The Triple Threader - Jun. 17, 2024
Welcome to the Triple Threader, covering three select stories from the world of professional wrestling.
CM Punk draws two for Drew McIntyre. (Courtesy: WWE)
Crushed at the Castle
Scotland had lot more emotion to let out than their 5-1 loss to Germany as WWE Clash at the Castle landed in Glasgow this past Saturday. The show kicked off with Cody Rhodes forcing AJ Styles to say “I Quit,” retaining his Undisputed WWE Title. New champions were crowned as hometown favorites Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn became new Women’s Tag Team Champions, and another one of the country’s own, Piper Niven, put on a dominant performance against Bayley for the WWE Women’s Title, yet ultimately coming up short. One more representative of Scotland, Drew McIntyre, was poised to finally win the World Heavyweight Championship and avenge the haunting ghosts of both last year’s Clash and WrestleMania 40, the latter in which he held the gold for five minutes and forty-six seconds before current champ Damian Priest cashed in his Money in the Bank contract. Ultimately, he hit Priest with the Claymore, but a rogue referee came in and only counted two – the official turning out to be CM Punk – costing the Scottish Warrior the match as well as the crown.
The Hardys w/ Nic & Ryan Nemeth, and Joe Hendry. (matthardybrand/Instagram, TNA Wrestling)
“I knew you’d Come!”
In the main event of TNA Against All Odds, which saw Moose retain his TNA World Championship against Matt Hardy in a “Broken Rules” match, and his group The System wreak havoc after the match, Matt’s brother Jeff Hardy made his return to the company to even the odds as the brothers Hardy, Matt’s wife Reby, Nic & Ryan Nemeth, and Joe Hendry evened the odds. Matt & Jeff Hardy have yet to be signed by TNA. In the same event, Jordynne Grace issued an open challenge for her Knockouts World Title, to which NXT’s Tatum Paxley answered, and while Paxley put up a fight, it was the Juggernaut that shut it down and kept her crown.
A preview of Forbidden Door? (Courtesy: All Elite Wrestling)
Lines Crossed
This past Wednesday on AEW Dynamite, Will Ospreay successfully defended his International Championship against Rey Fenix, with AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland watching on at ringside. After the match, the World Champ came forward and both titleholders would find themselves face-to-face, exchanging heated words. It would eventually lead to Ospreay ripping Swerve’s World title belt from his hands, and Ospreay to physically hold both the AEW & International gold on both shoulders, as the World Champion looked on in shock and anger. “You’re lucky we’re still friends,” Strickland said, “because [if] anybody else would do this, I’d put them in the grave.” Swerve Strickland and Will Ospreay face off for the AEW crown at Forbidden Door on June 30, and before they fight on said pay-per-view, they will face off this Wednesday on Dynamite.
