Now that Clash at the Castle is officially over, we can finally remove the rose-tinted glasses and introspect on the event. And one pivotal moment during a match amounted to less than idealistic. The card had several splendid matches that had highs and lows. An ‘I Quit’ match with Cody Rhodes defending his undefeated WWE Championship against AJ Styles opened the evening. The two had earlier engaged in a spectacular affair in their first encounter at Backlash in France during May. So the expectations were sky-high for the rematch.

Both wrestlers earned adulation and applause for their all-out effort. Because of their dedication and skills, the duo engaged in a scintillating clash. With the addition of the stipulation, WWE could have initiated creative and unique ways for its finale. And they did. However, it did not hold up to criticism and analysis.

Cody Rhodes seemingly unconscious but not saying the words ‘I Quit’ to end the match defied logic

This match was recently the subject of a lengthy discussion on the Bryan & Vinny show on YouTube. The video has gained a lot of attention lately because it highlights a legitimately terrible booking choice made by WWE for this match. The reasoning for this amounted to the fact that although Cody Rhodes nearly lost consciousness during the match, AJ Styles could not win because the champion did not say he quit.

They remarked that this was really foolish since there’s a risk the champion may even shatter his voice box and never be able to talk again. But does that mean he will keep the title since he didn’t say ‘I Quit’? Supporters have concurred with this assertion, arguing that WWE made a grave booking error rather than a fault in the match’s idea.

In the YouTube video it was stated, “AJ beat the hell out of this guy for 25 minutes, and I mean, pulverizing the neck and the brainbuster on the edge of the table, and the belt shots and the cane, and at one point it kind of was like, okay, we’re kind of getting to the point of overkill here. But then when he murdered him when he literally choked him unconscious, the guy’s body is in the ring unconscious, and the referee explains, he didn’t say I quit, therefore the match continues. I was like, we have now jumped the shark with drama because that is the stupidest thing I have ever heard.”

Now that Cody Rhodes is free of Styles, he cannot relax since he once again has to face off against a dangerous opposition as Solo Sikoa is his next challenger. But is that the only challenger that WWE set up for Cody Rhodes at Clash at the Castle?

Did WWE set up another challenger for The American Nightmare during Clash at the Castle?

Everyone is aware that Bloodline came out after the match and started to viciously attack Cody Rhodes. This makes it apparent that Solo Sikoa will be the next contender for the WWE Title, but it goes beyond that. Fans saw that even Orton was staring at the championship during the final frames.

Although Randy Orton has already declared that he will go after the world championship once more, it appears that this may occur sooner than anticipated. The Viper is just shy of equaling the record of Ric Flair and John Cena who have had 16 championship reigns. Orton with 14 to his name will aim to equal and surpass before he brings down the curtains on his career. Thus far, no such feud has begun to take shape, but time will tell what WWE’s specific plans are.

What are your thoughts on the ‘I Quit’ match between Rhodes and Styles? Leave us your thoughts below.