Tag: wwe bad blood 2024

Daily Update: Jim Valley, AJ Styles, WWE Bad Blood injury notes

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • The new issue of the Observer is on the site today. Our lead story is the most detailed coverage of the new AEW TV deal, an analysis of what it means for business, profits losses, what the deal does and doesn’t cover, FOX rumors and analysis and much more. We also have a major history piece looking at the 2024 Hall of Fame and the candidates and their credentials.
  • Value of the deal for each specific year
  • What the deal does and doesn’t cover
  • Update on the PPV business
  • What AEW is losing in the deal
  • How PPV will be distributed
  • Quotes from Tony Khan and WBD
  • MAX and cable distribution
  • Breaking down expenses, revenue, profits and losses and the financial future of AEW
  • Analysis of the potential FOX deal
  • A look at the first NXT show on CW, business, ratings and how the segments did
  • Update on Bad Blood and WrestleDream, including interest levels for both shows
  • A look at the 2024 Hall of Fame voting, candidates and favorites in each category
  • A rundown of the leading candidates, some of who you would know and wouldn’t.
  • New Japan building King of Pro Wrestling–What business lesson was reinforced by CMLL Noche de Campeones this past week
  • The most detailed look at the ratings for all the major television shows, competition, comparisons with a year ago, placings and segment-by-segment
  • Woman wrestling star retiring to become a referee
  • CMLL head gives stats on how many fans come to Arena Mexico from other countries
  • What major celebrity was at Shinjuku Face for a pro wrestling show
  • Hall of Famer having 40th anniversary show
  • Major Japanese celebrity does two matches this week
  • Notes on the deaths of Pete Rose and Kris Kristofferson and both men’s connections to pro wrestling
  • Jimmy Hart prior to wrestling
  • AEW and WWE current injury rates
  • What percentage of fans watch shows live vs DVR
  • AEW video game notes
  • Major star opening up a gym for post-wrestling business
  • International TV ratings
  • Injury stats regarding PowerSlap
  • What famous boxer turned down a two fight series with Conor Mcregor
  • How many people watched the Mr. McMahon documentary and an approximation of how it would compare to a regular WWE TV show
  • Martha Hart reacts to the documentary

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue

Sunday Update

– Bryan and I did our weekend show with Paul Fontaine last night talking Bad Blood, UFC 307, Hall of Fame, and the WBD/AEW deal. Garrett Gonzales and I did our week in review show talking extensively about the WBD/AEW deal answering a lot of questions about what it is and what it means, problems that still face the company and the rest of the news.  

  • Jim Valley of our staff underwent a kidney transplant operation. This wasn’t planned.  He was in Tennessee when he got the call about midnight late Friday night and he and his wife booked a flight back to Seattle at 7 a.m. yesterday. They got off the plane at 10:20 pm. and went right to the hospital and the surgery took place at 4:45 p.m. Jim is recovering from surgery and said to let all Observer staff and subscribers know how much their support means to him. He said that all the messages of encouragement have made a big difference in his recovery from very serious and multiple life-threatening situations.
  • For the AEW/WBD deal, the most detailed look at the deal, the FOX deal in negotiations, and what all this means financially is the lead story in the new issue and it’s probably the most important news story this year other than Vince McMahon’s being pressured out of WWE.
  • We’re looking for your thoughts on Bad Blood last night as you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down, or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to [email protected]
  • From injury notes last night. The Bayley knee injury and Drew McIntyre back injury, which were done well, were works and planned part of the match stories. McIntyre’s blood was hardway from the toolbox shot by C.M. Punk. He needed 16 staples. There’s a lot of talk of double standards with people who were critical of some of the AEW chair shots being quiet on this. I’m not a fan of any of these head shots.  Punk did a shot backward over the head but he didn’t do it full force, but it also was not a gimmicked toolbox. It sounded loud on impact. McIntyre and Punk were apparently both really feeling the match and it was what a feud-ending Hell in a Cell match should have been.
  • The A.J. Styles injury on Friday was legit and not storyline. He’s getting an MRI done to see the severity of it. Braun Strowman also suffered a torn groin on Monday very early in the Bronson Reed match which is why he was having so much problem moving for most of the match.
  • It certainly appeared that Gunther vs. Bill Goldberg is coming soon based on the angle last night. I don’t know when other than we were told at this point it is not planned for either WrestleMania or Survivor Series. I presume it’s Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther at Crown Jewel but if Gunther was to lose to Sami Zayn tomorrow that would change.
  • There was some very controversial judging last night at the UFC show. Dana White ripped on the judging and in particular thought Jose Aldo was robbed. I thought that was a close fight that could go either way, although I did have Bautista winning 29-28.
    • Marina Rodriguez vs. Iasmin Lucido was 29-28, 28-29 and 29-28 for Lucindo. 62 percent of the media scores went to Rodriguez. All judges gave Lucindo round two, but in round one, two had it for  Rodriguez and one for Lucindo, and in round three, two had it for Rodriguez and one for Lucindo.
    • Alexander Hernandez won a split 29-28, 27-30 and 29-28 over Austin Hubbard. Two judges had Hernandez winning the first two rounds to take it.  Chris Lee gave Hubbard all three rounds. No media scorecard had that and 86 percent of media scores had Hernandez winning.
    • In Jose Aldo vs. Mario Bautista, Michael Bell gave Bautista rounds one and three, Derek Clearly had the same, while Lee had Aldo winning two and three. Media scores were split down the middle with 50 percent to each. I had Bautista but Paul Fontaine had Aldo which shows the split.  The idea of this being a robber no matter who won is silly.
    • In the Julianna Pena vs. Raquel Pennington bantamweight title fight, Bell had Pena winning rounds one through three, Cleary had Pennington winning one, four, and five, and Sal D’Amato had Pena winning the first three.  Both I and Fontaine had Pennington winning one, four, and five.  In this one, 96 percent of media scores were for Pennington. Most were shocked when Pena was announced as the winner. Pena’s winning is better for UFC because she’s more marketable than Pennington and there will be better build and promotion for Pena vs. Kayla Harrison. I also think Harrison has a better shot to beat Pena.
  • Last night, Paul Levesque was asked about running The Sphere and he said he watched the UFC show and would be very interested in trying. Dana White was asked if Levesque had talked to him and he said nobody from WWE has, but they are on the same team so he would give them whatever advice they’d need.
  • Kyle Snyder, the 2016 Olympic wrestling gold medalist at 213 pounds, was inducted into the Ohio State Hall of Fame last night.
  • Regarding searches, the UFC show last night did 500,000 and  Bad Blood did 200,000. That would be about where I’d have expected both to be. Jose Aldo did 100,000. Kayla Harrison, Kevin Holland, Stephen Thompson, and The Rock did 50,000.
  • Today would have been the 89th birthday of Bruno Sammartino, who a lot of people miss very much. Yesterday marked 27 years since the death of Brian Pillman.
  • Announced for tomorrow’s first regular two-hour Raw in over a decade is Gunther vs. Zayn for the World title, Jey Uso vs. Xavier Woods for the IC title, Sheamus vs. Pete Dunne in a doneybook match, and Seth Rollins appears.  It will be interesting to see if they cut a lot of the lower card stuff out tomorrow or if they cut back on everyone’s time as compared to three-hour shows.
  • I didn’t get any major match recommendations from the weekend past many raving about the Mayu Iwatani vs. Toni Storm and Tam Nakano vs. Suzu Suzuki title matches on the Stardom PPV show yesterday. Clips are going around of today’s Ricochet & Cima vs. El Hijo del Vikingo & Soma Watanabe with some stuff like Ricochet did with Ospreay on Wednesday between Ricochet and Vikingo, including Ricochet winning with a 630 senton.
  • The Kindle version of our new book on pro wrestling in 1984 is out. I was told it’s tricky to find as you have to go to www.amazon.com/ebooks to order it.
  • Jay “Great Fowler” was in the ER today and had a rough go yesterday.
  • Jay Lethal and Jonathan Gresham did an angle yesterday on Memphis Wrestling. Lethal said he wanted to be the head coach at their school (Gresham is) during a promo. They then did a beat-the-clock thing where Lethal beat Gio Savage in 6:45 and next week Gresham faces Draco and has to win in less than 6:45. They are taping three shows today that will feature Danhausen and Su Yung. (thanks to Brian Tramel)
  • The TV show “Vinyl Obsession” about record collecting, hosted by Eric Young, debuts on AXS at 10:30 p.m. Eastern tonight.

WWE Bad Blood review: The Bloodline drama continues

Posted on by Bryan Rose

The Rock is back. Jimmy Uso is back. But the Bloodline drama? It never ends.

Saturday’s Bad Blood in Atlanta, Georgia continued the Bloodline storyline that has developed following the events of WrestleMania 40. After being taken out by Solo Sikoa shortly following that show, Jimmy Uso made his return on Saturday, helping Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes by taking out Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa. After the match, he reunited with Reigns, then ultimately convinced him to help Rhodes once he was jumped by Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa.

Then, just when you thought the show was over, guess who made his appearance? The Final Boss himself, The Rock. Holding his People’s Championship given to him by Muhammad Ali’s widow, he stared down Uso, Rhodes, and Reigns in the ring as the show closed, casting uncertainty about what may happen next.

You’ll notice that I didn’t say much about the match. Well, that isn’t particularly important. It was fine, there were some cool moves, and of course, there was the usual DRAMA seen in Roman Reigns matches. But the match won’t be remembered. The Rock and Jimmy Uso making their returns was what mattered the most. And it worked!

So now the question is, what’s next? For Cody Rhodes, it seems like Kevin Owens who jumped him in the parking lot in a social media angle. As for the rest of The Bloodline, The Rock has made it clear he’s been seeing what has been going on, but when he’ll be seen again is anyone’s guess. Survivor Series is drawing nearer, meaning there will be a War Games match…will old vs. new square off?

In the opener, CM Punk defeated Drew McIntyre in one of the best Hell in a Cell matches I’ve seen in a long time and was easily the best match on the show by a country mile. Yes, it had the usual WWE weapons plunder I find so annoying in these cage matches, but they did it in such a compelling, captivating way that I can’t complain about it. Both men bled buckets during the match and by the end, the ring was covered with red stains. Good! A Hell in a Cell match shouldn’t be a yearly PLE, it should be a rarely-used match used only when meant to end a feud, and this felt like it. Then again, so did their Bash in Berlin match. But this was much better.

Nia Jax retained the WWE Women’s title in a bad match against Bayley. Before I say anything, look. Jax has been in some matches this year that were not bad. I thought the Elimination Chamber match with her and Ripley was fine. But this title run has not been impressive, and this was a banner match that exemplifies her case for Most Overrated in the upcoming Wrestling Observer Awards. There was one spot where Jax attempted something new by doing a hurricanrana. The problem was, there was no effort to do the spot correctly. She just kind of fell, then Bayley had to sell it like it connected. Then Jax won after Stratton teased cashing in, then didn’t and got Jax mad, then helped Jax win anyway. This is all building to a Stratton face turn on Jax down the line. Here’s the thing: I don’t care. I don’t want to see Nia Jax win. I don’t want to see Nia Jax lose. I just don’t want to see Nia Jax.

Liv Morgan retained the Women’s World title over Rhea Ripley in a match that was better than the previous match, but had maybe a lamer finish. You see, Ripley had the match won. Then she saw Dominik Mysterio dangling off the shark cage. Instead of pinning Morgan and winning the title, which any normal human being would do, Ripley instead told the referee she had “unfinished business” with Mysterio, took out a kendo stick, and began beating Mysterio like he was a pinata. Then Raquel Rodriguez made her return and laid out Ripley for the DQ. The work was fine, but nothing special. These two aren’t done yet, clearly, and will probably have one more stipulation match before the year ends, hopefully with a better finish.

Finn Balor and Damian Priest had a decent match, but it wasn’t much better than a Raw match which, when you think about how long they’ve been building this feud, is somewhat of a disappointment. This also felt like a House of Torture match at times with tons of interference with the other Judgment Day members. Balor and Priest probably also aren’t done with one another so we’ll probably see more from them too.

And that will do it for Bad Blood! Good open, good ending, not much to say about the middle. Next up is Crown Jewel on November 2, where the WWE and World Champions, both male and female, will take on one another for the Crown Jewel Championship. Well, it’s a gimmick, I guess!

Kevin Owens attacks Cody Rhodes in parking lot following WWE Bad Blood

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Kevin Owens has attacked Cody Rhodes.

In an angle meant to be posted on social media, fans posted video of Owens attacking Rhodes near his travel bus following the events of WWE Bad Blood. In the footage, Owens could be seen arguing with Rhodes, who was still in his gear wearing a hoodie. What they were saying couldn’t be determined. Owens angrily poked at Rhodes as Rhodes attempted to de-escalate the situation. Owens then went in for the attack as security ran in to break it up. Owens got into a nearby car and drove off as Rhodes was helped back to his feet and went into his tour bus.

Owens has been teasing a turn on Rhodes in recent weeks after Rhodes defeated Owens last month at Bash in Berlin. Friday’s SmackDown saw the two lose a tag team match against Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu, with Sikoa pinning Owens. After the match, Owens was upset but ultimately hugged Rhodes to end the show.

Triple H on Black representation in WWE: ‘I don’t see the color, I just see talent’

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Triple H was asked about representation during the Bad Blood press conference on Saturday.

When Triple H opened his portion of the press conference for questions, TJ Legacy of Soapbox Run the Ropes noted that Black male wrestlers in WWE hadn’t been on a WWE premium live event on the last three shows, and no Black female wrestlers competed on Saturday’s PLE. He asked Triple H how he gauges making sure there is representation and making sure deserving talent gets opportunities.

“I see everybody gets the opportunity. I don’t see the difference in anybody,” Triple H said. “I don’t see the color, I don’t see the nationality or any of that. I just see talent. I don’t see the difference between men and women, I see talent. We tell stories with those talent, how they can handle those stories and how they can represent those stories, and how we can bring those stories forward. I don’t keep track of any of that. I do what’s relevant and what is best in the storytelling and what’s being delivered the best and that’s what goes. No different than the men and women who main events whatever, whatever the biggest stories are, that’s where we go.”

Liv Morgan and Damian Priest also spoke during the press conference on Saturday and largely remained in character. Here are notes from Triple H’s portion of the presser:

  • He said that Bad Blood had the largest domestic arena gate in WWE history. According to WWE, 16,092 fans attended Saturday’s show at the State Farm Arena.
  • Regarding the Hell in a Cell match, he said CM Punk and Drew McIntyre put on “a classic” and “a clinic”. It was what a Hell in a Cell match was supposed to be, representing the culmination of a feud.
  • Triple H was asked about Goldberg possibly making an in-ring return after he teased a confrontation with Gunther on Saturday’s show. Triple H ultimately said, “never say never.”
  • When asked about TKO’s current momentum, Triple H put over UFC, saying he’d like to do something like what they did at The Sphere in Las Vegas back in September.
  • Denise Salcedo asked about two-hour Raws. Triple H said two hours vs. three is night and day, and there was a little bit of stress because it’s less, but sometimes less is more. Regarding the status of Raw on Netflix, they are “still working through all of that” and said people would have to wait and see.
  • Someone asked when The Rock would be back after he made an appearance at the end of Saturday’s show. Triple H said the key word is “as he pleases.”

The Rock, Jimmy Uso return at WWE Bad Blood

Posted on by Bryan Rose

The Bloodline drama continues.

The end of Saturday’s WWE Bad Blood main event saw Jimmy Uso attack Tonga Loa and Tama Tonga, laying them out with superkicks after they interfered in the tag match pitting Roman Reigns & Cody Rhodes against Solo Sikoa & Jacob Fatu. As Solo Sikoa saw what was going on, he turned around and was speared by Reigns, who scored the win for his team.

After the match, Reigns hugged Jimmy as the two reunited. Reigns and his tag team partner Cody Rhodes had a staredown before Reigns eventually exited the ring with Jimmy. However, Rhodes was then jumped by Tonga & Loa. Jimmy and Reigns eventually decided to make the save, sending the current version of The Bloodline retreating into the crowd.

Right as the dust started to clear, The Rock came out, still wearing the People’s Championship that was awarded to him by Muhammad Ali’s widow during the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony. He stared down Reigns & Rhodes before walking away to end the premium live event, instructing production to end the show.

The Rock went live on Instagram during his entrance and after the show ended, leaving the arena in his truck.

“There’s been a lot of bull**** that’s been going on for the last six months,” The Rock said in the video. Regarding when he’ll share his thoughts on recent developments within the Bloodline, Rock said “The Final Boss will tell you when The Final Boss is ready to let you know.”

Rock’s last appearance in WWE was on the Raw following WrestleMania 40 when he confronted Cody Rhodes after Rock failed to help Reigns retain the WWE Championship. There he told Rhodes that their story “had just begun.”

Goldberg appears at WWE Bad Blood, tells Gunther he’s ‘next’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Goldberg made an appearance at WWE Bad Blood and teased potentially getting back in the ring.

After being shown in the front row with his son Gage earlier in the night, Goldberg took part in an angle with World Heavyweight Champion Gunther. Gunther insulted Goldberg, calling him a “one-trick-pony” and saying he hopes Goldberg is a better father than he is a professional wrestler.

That led to Goldberg coming over the barricade and attempting to go after Gunther, but security kept them apart. While that happened, Sami Zayn — who is challenging Gunther for the World Heavyweight title on Raw this coming Monday — took the opportunity to attack Gunther and brawl with him.

Goldberg then issued a warning to Gunther before posing for the crowd.

“You’re next, boy,” Goldberg declared.

Bad Blood was held in Atlanta, where Goldberg once played football for the Atlanta Falcons. His son Gage is currently a freshman linebacker for the University of Colorado, being coached by Goldberg’s old teammate Deion Sanders.

Whether a Goldberg vs. Gunther match will happen remains to be seen. The 57-year-old Goldberg hasn’t wrestled since 2022 but has said he’s still hoping to return to the ring for a retirement match. He’s blamed Vince McMahon for going back on his word and not giving Goldberg a promised retirement match when McMahon was in charge of WWE.

Gunther’s segment at Bad Blood also included Paul “Triple H” Levesque announcing that WWE will determine its first-ever Crown Jewel Champions in Saudi Arabia next month. Currently, the two Crown Jewel title matches are scheduled to be Gunther vs. Cody Rhodes and Liv Morgan vs. Nia Jax.

CM Punk defeats Drew McIntyre in Hell in a Cell match at WWE Bad Blood

Posted on by Joseph Currier

On the 27th anniversary of the first-ever Hell in a Cell match, CM Punk and Drew McIntyre stepped inside of the structure to settle WWE’s most heated storyline of the year.

Punk ended the feud victorious by defeating McIntyre at Bad Blood on Saturday night. With a chain wrapped around his knee, Punk delivered a GTS to win what was the 53rd Hell in a Cell match in WWE history.

Going into Bad Blood, Punk said his goal was to bring Hell in a Cell “back to what it’s supposed to be.” He and McIntyre accomplished that over the intense 31-minute match. Both competitors bled heavily. Punk was busted open when McIntyre threw him into the side of the cage, then McIntyre bled later on when Punk hit him with a toolbox.

The finish saw Punk get revenge on McIntyre by shoving beads — like the one from Punk’s bracelet that McIntyre destroyed — down McIntyre’s throat before hitting the GTS. The beads were introduced into the match by McIntyre before Punk regained the advantage by avoiding a Claymore and causing McIntyre to land back-first on the steel steps.

To sell how much the match took out of him, Punk collapsed due to exhaustion on his way to the back. Medical personnel gave Punk oxygen as part of the angle, but he was able to walk out on his own and celebrate on the stage.

The victory gives Punk a 2-1 record over McIntyre to end their rivalry. McIntyre defeated Punk at SummerSlam, but Punk won their next two matches at Bash in Berlin and Bad Blood.

Punk vs. McIntyre opened the night at Bad Blood with Cody Rhodes & Roman Reigns vs. Solo Sikoa & Jacob Fatu set to main event the show.

WWE Bad Blood live results: Cody Rhodes & Roman Reigns team up

Posted on by Steve Khan

Date: October 5, 2024
Location: State Farm Arena in Atlanta, GA 

**********

Show Recap — 

PRE-SHOW 

Megan Morant and Sam Roberts hosted the preshow from a studio, not live in Atlanta. 

There was a time-lapse video of the crew putting together the Hell in a Cell cage. CM Punk was shown greeting fans, Drew McIntyre was shown checking out the cage, and the Bloodline arrived. 

Peter Rosenberg, Jackie Redmond and Cathy Kelley were live at State Farm Arena. Rosenberg spoke to some fans while Redmond and Kelley ran down the HIAC match.

Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest (wearing a Killswitch Engage t-shirt) and Judgment Day arrived at the building. 

There was a video about Larry. CM Punk’s dog. 

Tonight’s “hosts” Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill and Naomi arrived. 

There was a pre-taped interview with Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio.  

There was also a pre-taped interview with Nia Jax. She spoke sincerely and came across like a babyface. She talked about her time in NXT and said her time away from WWE was the best thing that could have happened to her. She also put over Bayley but looked forward to not having to deal with her for a while after tonight.

There was a video of the top five HIAC moments. Edge, Sasha Banks, and Chris Jericho were all included. 

There was a video package for the Bloodline/Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns. Big E, Redmond and Rosenberg spoke about the match. 

I’m glad it was only an hour but this was still an even more pointless pre-show than usual. 

********** 

(The Sportsnet stream in Canada has been choppy the entire pre-show and it’s continued into the main show.) 

BAD BLOOD 2024 MAIN CARD

Samantha Irvin sang God Bless America. 

Triple H walked through the back. Michael Cole said he has a historic announcement. 

Cody Rhodes arrived at the arena with Metro Boomin in an old Crown Victoria. 

Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill and Naomi welcomed us to Bad Blood. They wore matching red outfits. 

Cole and Corey Graves are tonight’s announcers. 

Bill Goldberg (and his son Gage) and Killer Mike sat ringside. 

********

The opening match started at 6:16 pm ET. 

Hell in a Cell match: CM Punk defeated Drew McIntyre (31:16)  

This was terrific. 

McIntyre sent Punk into the cage and the crowd chanted for tables two minutes into the match. Punk grabbed a table and a chair but McIntyre used the chair on Punk. McIntyre used his boot to smush Punk’s face into the steel steps. 

McIntyre grabbed a wrench out of a tool box but Punk ducked it and stabbed McIntyre’s head with it. (The crowd reacted like it was a fork.) 

McIntyre ripped the legs off the table and tried to use it as a weapon but Punk ducked it again and choked McIntyre with it. He also slammed McIntyre onto the upside-down table—flat onto the metal legs. Punk tried stabbing McIntyre with the legs but McIntyre escaped. 

Punk went after McIntyre outside the ring but McIntyre dropped him with a Claymore Kick. McIntyre lawn-darted Punk into the side of the cage, which didn’t look fun for Punk. 

In fact, Punk came up bleeding quickly. There was a somewhat significant amount of blood on Punk’s face and body and on the mats. McIntyre smashed his face with the steel steps and stomped his head onto the top step. 

McIntyre told Punk he would end his career and his wife would leave him. McIntyre stabbed Punk’s wound with the wrench. 

The crowd rallied behind Punk who fought back but McIntyre cut him off with an overhead suplex. McIntyre set up for Claymore but Punk slipped out of the ring. McIntyre went after Punk but Punk bonked him on the head with the toolbox (which made a great noise). 

Blood streamed from McIntyre’s face. Punk repeatedly hit McIntyre on the head with the toolbox. Punk hit a bulldog and GTS but McIntyre fell out of the ring before he could make a cover. 

Punk got McIntyre back in the ring but McIntyre nailed him with a Claymore Kick for a nearfall. 

McIntyre, whose face is covered in blood, missed a Claymore and Punk put him in a Sharpshooter. McIntyre hit Punk with the wrench until he let go. 

Their sweat had wiped some of it away but both men still had blood on their faces as they exchanged strikes. (McIntyre has tons of blood in his hair.) They collapsed and the crowd chanted “This is awesome.” 

McIntyre gave Punk a vertical suplex off the apron through a table and the crowd popped big. 

McIntyre grabbed the larger section of steel steps and placed it in the ring. He sold his back as he struggled to get them in. Before McIntyre could use the steps, Punk nailed him with GTS for a nearfall. 

McIntyre gave Punk a White Noise onto the steel steps for a two count. Punk caught McIntyre in an Anaconda Vice. McIntyre wanted to use the wrench to escape but Punk grabbed it and hit him with it instead. 

McIntyre, bleeding even more from the top of his head, got on his knees and pleaded with Punk. Punk, as he said in his promo, wanted McIntyre to beg but McIntyre gave him a low blow. 

McIntyre grabbed a bag, presumably with thumbtacks, and emptied the contents onto Punk. It wasn’t thumbtacks, but dozens of beads from a bracelet. 

McIntyre went for Claymore but Punk ducked and McIntyre landed ass-first into the edge of the steel steps. That looked pretty brutal.

Punk wrapped a chain around his knee, shoved beads down McIntyre’s mouth, and hit a GTS for the pinfall win. 

— Punk celebrated but collapsed as he walked up the aisle. Adam Pearce and medics ran out to tend to him. Punk got to his feet but eventually allowed medics to tend to him. They gave him oxygen but he removed it and walked on his own. Punk posed on the stage.

Not only was this really great, but Punk will benefit from a standout performance like this. 

********

(I don’t know if this was only on Sportsnet, but about halfway through the match, there was a long period here where we could hear both the English commentators and commentators in another language simultaneously. They eventually fixed it and it seems like the previous stream issues were resolved as well.) 

********

Jacqueline, Lilian Garcia and Booker T were shown in the crowd. 

Kelley interviewed Belair, Cargill and Naomi in a suite. (Belair, Cargill and Naomi switched from red to blue outfits.) There was a party in the suite with fans and a few active and former wrestlers. Jey Uso, DDP and X-Pac were among them. 

Naomi gave Jey a shout-out and wished Bayley luck in her match. Belair sarcastically wished Bayley luck as well. 

******** 

Nia Jax defeated Bayley to retain the WWE Women’s Championship (14:12) 

Jax dominated for the first few minutes. She set up for her finisher but Bayley got underneath and set up for a powerbomb. Jax countered into a “hurricanrana.” It was a bad idea and didn’t look good, not that I fault Jax for it. 

Bayley hit a sunset flip powerbomb into the corner and a diving elbow drop for two. Jax charged at Bayley outside the ring but she moved and Jax crashed into the steel steps. Bayley hit an elbow drop off the steps. 

Jax softly powerbombed Bayley onto the top of the steel steps and not-so-softly chucked her into the barricade. Jax followed with a Samoan drop for two. Bayley followed with her own Samoan drop for two. 

Referee Jessika Carr wound up prone between them and Jax fell on top of her. 

With everyone down, Tiffany Stratton ran down with her briefcase. Stratton woke up the referee as Jax sat up like the Undertaker. Jax confronted Stratton who tried reasoning with her. Bayley used the distraction to apply a rollup for a nearfall. 

Bayley went to the top but Stratton chucked the briefcase at her. Bayley threw it back but the distraction allowed Jax to give her a middle rope Samoan drop. Jax followed with Annihilator for the pinfall win. 

(They worked hard and tried to go at a faster pace but that resulted in some odd spots. It certainly wasn’t boring.) 

********

There was a video with Bianca Belair and Cardi B plugging next year’s two-night SummerSlam. 

There was an Xavier Woods video plugging a new Dragon Ball video game. 

X-Pac, Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson were shown in the crowd. 

Quavo, Lil Baby, and Metro Boomin were also in the crowd. 

******** 

Cole reminded us that Triple H has an announcement coming. 

Damian Priest defeated Tag Team Champion Finn Bálor (12:50) 

Bálor entered wearing a mask and had his “F” logo painted under his left eye. 

There was a good spot early on where Priest caught Bálor with a right hand as he came off the top. Bálor sold it great and Priest sold it like he hurt his hand, and the announcers sold it big too. 

Bálor took control anyway but Priest fought back with strikes and a falcon arrow for two. Priest avoided a slingblade and hit a clothesline for two. Priest used kicks but Bálor responded with a Pelé Kick. Priest followed with a Razor’s Edge for two. 

Bálor escaped the ring so Priest shoved him over the announce table. Priest gave Bálor a Razor’s Edge onto the ring apron. (This didn’t get a big reaction because the fans probably wanted the table.) 

Carlito ran out to distract the ref while JD McDonagh attacked Priest. Bálor hit a dropkick and Coup de Grace for a nearfall. The crowd chanted “Yeet.” 

Bálor tried to use a chair but Priest kicked it into his face. Priest also wiped out Carlito and McDonagh. Bálor hit Priest with a headlock elbow drop. Bálor hit a Coup de Grace twice on a hunched-over Priest. 

Bálor tried one more Coup de Grace but Priest avoided it and hit a chokeslam for the pinfall win. 

This was good enough but could’ve been a TV match. 

********

Triple H was shown working in Gorilla position. (It’s weird to me that they show the booker working on the fake wrestling show.) 

They plugged Raw and thanked Metro Boomin for tonight’s theme song. 

Triple H announcement 

Paul “Triple H” Levesque entered. Hunter said it’s hard to believe it was 30 years ago that he was living up the road while “terrorizing” WCW. He announced a sellout crowd of 16,092. He also called this the largest arena gate in history. 

Hunter plugged Crown Jewel, which actually got some boos. (It’s rare any announcement they make gets booed these days.) 

Hunter said the event would feature the WWE Champion facing the World Champion — both for the women and the men. The titles would not be on the line but there would be a definitive winner. 

The winner would be crowned as Crown Jewel champion with a new belt (that will likely be temporary). He unveiled a very large title belt which has “50 carats of diamonds.” (He only unveiled one belt even though there should be one for men and one for women.) 

Gunther interrupted. He said Bad Blood should have its world champion. (Yes, his match against Zayn should have been on this show instead of Raw.) 

Gunther wanted to talk about the legends in the crowd. The crowd chanted for Goldberg and, in fact, that’s who Gunther wanted to talk about. 

Gunther mentioned his comment to Bret Hart that Goldberg was his childhood hero. That was a lie. The best wrestler on earth couldn’t be impressed by a one-trick pony like Goldberg. Gunther told Gage that Goldberg must be a better father than wrestler. 

That pissed off Goldberg who jumped the barricade. A dozen security guards and Pearce stopped him from getting in the ring. 

Sami Zayn ran out to attack Gunther but officials and security got between them. Gunther bailed and the crowd chanted for Zayn. 

Hunter raised Goldberg’s hand and he posed for the crowd. 

******** 

DDP, Mickie James and Scott Steiner were in the crowd. 

There was a stupid segment back in the suite. Metro Boomin was with Belair, Cargill and Naomi. Kelley was about to interview him but they were all grossed out by the smell of Chelsea Green. She didn’t understand why they were grossed out. Belair told her she stinks. Green was about to leave with Piper Niven but Niven said she was staying. 

******** 

Morgan and Dom entered in their lowrider. 

Women’s World Championship: Rhea Ripley defeated Liv Morgan via disqualification — Liv Morgan retains [Dominik Mysterio suspended in a shark cage] (14:33) 

The shark cage was suspended over the aisle, not the ring. Ripley was amused because not only was Dom claustrophobic, but he was afraid of heights too. 

Ripley was in control until Morgan targeted her leg. Morgan legitimately missed a chop-block and Ripley made sure not to sell it. Morgan tackled her by the leg and stomped it in response. Ripley fought back and hit a Northern Lights suplex for two. 

Morgan went back after Ripley’s leg and slammed it against the post. Morgan shoved Ripley into the barricade and hit her with a sunset flip powerbomb into the barricade. Morgan followed with a Codebreaker off the ropes for two. 

Morgan went for Oblivion but Ripley countered by rolling through. Ripley tried a Rip-tide but her leg gave out and Morgan hit a crucifix bomb for two. 

Morgan did Eddie Guerrero’s shuffle and tried three amigos but Ripley blocked the third suplex and hit a Razor’s Edge. 

Former prison inmate Dom picked the cage door lock and opened the door. Ripley went to the top and noticed the door was open. She brushed it off knowing he had nowhere to go (because the cage was elevated). She Yeeted and hit a frog splash for two. 

They fought outside near Dom and Ripley gave Morgan a Rip-tide. 

Dom was concerned and it seemed like he would jump for it but he somehow got caught upside down because his leg was wrapped in a chain. (It was a good-looking spot because it seemed like Dom was doomed.) 

Dom was hanging upside down and helpless so Ripley killed him with a kendo stick. 

Raquel Rodriguez attacked Ripley from behind for the DQ. Rodriguez planted Ripley with a Tejana bomb. She actually placed Morgan over Ripley for a cover but the match was already called off. 

(This all fell flat. The match itself was good but it felt like the crowd was waiting for something to happen with Dom at the finish. They only lightly booed when it was Rodriguez who interfered.) 

******** 

The University of Arkansas marching band played Cody Rhodes to the ring. Cole called this the biggest match of Rhodes’ life, which is a lie. 

The Georgia Philharmonic played Roman Reigns to the ring.

Roman Reigns & Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes defeated Solo Sikoa & Jacob Fatu (25:50) 

Roman Reigns is back and they had themselves a Roman Reigns match. 

Rhodes started against Fatu. Rhodes quickly hit some big offence but Fatu no-sold it and Sikoa entered (without a tag). Reigns entered to even the odds and the crowd chanted, “OTC.” The crowd chanted, “F-ck you, Solo.” 

Sikoa tagged in. Reigns tagged in. The crowd cheered. Sikoa had the edge but Fatu entered as soon as Reigns got some offence. Fatu hadn’t tagged in but the distraction allowed Sikoa to deck Reigns from behind. 

Sikoa hit Reigns with a running hip attack. Fatu tagged in and hit a much more intense-looking hip attack. Fatu missed a Stinger splash and went face-first into the ring post. 

Reigns made a hot tag to Rhodes who hit Fatu with a powerslam, jabs, bionic elbow and Cody cutter. A Sikoa distraction allowed Fatu to hit a pop-up Samoan drop. The match slowed to a crawl as the Bloodline worked over Rhodes. 

Rhodes fought them off and tried a hot tag but Fatu yanked Reigns off the apron. (This was shot well because for a moment it seemed like Reigns dropped down on purpose.) 

Fatu went for a senton bomb but Rhodes got his knees up and finally made the hot tag to Reigns who hit Sikoa with clotheslines and a big boot. 

Sikoa blocked a Superman punch and went for the Samoan spike but Reigns countered into a crucifix pin for two. Reigns hit a Superman punch for two. 

Reigns set up for a spear but Fatu superkicked him. Fatu and Sikoa superkicked Reigns. Fatu hit Reigns with a moonsault and Sikoa followed with an Uso splash but Rhodes broke up the cover. 

Rhodes cleared the announce table and sidestepped Fatu who crashed through the barricade. Fatu got up quickly and started chucking chairs at Rhodes. Rhodes hit him with a Cross Rhodes but he wouldn’t stay down. 

Rhodes hit consecutive superkicks, knocking Fatu on the announce table. Rhodes went to the top and splashed him through the table. The crowd chanted “This is awesome.” 

Reigns and Sikoa exchanged right hands in the ring until Reigns hit a Superman punch. 

Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa appeared and the distraction allowed Sikoa to hit a spear for a nearfall. The crowd chanted “Yeet.” 

Another man in a hoodie showed up at ringside. He superkicked Tonga and Loa. It was Jimmy Uso. The crowd erupted. 

Reigns speared Sikoa for the pinfall win. 

— Roman Reigns and Jimmy Uso hugged after the match. 

Rhodes got to his feet with his belt and had a staredown with Reigns until Reigns left with Jimmy. 

The Bloodline attacked Rhodes as Reigns and Jimmy were leaving. Jimmy encouraged Reigns to help Rhodes, so they did. Jimmy superkicked Loa and Sikoa. Reigns gave Sikoa a Superman punch. The Bloodline bailed. 

Reigns picked up the WWE title belt and looked at it longingly before handing it to Rhodes. 

The Rock entered. 

Rock had his own title belt. He remained on the stage as Reigns, Rhodes and Jimmy watched from the ring. Rock raised his eyebrow and raised his finger in the air. 

Rock did a throat-slit gesture before leaving to the back.

Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard to attend WWE Bad Blood

Posted on by Bryan Rose

The former Brain Busters and Four Horsemen members will be at Bad Blood.

Arn Anderson wrote a short note on his X account Friday evening announcing that he and Tully Blanchard will attend Saturday’s premium live event in Atlanta.

“Heading to very familiar surroundings for WWE Bad Blood tomorrow in Atlanta,” he wrote. “Having Tully there should provide some serious flashbacks, and it will be an honor to walk the halls of the fresh, new WWE. To all my friends who still work there see ya tomorrow!”

After several years away from WWE, Anderson appeared as a surprise before Cody Rhodes’ SummerSlam match against Solo Sikoa in August. Anderson gave Rhodes a pep talk as he headed toward the entrance. Anderson previously managed Rhodes in AEW before Rhodes departed in 2022, making his return to WWE soon after. Anderson announced earlier this year that he would not be renewing his contract with AEW.

Blanchard also had a run in AEW, most notably as the manager of FTR and later The Gates of Agony before leaving the company in 2022.

Cody Rhodes ‘very much looking forward to’ WWE Bad Blood homecoming

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Though his title won’t be on the line, Cody Rhodes is looking forward to returning to Atlanta as Undisputed WWE Champion.

Rhodes and Roman Reigns are teaming up for the first time ever this Saturday night, facing Solo Sikoa & Jacob Fatu in the main event of WWE Bad Blood. The show is being held at State Farm Arena in Atlanta — which is Rhodes’ hometown and was once home to WCW.

“It always feels Game of Thrones-like in a sense,” Rhodes told Billboard about bringing the WWE title home to Atlanta. “Here’s the belt from formerly the World Wide Wrestling Federation and the Northeast Territory and I was just this Georgia Championship Wrestling, Jim Crockett Promotions, WCW kid. To be able to be the first Rhodes to have it, but also bring it back to where The Omni once stood. I mean, I got goosebumps when they put The Omni in the scene from [SmackDown’s] Georgia Tech [episode] because being able to be on the ground of that building and to have this [belt], was not expected. It’s a homecoming. I’m very much looking forward to it.”

Rhodes has been champion since dethroning Reigns at WrestleMania 40. The two rivals are now uniting against a common enemy in The Bloodline. After Reigns lost at WrestleMania, Sikoa made himself the new Tribal Chief and reshaped The Bloodline with the additions of Fatu, Tama Tonga & Tonga Loa.

Bad Blood has a start time of 6 p.m. Eastern this Saturday, airing live on Peacock/WWE Network.

WWE Bad Blood (Saturday, October 5) —

  • Cody Rhodes & Roman Reigns vs. The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa & Jacob Fatu)
  • Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan defends against Rhea Ripley (Dominik Mysterio will be suspended above the ring in a shark cage)
  • Damian Priest vs. Finn Balor
  • WWE Women’s Champion Nia Jax defends against Bayley
  • Hell in a Cell match: CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre

Wrestling Weekly: AEW gets a big raise, WWE’s got Bad Blood

Posted on by Victor Sosa

It’s a newsworthy week with AEW’s TV deal finally becoming official and some huge matches set for Bad Blood this Saturday. We’ll look at what the TV deal means for AEW and make our picks for the WWE PLE.

Thanks for listening and have a great weekend~!

Click Here to Listen (sub needed)

CM Punk wants to bring Hell in a Cell ‘back to what it’s supposed to be’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

CM Punk is determined to deliver a classic Hell in a Cell match at WWE Bad Blood.

On the 27th anniversary of the first-ever Hell in a Cell match, Punk and Drew McIntyre will square off inside of the cell this Saturday night. It’s the culmination of a story that has lasted throughout 2024. Punk and McIntyre each own a victory over the other with their record tied at 1-1 during their intense rivalry.

Punk told the No Contest-Wrestling podcast that his goal is to bring Hell in a Cell back to its roots with this match. He believes that, for too long, WWE got away from what Hell in a Cell was originally supposed to be.

“I feel like I have to deliver a classic. And I have to stay true to myself, my beliefs of what good wrestling is, and that cell that I feel like as a company we’ve gotten away from for so long. Where it just became a toy. Like, ‘We’re just going to have a pay-per-view, call it Hell in a Cell, and everyone’s going to go inside and have matches.’ When in reality that should be presented as the most dangerous, diabolical thing that any wrestler would ever want to do,” Punk said.

“I want to bring it back to what it’s supposed to be. I don’t want to have a cell that needs a match, I want to have a match that needs the cell. And I feel like me and Drew have done that. Like, there’s no other way — there’s no other way to settle this.”

Punk has wrestled in five other Hell in a Cell matches in his career. This is his first since 2013.

The first Hell in a Cell match took place on October 5, 1997 with Shawn Michaels defeating The Undertaker at Badd Blood: In Your House.

State Farm Arena in Atlanta is hosting Bad Blood 2024 this Saturday. The event has a start time of 6 p.m. Eastern.

Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill to host WWE Bad Blood

Posted on by Ethan Renner

The October 5 WWE Bad Blood PLE in Atlanta will have a pair of hosts in the Women’s Tag Team Champions.

WWE revealed during Friday’s SmackDown that Women’s Tag Team Champions Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill will serve as hosts for next Saturday’s Bad Blood event.

A hype video for the hosts aired during Friday’s SmackDown:

Five matches are currently official for next Saturday’s show at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, with a Gunther vs. Sami Zayn World Heavyweight title match also teased for the event, though not yet officially announced.

WWE Bad Blood, Saturday, October 5, 6 p.m. Eastern time on Peacock/WWE Network —

  • Hell in a Cell match: CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre
  • Roman Reigns & Cody Rhodes vs. Solo Sikoa & Jacob Fatu
  • WWE Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan defends against Rhea Ripley
  • WWE Women’s Champion Nia Jax defends against Bayley
  • Damian Priest vs. Finn Balor
  • WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill host

Shark cage stipulation added to WWE Bad Blood match

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Dominik Mysterio will be suspended above the ring in a shark cage for the Women’s World title match at WWE Bad Blood.

A new stipulation was added to the Liv Morgan vs. Rhea Ripley Women’s World Championship match set for Bad Blood, as Raw GM Adam Pearce announced during Monday’s program that due to his interference in past Morgan matches, Mysterio will be placed in a hark cage for the title bout.

Five matches are official for the Bad Blood PLE, with a sixth — Gunther vs. Sami Zayn for the World Heavyweight Championship — expected to be added to the card.

Bad Blood is set for Atlanta on Saturday, October 5. The current lineup:

  • Cody Rhodes & Roman Reigns vs. Solo Sikoa & Jacob Fatu
  • Hell in a Cell match: CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre
  • Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan defends against Rhea Ripley with Dominik Mysterio suspended in a shark cage above the ring
  • WWE Women’s Champion Nia Jax defends against Bayley or Naomi
  • Damian Priest vs. Finn Balor

Punk vs. McIntyre Hell in a Cell match among WWE Bad Blood announcements

Posted on by Joseph Currier

On the anniversary of the first-ever Hell in a Cell match, CM Punk and Drew McIntyre will do battle inside of the structure.

WWE has revealed that Punk and McIntyre will face off in a Hell in a Cell match at Bad Blood on Saturday, October 5. The PLE is being held at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. It’s the first time WWE has used the Bad Blood name for an event in two decades.

Punk and McIntyre have been locked into a heated rivalry throughout 2024, even continuing their feud while Punk was out of action with a torn triceps. They have a 1-1 record against each other since Punk returned to the ring. McIntyre won at SummerSlam (with Seth Rollins as the special guest referee), but Punk evened things up by winning a strap match at Bash in Berlin.

After that loss, McIntyre beat down Punk in a blindside attack on Raw last week. Punk was taken out in an ambulance as part of the angle.

Tonight, there was a segment on Raw where general manager Adam Pearce told McIntyre that the issues between him and Punk need to end. Pearce — who said he spoke with Punk earlier today — then announced the Hell in a Cell match for Bad Blood.

Selling last week’s attack, Punk was not on Raw tonight. He’ll return to the show next Monday.

Bad Blood 2024 is happening 27 years to the day since Hell in a Cell debuted with Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker at Badd Blood: In Your House 1997.

Two additional grudge matches, both involving former Judgment Day members out for revenge against the faction, have also been confirmed for Bad Blood:

WWE Bad Blood 2024 (Saturday, October 5) —

  • Hell in a Cell match: CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre
  • Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan defends against Rhea Ripley
  • Damian Priest vs. Finn Balor