For the first time in 20 years, WWE put on the Bad Blood premium live event. Originally held in 1997, the debut edition of the event featured the first-ever Hell in a Cell match between Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker. WWE would use the branding twice more before it ultimately was shelved in 2004. WWE hailed the show as a major success, with the largest domestic arena gate in company history.
The event lived up to the hype, opening with an instant-classic Hell in a Cell match between Drew McIntyre and CM Punk, with the latter emerging victorious and settling a year-long feud between the men.
Although neither title defended on Saturday night changed hands, we saw another step forward (backward?) in the devolving relationship between Tiffany Stratton and WWE Women’s Champion Nia Jax. In addition, Raquel Rodriguez made a surprise return to aid Liv Morgan in her Women’s World Championship match against Rhea Ripley, adding more juice to one of the best storylines in WWE today.
In the night’s main event, Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes teamed up with Roman Reigns, who was wrestling his first match since losing in the main event of WrestleMania 40. The current and former champion took on Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu, two of the members of the revamped Bloodline faction. The closing sequence of the match featured the return of Jimmy Uso and the aftermath re-introduced Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson into the mix.
WWE Bad Blood results
CM Punk defeats Drew McIntyre in 31:21
- Grade: A+
- Best spot: McIntyre suplexing Punk over the turnbuckle through a table
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Analysis: The third match between these two was arguably the best we’ve seen from either man in 2024. An excellent mix of storytelling and violence, McIntyre and Punk both came out of this intensely personal feud looking strong. There were some simple, yet truly inventive, spots in this match, notably the use of the detached table legs and the Punk’s drop-toe hold to drive McIntyre’s throat into the side of a table. Punk potentially can move into an eventual championship feud against Gunther, with a possible detour in a rivalry program against Seth Rollins. As for McIntyre, he’ll be away from Raw’s top title picture for a while, but could prove to be a solid heel foil to the newly minted Intercontinental Champion, Jey Uso.
WWE Women’s Championship – Nia Jax defeats Bayley in 14:11 to retain the WWE Women’s Championship
- Grade: B-
- Best spot: Jax’s avalanche Samoan drop
- Analysis: At one point in the match, the Atlanta crowd chanted loudly “We Want Tiffy,” signaling how WWE fans feel about where Jax’s reign is eventually headed. There were moments in this match where Jax and Bayley tried some relatively complex/new spots, and while they weren’t entirely clean, it was a welcome change from the traditional formula for a Nia Jax match. The ending was a bit overbooked — in my opinion — as at this point it’s a matter of when, not if, Stratton will cash in on Jax.
Damian Priest defeats Finn Balor in 12:50
- Grade: B-
- Best spot: Balor’s tornado Russian leg sweep
- Analysis: Priest can finally put the Judgment Day behind him and thrust himself back into the picture for either the Intercontinental or World Heavyweight Championship. The clash in styles was entertaining enough between Balor and Priest, even if they didn’t necessarily have the best match on the card. This felt a little more suited for a Raw main event instead of taking up a slot on a PLE.
Women’s World Championship – Rhea Ripley defeats Liv Morgan via disqualification in 14:33
- Grade: A-
- Best spot: Ripley’s reversal of ObLIVion
- Analysis: In retrospect, Raquel Rodriguez’s return was foreshadowed by Morgan and WWE all night as during the pre-show interview segment with Jackie Redmond, Morgan mentioned her previous partnership with Rodriguez directly. That said, this was a very strong showing from both women involved, particularly Morgan, who continues to show why she’s at the top of the division. Ripley vs. Morgan has been the most captivating storyline on Monday Night Raw, so continuing it here won’t draw any criticism. Rodriguez is a great addition to the Judgment Day and an excellent new roadblock in Ripley’s chase for the Women’s World Championship.
Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes defeat Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu in 25:50
- Grade: A+
- Best spot: Rhodes’ splash on Fatu through the announce table
- Analysis: It’s seemingly unfathomable that WWE finds new wrinkles in the Bloodline story this far into it, but here we are. Reigns returns as — at worst — the second-biggest babyface in WWE and is on a collision course for potentially another WrestleMania main event with Rhodes. The storytelling and action in this match were the best of the night, and Reigns looked phenomenal in his first in-ring contest in six months, even breaking out a crucifix pinning combination. A returning Jimmy Uso sets up a potential Survivor Series matchup between Reigns, Rhodes, Uso and TBD vs. The Bloodline. The bigger surprise came well after the match concluded, as The Rock emerged, didn’t say a word and counted to three. There is no shortage of runway for this story moving forward and everyone involved is at the top of their game.
