WWE Bash in Berlin Review - August 31, 2024

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes def. Kevin Owens

I knew this would be good given the level of talent involved, but this ended up exceeded my expectations. What an excellent opener. The crowd was white hot for everything they did and there were some suspenseful nearfalls down the stretch. Rhodes continues to kill it during this reign and it was nice to see Owens back in the world title mix for the first time in a while. No heel turn from Owens afterward, either. It could still happen at some point, but I feel like Randy Orton will be the one to betray Rhodes instead.

Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair def. The Unholy Union to Win the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship

While it was easily the weakest match on the show, it was by no means bad. It was mostly standard stuff, mind you, but it was decent and the women worked hard. I assumed Cargill and Belair would regain the gold, if only because it doesn't feel like WWE is ready to move on to the next chapter of their storyline. That said, they're overdue for some sort of a change. The women's tag team scene is a bit deeper these days, but a lot of what they've been doing since WrestleMania 40 hasn't been overly interesting.

CM Punk def. Drew McIntyre in a Strap Match

This was one of those Strap matches where you had to touch all four turnbuckle corners consecutively to win. I'm not typically a fan of that type of stipulation, but they made the most of it. In fact, this may have been the best Strap match (with these rules) that I've ever seen in WWE. They kept it engaging throughout and there was more of a sense of urgency than there was at SummerSlam. They beat the hell out of each other and told a great story. Punk winning the way he did might mean that the feud is over, but I still think we get a Hell in a Cell match at Bad Blood.

Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest def. The Judgment Day (Women's World Champion Liv Morgan and "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio)

Despite nothing being at stake, this was a blast. Ripley and Priest are incredibly over at the moment and the crowd was behind them throughout. Morgan and Mysterio play their roles as the chicken-shit heels extremely well and I liked that they got their comeuppance without giving away Ripley hitting Riptide on Mysterio. They can save that for another time. With Ripley pinning Morgan for the victory, the safe bet is that they'll have a rematch for the Women's World Championship at Bad Blood. I wonder if we get Priest vs. Finn Balor on that show or they hold off on that for a little while.

World Heavyweight Champion Gunther def. Randy Orton

Even with the show approaching the three-hour mark, the crowd was still super hot. You could tell Gunther and Orton loved feeding off that energy. They had quality chemistry in their original encounter at King and Queen of the Ring, but this was even better. There was some stellar selling and the length didn't bother me at all. Gunther winning decisively was the only acceptable outcome and the post-match show of respect from both men was a pleasant surprise.

Overall Show

It was hardly a newsworthy show with only the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship changing hands and there not being many major storyline developments, but it was another top-notch B-level event. The electric atmosphere once again made the show and took it from being average to very fun. WWE has found a formula that works with these international events and it won't be for everyone, but I enjoy it, personally.

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