The WWE Intercontinental Title will be defended at a pay-per-view or Premium Live Event for the first time since WrestleMania 37 at the upcoming WWE Clash at The Castle event.
WWE announced that the new #1 contender to WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther will be decided in a Fatal 5 Way match on tonight’s 1200th episode of SmackDown. The championship match will then take place on September 3 at Clash at The Castle in Cardiff, Wales.
The participants for tonight’s Fatal 5 Way are Sami Zayn, Happy Baron Corbin, Madcap Moss, Ricochet, and Sheamus.
Since Apollo Crews won the WWE Intercontinental Title from Big E in a Nigerian Drum Fight at WrestleMania 37 in April 2021, the title has not been defended at a pay-per-view or Premium Live Event. Shinsuke Nakamura, the then-Intercontinental Champion, defeated Damian Priest, the then-United States Champion, by disqualification during the 2021 Survivor Series event, but the titles were not on the line.
Gunther will defend his TV title for the third time at Clash at The Castle after defeating Ricochet to win it on the June 10 SmackDown. While he has since accumulated a number of non-televised victories, he retained his titles against Ricochet in the rematch on June 24 SmackDown and against Nakamura on August 12 SmackDown.
Here is the updated line-up for tonight’s SmackDown on FOX from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada:
– Ricochet vs. Sheamus vs. Happy Baron Corbin vs. Madcap Moss vs. Sami Zayn to determine who challenges WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther at Clash at The Castle
– The Viking Raiders host a Viking funeral for The New Day
– Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne vs. Natalya and Sonya Deville in a first round match in the tournament for the vacant WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles. The winners will advance to the next week’s SmackDown to face Aliyah and Raquel Rodriguez
– Drew McIntyre and Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns face off for Clash at The Castle
