Gunther alone recording more five-star matches than every other member of SmackDown and RAW combined.
Fortunately, since WWE recaptured the magic back in the summer and really took things up a notch when Paul “Triple H” Levesque took over creative duties, the main roster has had twice as many five-star matches in 2022 as from 2001-2021 combined.
It all started at Hell in a Cell, where Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins turned in a match that Meltzer called one of the most compelling matches of all time. Though that match had an underwhelming end, as Rhodes wrestled the match with a torn pec and had to undergo surgery shortly thereafter, momentum was high, and fans waited with bated breath to see who would earn the next five-star match of WWE history.
Enter Gunther versus Sheamus in a Clash at the Castle match for the Intercontinental Championship. With a literal intercontinental bout set for the Wales-based match, Levesque built the match up masterfully with a feud between the Brawling Brutes and Imperium and left more than a few fans wondering if maybe, just maybe, this could be the WWE match of the year.
Fortunately, Gunther and Sheamus didn't disappoint, as he detailed in The Wrestling Observer as passed along by Atletifo.
“The strongest match of the night absolutely goes to Gunther and Sheamus, who destroyed each other in a match that saw Gunther successfully retain the Intercontinental title after one of the most wicked lariats you’ll ever see,” the F4WOnline writeup states. “Going in, I expected this to be a hard-hitting match and now I can pat myself on the back, as they delivered a classic with sick sounding shots amid a great atmosphere. With Giovanni Vinici being called up as a surprise to reform Imperium, it is likely we’ll at least get one trios match between Imperium and the Brawling Brutes going forward.”
Sheamus calls Clash at the Castle Match a highlight of his WWE career.
Appearing on Corey Graves' After the Bell podcast, Sheamus was asked about how he felt about his match at Clash at the Castle with Gunther, as transcribed by Fightful.
“They say Rome isn't built in a day and success isn't overnight, it took me 13 years in my WWE career to earn that moment and it was unbelievable,” Sheamus said. “The reception I got when I went out there, I didn't know what way it was going to go. Gunther obviously has a cult following from being NXT UK Champion for so many years, so I didn't know what to expect. It's a moment I'll never forget. It's probably the biggest moment I've had to this point in WWE.”
“Of course! That's the goal for everybody,” Sheamus declared. “If that's not your goal in this business, then what the hell are you doing here? Me and Drew are best mates, but I was going out there to steal the show. That was the goal from day one, once I knew this match was happening. ‘I'm stealing the show here, there is no doubt about it.' I went out there against the lad, awesome lad, great wrestler, very aggressive, knows his role, great heel, great opponent. I went out there with no promotion, no mural on the walls, no press conference. I went out there, two weeks for that match we had. The biggest promotion came the SmackDown before. That's all I needed to blow the roof off a 70,000 seat arena. I don't need any of this shit. I don't need a big painting on the wall or press conferences or promotional packages. Give me an arena, 20 minutes in the ring with a formidable opponent, and I'll give you match of the night every single time. Nobody is going to see the brutality, aggression, and passion I bring in that ring. It's taken 14 years, but it doesn't matter how long it's taken because that moment in Cardiff was the moment of my career, one of the biggest moments of my life. If it's taken that long, even better, because I know I've earned every single cheer and part of that experience.”
Considering Sheamus was cheered on like a victor in his ultimately losing effort, it's clear the fans appreciated his effort too.
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