WWE Bad Blood Review - October 5, 2024

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

CM Punk def. Drew McIntyre in a Hell in a Cell Match

I was among those who lobbied for this to headline the event, and although they had a huge moment saved for the end, they stole the show, regardless. This was an excellent outing and exactly what Hell in a Cell should be. They delivered on their promise of blood and beat the holy hell out of each other. Hell in a Cell lost its luster a long time ago, but these two managed to make the stipulation mean something again. They capped off their lengthy feud in fantastic fashion.

WWE Women's Champion Nia Jax def. Bayley

This was the most predictable match on the show and therefore it was the least interesting, but that isn't to say they didn't work well together. It had its fair share of awkward spots, but on the whole, this was pretty good, though you could tell the crowd was waiting for Tiffany Stratton to come out. Sure enough, she did and again teased cashing in, only to help Jax to retain. It was the same story at SummerSlam and not exactly creative. Why would Naomi attempt to even the odds?

Damian Priest def. Finn Balor

It made sense for this to take place on the pay-per-view given their extensive history, but there ultimately wasn't anything out of the ordinary about it. It was an enjoyable outing that could've easily happed on Raw. Even with interference from Carlito and JD McDonagh, Balor still lost clean. I don't know what that means for their rivalry considering Balor got his comeuppance, but I'm sure they'll find a way to ensure it continues.

Paul "Triple H" Levesque Unveiled the Crown Jewel Championship; Sami Zayn Attacked the World Heavyweight Championship

Triple H announced that at Crown Jewel, the Undisputed WWE Champion and the World Heavyweight Champion will face off for a newly-created Crown Jewel Championship, same for the WWE Women's Champion and the Women's World Champion. No, the belts themselves don't mean anything, but it does mean we're getting champion vs. champion again for the first time since WWE did away with the brand supremacy stuff at Survivor Series years ago. I'm not sold on the concept, but I am looking forward to Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther. Speaking of Gunther, him running down Goldberg sitting in the front row was hilarious. Goldberg jumping the barricade makes me think we might actually get a match between them after all, which I'd honestly be fine with if it was a short sprint with Gunther winning decisively.

Rhea Ripley def. Women's World Champion Liv Morgan by Disqualification ("Dirty" Dominik Mysterio Was Locked in a Shark Cage)

Ripley and Morgan have always had great chemistry together (both as opponents and as partners), but a majority of this was rather underwhelming. I actually thought their SummerSlam encounter was better. This had its moments, but the crowd was much quieter than I assumed they'd be given how over both women are. The execution of the finish was lame, but I am happy to see Raquel Rodriguez back and aligned with Morgan and Mysterio, that's the perfect role for her.

Roman Reigns and Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes def. The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu)

The epic entrances for Rhodes and Reigns (both of whom have ties to Georgia) added to the big fight feel of this match. Yes, it was a standard tag team affair and that's why I would have rather seen the Hell in a Cell clash go on last, but the crowd was super into the babyfaces and everything they did. That made this a hotter match than it would have been otherwise, not to mention it was cool to see Reigns and Fatu interact in the ring. The Rock's return was rumored ahead of time, but Jimmy Uso's return was an unexpected surprise. This makes matters with The Bloodline even more interesting, but I still don't think we'll see The Rock back on WWE TV in a recurring role for another few months.

Overall Show

Bad Blood was certainly a newsworthy night with multiple returns and standout matches to open and close the event. The three matches in the middle, however, were average. Why not cut down on the filler and have a sixth match? It was a thumbs-up event, but it wasn't on the same level as some of the other ones we've gotten this year. There was enough memorable stuff to make it worthwhile.

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