Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns have shaped an unlikely alliance. (Credit: WWE/Getty Images)
WWE Bad Blood 2024 will mark the end result of the long-running feud between CM Punk and Drew McIntyre in addition to the most recent storyline twist in The Bloodline saga.
Headlined by Punk vs. McIntyre and an unlikely tag group match pitting Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes towards Jacob Fatu and Solo Sikoa, Bad Blood in Atlanta is expected to be one more sellout for WWE as the corporate seems to be to increase its streak of stellar pay-per-views. August’s Bash in Berlin was the highest-grossing arena event in firm historical past whereas only a few weeks prior SummerSlam had its largest crowd of all-time.
Perhaps simply as importantly, each reveals delivered sturdy in-ring performances from high to backside and featured main storyline occurrences, reminiscent of Reigns’ return at SummerSlam or Punk’s first singles victory in a decade at Bash in Berlin.
And Bad Blood? Well, The Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer (h/t Wrestling Inc) stated the present almost offered out instantly and ranks “among the most in-demand tickets in pro wrestling history,” after the secondary market “exploded.” WWE’s tried-and-true components of five-match pay-per-view playing cards has been a success, with fewer matches however, total, extra bang for your buck. Bad Blood needs to be no completely different.
As certainly one of solely three PPVs left in 2024, Bad Blood can even have many main storyline ramifications heading into Survivor Series and Royal Rumble season. With simply 5 matches but once more, the reserving of these bouts is much more necessary.
Here are 5 good inventive selections WWE should make at Bad Blood 2024.
Finn Balor Topples Damian Priest
Even as a former Universal and NXT Champion, Finn Balor hasn’t been pushed all that effectively as a single star in WWE over the previous few years, largely shedding to different stars barely above him on the cardboard.
Now, he finds himself in an analogous state of affairs with Damian Priest, his former Judgment Day stablemate who’s now his archnemesis. Priest, settling in properly as certainly one of Raw’s high babyfaces, at present seems to be an even bigger precedence than Balor within the eyes of the inventive group, however there's nonetheless loads of time left on this storyline.
In prolonged feuds between bitter rivalries that stretch for months and end in quite a few matches, the perfect and most rational reserving is to stack the percentages towards the babyface. That’s why at Bad Blood there isn’t a lot logic behind Priest beating Balor clear as a sheet of their first main match. If that occurred, the place would WWE go from there? Exactly.
The greatest state of affairs right here is for the Judgment Day’s benefits within the numbers recreation to get the perfect of Priest, with outdoors interference costing the one-time World Heavyweight Champion the win.
Rhea Ripley Gets Shafted Out Of Women’s World Title
Liv Morgan has held the Women’s World Championship since May’s King and Queen of the Ring, and but, the timing merely isn’t proper for a title change.
Morgan’s feud with Rhea Ripley is carrying the Raw’s girls’s division, which has struggled to create compelling storylines outdoors of their wildly entertaining rivalry. With marquee names like Asuka sidelined whereas Becky Lynch stays a free agent, WWE must proceed Ripley vs. Morgan for the foreseeable future.
And why not? The feud, regardless of occurring for many of the 12 months, continues to be purple scorching, and fact be informed, there aren’t many different choices proper now for both girl as champion. The greatest solution to maintain Ripley and Morgan as related as they're is to have them proceed their rivalry.
The final climax of Ripley vs. Morgan is clearly going to be Ripley’s large win, and with each Crown Jewel and Survivor Series happening simply subsequent month, WWE can simply lengthen this rivalry by holding off on Ripley’s win. Similarly to Priest vs. Balor, reserving the heel to win through assist from Judgment Day is a smart reserving transfer that would result in one other match within the close to future.
Nia Jax Retains The WWE Women’s Championship
Nia Jax has been a dominant WWE Women’s Champion on SmackDown, and her largest potential rivals are at present within the tag group division.
It’s clear that Jax is being constructed up as such an unstoppable champion to be able to set the stage for a blockbuster match with Bianca Belair or Jade Cargill. Beyond these two stars, there actually isn’t a lot depth to the SmackDown girls’s division, save for a potential return from Charlotte Flair.
Still, the most important rivalries mendacity forward for Jax do not contain her Bad Blood opponent Bayley. This as a substitute feels far more like a stopgap rivalry earlier than one thing greater down the street, which necessitates a win for Jax at Bad Blood, the place she's going to enter because the overwhelming favorite.
That’s the way in which it needs to be, too. Jax has been nice as SmackDown’s high titleholder, and there’s no have to take the title off her till the time is excellent.
CM Punk Wins Feud-Ending Hell In A Cell Match
CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre is a kind of historic rivalries that may simply be revisited down the street, however with their Hell in a Cell match additionally serving because the rubber match, Bad Blood is sort of assuredly going to function the tip of this feud.
An argument may very well be made that each stars may use the win, however who wants it extra? Consider this: Punk is within the midst of his first main rivalry in WWE greater than a decade, and the previous WWE Champion is reportedly in line for a possible World Heavyweight Championship feud with Gunther at Survivor Series.
Then, it turns into clear that Punk must win at Bad Blood. McIntyre, in any case, has been completely great as a heel, and after (*5*) with WWE, his sturdy performances as Raw’s high villains determine to maintain him in a distinguished function at or close to the highest of the cardboard. What’s extra, a loss at Hell in a Cell may additionally power McIntyre to grow to be an much more detestable heel within the weeks and months forward.
Punk, then again, is the beloved babyface who is probably going going to be concerned in a big match at Survivor Series and, long-term, will play a large function throughout WrestleMania season. He wants the win at Bad Blood and the momentum increase it would give him greater than McIntyre, an amazing villain who can grow to be an even bigger one with an “L” in Atlanta.
Roman Reigns And Cody Rhodes Lose To The Bloodline
Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes have shaped an unlikely alliance as a 2024 model of The Mega Powers, however given their lengthy and storied historical past, how a lot will they actually get alongside at Bad Blood?
It was initially suggested that Punk vs. McIntyre would headline Bad Blood, however the newest report is that Rhodes and Reigns vs. Fatu and Sikoa will main event the present as a substitute. Thus, it ought to come as no shock if the position of this match on the cardboard performs a task within the end result of the bout.
If this Bloodline tag group match certainly closes out Bad Blood as anticipated, there's probably going to be a serious cliffhanger-type angle on the high of the present. That may vary from a surprising return, like Jimmy Uso, Paul Heyman and even—gasp—The Rock, or possibly a heel flip from Kevin Owens. Regardless, the query right here is: who wants the win essentially the most?
The reply? Fatu. The clear star of the new-look Bloodline, Fatu can be taking part within the largest match of his younger profession, and given the star energy concerned on the babyface aspect, the best potential choice can be to have Reigns and Rhodes win in resounding vogue.
But how about taking a danger? Fatu has been a right away hit to date, and WWE must experience that wave, which implies that Reigns and Rhodes have to endure a uncommon loss at Bad Blood—one that may simply be booked in a method that protects each stars, particularly if somebody like Heyman and even The Rock reveals up in surprising vogue.
