CM Punk VS Drew McIntyre: Hell in a Cell
WWE Bad Blood 2024 kicked off with the end of what has been a thrilling rivalry as CM Punk and Drew McIntyre collided inside Hell in a Cell! This match was insane, the ideas that were used were creative, and there was so much blood that it felt very fitting it was taking place in the month of October! All sorts of stuff were used from a toolbox, and Punk even used a broken table leg as a weapon! McIntyre also delivered a crazy superplex to the outside through a table before Drew dropped Punk onto the steel steps with a white noise! Both guys had also hit their finishers without result, but that then led to the worst bump of the match as Drew landed back-first onto the side of the steel steps after missing with the attempted Claymore. This allowed CM to Punk to wrap a chain around his leg before The Best in the World hit a second GTS (onto the chain) to score the win! Given what this feud has been, this was the perfect way to end it! It was physical, it was brutal, it was sadistic, but that’s exactly how it should be given what’s transpired over the past 10 months! Also, fair play to both Drew and Punk cause they risked everything in this one!
Grade: A
WWE Women’s Championship: Nia Jax VS Bayley
The next match of the night saw Nia Jax put her WWE Women’s Championship on the line against Bayley! This was a fine match, they had some nice moments, but it was also a bit clunky at times. It’s a shame because both of these women are really good, but things just didn’t seem to click here. Also, we got a ref bump which resulted in Tiffany Stratton running down to the ring to clock Bayley with her Money in the Bank Briefcase. However, the referee seemed to think Stratton wanted to cash-in which annoyed Nia before Bayley nearly stole the Championship back with a roll-up. However, more interference from Tiffany allowed Jax to drop The Role Model before The Queen of the Ring delivered the Annihilator to secure the W!
Grade: C+
Finn Balor VS Damian Priest
Two former Judgment Day Brothers collided as Finn Balor went one-on-one with Damian Priest! I thought the action here was good, both guys are so good, I particually like Damian’s physical style, and I thought it was good. However, it didn’t feel as dramatic as it should’ve been which is a shame given how this feud has been booked. Carlito and JD McDonagh arrived to try and help Finn which allowed Balor to come close with a Coup de Grace, but Priest was ultimately able to take both of them out before The Punisher dropped The Prince with a South of Heaven to score the victory! I don’t know, it almost felt too easy for Damian Priest, but I guess that’s a good thing for him!
Grade: B-
Women’s World Championship: Liv Morgan VS Rhea Ripley
After Triple H announced the “Crown Jewel Championship” and Gunther fired shots at Goldberg, Liv Morgan was out to defend her Women’s World Championship against Rhea Ripley! Dominik Mysterio was locked in a shark cage to begin with, but he was soon able to open the door somehow! However, Mysterio then managed to fall out and find himself hanging upside down! Despite Rhea Ripley being in control of Liv Morgan, MAMI decided to bash Dominik with a kendo stick which is when Raquel Rodriguez made her return to WWE to wipe out her former best friend! Rodriguez then beat up Ripley some more before she put Liv on top of Rhea for the referee to count to 3. However, the match had already been called off which was odd! Honestly, this didn’t work. I like Raquel helping Liv, I think that could work great for both women, but it again felt off, whatever they were planning didn’t work!
Grade: C
Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns VS The Bloodline
And in the Main Event, Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns joined forces to take on Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu of The Bloodline! The first 20 minutes of this was pretty slow-paced, with the Heels working over the good guys as the crowd got more and more behind Roman and Cody. Of course, both men got their own hot tags, and to be honest, Rhodes and Reigns worked alright as a Tag Team. Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu were also very good, and the crowd couldn't stand Solo one bit! Realising how hard it is to take down Fatu, Cody took one for the team by diving onto Jacob through the announce table before The Tongans arrived! However, they were then wiped out by the returning Jimmy Uso and this led to Reigns Spearing Sikoa for the victory. After the match, Roman and Jimmy walked off as The Bloodline started to beat down on The American Nightmare. However, after some convincing by Uso, Reigns ran back into the ring to take out his family meaning the “good guys” stood tall. However, before the show could go off the air, The Rock’s music hit as The Final Boss made his big return to send a warning shot to three men in the ring! Whilst the match wasn’t amazing by any stretch, the ending was pretty cool!
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