Things got off to a hot start at WWE’s Clash at the Castle, and up next was the match for the Intercontinental Championship between Gunther and Sheamus. WWE even delivered a surprise before the match got started, as Giovanni Vinci has been called up to the main roster and Gunther has reassembled Imperium once more. Once the match started fans witnessed a brutal and physical match that left all sorts of welts on both stars, and at several points, it looked like Sheamus would get that Grand Slam. Unfortunately, after taking a lot of punishment and what could be an injury to the tailbone, Gunther was able to pin Sheamus and retain his Intercontinental Championship.
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Butch, Vinci, Kaiser, and Holland all battled in the ring and on the outside, but Sheamus and Gunther stood facing each other in the ring. The bell hit and then they started trading punches, and that would continue until Gunther hit some big chops in the corner. Sheamus would come right back with more punches until eating a kick from Gunther, though he would deliver a suplex to even things out.
They traded strikes again and the welts were already starting to show on each of them before Sheamus hit his forearm strikes, and then he slammed Gunther into the steel steps. Sheamus then tried to wrap Gunther’s arms around the ropes but the Ring General countered with a punch. Gunther then hit a massive chop in the corner and a huge trike to the face, and Sheamus knocked him down with a dropkick, but Gunther knocked him off the turnbuckle with a chop that sent him crashing to the floor.
Gunther then moved the steel steps and hit another chop on Sheamus before picking him up and slamming his back on the steps. Sheamus was clearly in pain and trying to get to the ring before being counted out. He made it and they traded more strikes before Sheamus collapsed to the ground. Gunther kept him down with a kick and then connected on more chops to the chest, but Sheamus fought back with strikes of his own until Gunther hit a big boot to the face. More chops followed on Sheamus and elbows and forearms, and Sheamus was just taking them until he fell down.
Gunther then locked in a submission but Sheamus powered through and enough for Gunther to switch to a Crossface. Sheamus grabbed Gunther’s wrist and hand and caused him to release it, and he hit Sheamus with more chops and punches to the back. Sheamus punched Gunther several more times and refused to go down, but Gunther hit him with a massive chop that finally knocked him to the mat. Gunther hit another one that knocked Sheamus back down, but Sheamus was hitting another gear and caught his arm. Strikes to the head followed but he ended up being thrown outside.
Gunther lifted Sheamus and body slammed him on the floor. Then he threw him over the announce table and into the chairs. Sheamus slammed Gunther’s head into the table twice and then hit his forearm strikes on his chest, clocking in with 4 before Gunther ran into the ring. Sheamus followed and knocked him down again, and then set him up for more strikes to the chest and this time he got a full count.
Gunther went outside and Sheamus followed, and then he planted him on the other side of the barricade and hit around 14 more strikes to the chest. He rolled Gunther into the ring and went up top, colliding with Gunther and taking control of the match. Gunther got a punch to the back of Sheamus to connect but Sheamus was right back with strikes of his own. They traded punches for a bit until Gunther hit a German Suplex.
Sheamus connected with a boot to the face and went for a cover, but Gunther kicked out. Gunther blocked Sheamus’ next move and tried to lock in a sleeper, and he got Sheamus down to a knee on the mat. Sheamus got to his feet and then blocked a powerbomb and lifted up Gunther and hit White Noise into a cover, but Gunther kicked out. Sheamus charged up for the Brogue Kick but missed, which led to a dropkick from Gunther. Gunther hit a Powerbomb on Sheamus and then went for the pin but Sheamus kicked out.
Gunther noticed that Sheamus came down on his tailbone and started targeting it, but Sheamus was able to get to his feet and cut Gunther off from a move on the top rope. Strikes to the face caused Sheamus to fall back to the mat, and Gunther went back up but Sheamus kicked the rope to knock him back off. Sheamus then picked up Gunther and slammed him down, though he was slow to cover, and Gunther was able to kicked out at 2 and a half.
Sheamus went for his Brogue Kick but his back caused him to halt it and Gunther slammed him down. Then they both agreed at each other but Gunther hit a Lariat and brought him down, and after going for the cover he would come away with the win, retaining his Intercontinental Championship.
