WWE will roll back the years and present its first Bad Blood offering for twenty years on Saturday night as Atlanta hosts the latest Premium Live Event.
Every previous Bad Blood show has included an infamous Hell in a Cell match, and this weekend is no different. CM Punk and Drew McIntyre end their feud inside the steel structure—one of five massive matches on the card.
Here's how we think Bad Blood could go down, with DAZN's preview and predictions...
CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre - Hell in a Cell
It's expected to be the final chapter in what has been the best feud in wrestling during 2024, and it's only right that it comes inside the confines of a Hell in a Cell match. Every Bad Blood event has been headlined by a Hell in a Cell match, and although this one is expected to open the night, it should still be one of the show-stealer bouts.
McIntyre has been in the form of his career during this rivalry, which came out of nowhere but has gotten deeply personal across their two previous meetings and given Punk an unexpected meaty first foray back on the scene since his return to WWE in November.
Expect an all-out war inside Satan's structure, with both men promising to make each other bleed and some probable jaw-dropping spots. As for a winner, both men deserve the W, but in programmes like this is often the hero that prevails, so expect CM Punk to put the Scottish Warrior down for good.
Nia Jax vs. Bayley for the WWE women's championship
Jax and Bayley will have the difficult job of following the carnage they will come from the hot Hell in a Cell opening, but there's been enough of a story to allow fans to quickly switch attention to their championship battle. Unfortunately, it feels like there's more interest in the relationship between Jax and Tiffany Stratton than Bayley's challenge, and it could be what the match focus falls on.
With Stratton's Money in the Bank suitcase in play, expect another false cash-in to be part of the match and cause more tension between the champ and her 'friend'. However, it doesn't feel like the right time for Bayley to win back the strap, and it's more likely Jax will still retain.
Damian Priest vs. Finn Balor
WWE have done well to keep the heat in this rivalry, given that it was Balor who cost Priest his world heavyweight championship at SummerSlam back in August, and now the two finally lock horns. It feels like the Irishman really could do with a statement win over his former Judgement Day cohort, but it looks like an unlikely result.
For too much of the build Balor and his cronies have got the upper hand, and Priest needs to finally get revenge on his former friend, so he has to come out on top in this one.
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Liv Morgan vs. Rhea Ripley for the women's world heavyweight championship - with Dominik Mysterio in a shark cage
It's possibly the hardest match of the night to call because you can see why WWE would go with either outcome. There still feels like there's legs in the Ripley/Morgan/Mysterio story that her getting screwed out of another title win could lead to one more showdown between the two women, where Rhea finally wins the gold.
However, with Mysterio hanging from the ring in a shark cage, it's more likely that Ripley finally gets back at WWE's most unlikeable couple, wins back the belt, and we finally see Mysterio on the receiving end of a Rip Tide.
Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns vs. Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu
Roman Reigns makes his first in-ring return since WrestleMania, and you know it's main eventing the show. This tag match feels like a smaller iteration of the epic WrestleMania showdown, where shenanigans may well be the name of the game.
The tension will dominate as Rhodes and Reigns try to get on the same page, while the Bloodline will still play the numbers game on the unlikely allies. Expect Randy Orton and Kevin Owens to help even the score, plus a possible return to the fold for Jimmy Uso, with the match destined to end in chaos. And, perhaps, a turn or two from the descension on who trusts who.
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