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WWE Clash at the Castle is two weeks away, and a handful of blockbuster matches have already been announced for the Cardiff show, which is expected to be a fantastic, history-making premium live event.
The most recent addition to the card is Gunther vs. Sheamus for the prestigious Intercontinental Championship. The Celtic Warrior won a Fatal-Five Way featuring Sami Zayn, Ricochet, Happy Corbin, and Madcap Moss to book a date with the Austrian Anomaly at WWE Clash at the Castle.
Ever since setting foot on SmackDown in April, Gunther has meteorically risen. Sheamus, on the other hand, has been a mainstay in the upper mid-card and the tag-team division alongside Butch and Ridge Holland.
The titanic clash between the two fierce Superstars will be a must-see with several possibilities. However, we must analyze WWE's motivations for booking such a show-down at its next premium live event.
#4 WWE may be further exploring the heel vs. heel dynamics
One of the reasons Gunther vs. Sheamus seems a bit strange is because both men are heels with strikingly similar characters. The traditional narrative adopted by the company's creative team has been a babyface, looking to dethrone the villainous champion, a heel.
The IC Championship match booked for Clash at the Castle lacks the traditional narrative of babyface vs. heel. This could be an intriguing experiment as the company has recently had considerable success with heel vs. heel feuds.
In January, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins battled for the Universal Championship at the Royal Rumble. Both men were heels at the time, and they put together a nail-biting program with excellent story-telling. WWE may be looking to recreate the same magic with Gunther and Sheamus.
You could argue that the two heavyweights would be babyfaces (more on that later) in the United Kingdom, but that is still a deviation from the conventional heel vs. babyface dynamic.
#3 The crowd will be red-hot for Gunther vs. Sheamus
Although both are heels meant to generate negative crowd reactions, Gunther and Sheamus will be babyfaces there. They can generate the loudest responses at the Cardiff show.
The former WWE Champion is from Ireland, and the current IC Champion is from Austria. Given their European origins, they are immensely popular in the United Kingdom, and thus will be cheered on by the live crowd.
WWE may be looking to capitalize on their popularity to create a memorable IC Championship match. An electric crowd produces the necessary motivation and atmosphere for the Superstars to wrestle a fascinating match. Gunther and Sheamus will create magic in the squared circle with a buzzing audience.
#2 Gunther would receive a massive rub by defeating Sheamus
Given how impressive he has been and the backstage support, the Ring General is the favorite heading into the match. With all due respect to the Celtic Warrior, he may not be the one to dethrone Gunther.
A powerful motivation to book Gunther vs. Sheamus would be to further establish the IC Champion as a dominating force. The former NXT UK Champion recently came off a successful title defense against Shinsuke Nakamura in a stellar championship match. A victory over the Irishman would solidify him as a serious threat and indomitable champion.
Sheamus is a multi-time world champion and a former Royal Rumble winner. Even at 44, he is a significant player in the mid-card. Putting over Gunther in front of the UK crowd would instantly make the Austrian Anomaly a massive star and an international sensation.
#1 WWE may be setting up Gunther vs. Butch (or Pete Dunne).
The Ring General and The Celtic Warrior are not short of allies who could level the playing field for their upcoming title match. Gunther has a loyal comrade in Ludwig Kaiser, and Sheamus has two young companions in Ridge Holland and Butch.
Butch has plenty of history with the reigning IC Champion. Then known as Pete Dunne and the Bruiserweight, he and Gunther were rivals on NXT UK. The WWE Universe has not forgotten their stellar series of encounters, especially their excellent title match at NXT TakeOver: New York.
There is a belief that WWE may be reviving the Bruiserweight gimmick. If that happens, Gunther vs. Pete Dunne is probably on the cards. In fact, Sheamus may just be a placeholder challenger in this scenario.
In the grand scheme of things, Triple H, who loves both Dunne and Gunther, may be preparing the fans for the Bruiserweight vs. The Ring General. This could be booked as an impromptu title match following Sheamus' failed championship pursuit.
