A one-of-a-kind heel versus heel championship battle is on the horizon in the realm of WWE. The rare occurrence of this setting offers fresh prospects for shaping audience focus. Anticipation is high for tomorrow’s WWE Clash at the Castle: Scotland, where Damian Priest is charged with defending his World Heavyweight Championship against Drew McIntyre.
Albeit minimal, attempts to cultivate Priest’s ‘face’ narrative have been increasingly noticeable post-WrestleMania XL. McIntyre, who’s embraced the villain role in recent storylines, is expected to pivot to the ‘babyface’ in his native Glasgow, Scotland.
A definitive clarity on this dynamic surfaced during the WWE Clash at the Castle: Scotland Kickoff event: Priest was met with boos, while McIntyre enjoyed a rousing welcome. The crowd’s reaction left no ambiguity about their favorites for the upcoming event.
Michael Cole, with a nod to McIntyre’s home turf advantage, posed an insightful query to Priest: “There’s no doubt about it, as you can hear, that you’re in enemy territory tomorrow night. Drew McIntyre definitely has the home field advantage. How do you combat that in the title match tomorrow night?”
Though Priest began to respond, McIntyre cut in mid-sentence with his unique claim that Priest was admitting to the Spanish equivalent of “I suck and I’m gonna lose”. Cole admonished Priest to focus on his championship obligations, despite the hostile reactions.
Undeterred, Priest pushed back with a powerful retort: “This? This is what I’m walking into? It’s a bunch of children. Do I look like I’m getting thrown off my game from a bunch of children? This is not hostile territory. I was raised in hostile territory. This is a bunch of kids booing. This is not gonna throw me off my game. You guys are not gonna help Drew McIntyre.”
When prompted for his reaction to McIntyre’s disparagement of him as a transient champion, Priest responded by criticizing McIntyre’s talkativeness and defended his championship honor. He faced down the crowd’s disruptive chants, affirming his pride and commitment as the standing world champion.
McIntyre retorted, “That was a fine speech. I just couldn’t hear half of it because they were telling you to…please be quiet.”
Who’s your champion for the WWE Clash at the Castle? Voice your views in the comments section below and remember to catch our live coverage on the event’s results tomorrow!