By Don Murphy, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@DonThePredictor)
WWE presents the return of Bad Blood today from Atlanta, Georgia at State Farm Arena. As has been the norm for WWE premium live events outside of the “big four” events, five matches are slated for the card. While some fans prefer the longer shows, this particular fan appreciates a tighter show this weekend given the plethora of other events, including NFL football, MLB playoffs, and, of course, AEW Collision, which I’ll be reviewing tonight. In any case, there are several interesting stories that will play out here. Let’s run down the card.
Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes vs. Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu. This is Reigns’ first in-ring appearance since returning at SummerSlam and the main story will be if he and Cody can trust each other. I’ll be interested to see how Fatu is protected. Let’s face it – he overshadows Sikoa as the most compelling member of the new Bloodline. And while there will likely be a showdown with Reigns, I don’t anticipate it lasting very long so that they can continue to build anticipation for the one-on-one match. I think it’s more likely that Fatu is positioned as Cody’s next challenger, though they may hold that off for a bigger show (perhaps Saturday Night’s Main Event, the first Raw on Netflix, or the Royal Rumble). Solo is here to take the fall.
Don Predicts: Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes defeat Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu.
CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre in a Hell in a Cell match. I’ve loved the build to this one, particularly the promos over the past several weeks. I also love that within the confines of the storyline, a Hell in a Cell match makes sense and not forced because it’s the name of the show. I am interested to see how this will be presented, as they’ve promised a lot of violence and a lot of blood to the point where, in theory, the loser should be off TV for a while. There’s no doubt in my mind that this well-told ten-month story ends here. Punk has some options going forward, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about McIntyre’s next program. I feel slightly better given his stellar work this past year.
Don Predicts: CM Punk defeats Drew McIntyre.
Liv Morgan vs. Rhea Ripley for the Women’s World Championship with Dominik Mysterio locked in a shark cage. Older fans will remember this fun stipulation where managers like Jimmy Hart or Jim Cornette would be locked in the shark cage. While it’s designed to prevent interference, it actually has the opposite effect. This will be fun, but I think we’ll have Liv as champion for a few more months before it goes back to Rhea in the lead up to WrestleMania.
Don Predicts: Liv Morgan retains the Women’s World Championship.
Nia Jax vs. Bayley for the WWE Women’s Championship. The Smackdown women’s roster lacks any credible challengers for Jax’s title aside from Bayley and Naomi. Jax has beaten both so there’s no reason to believe Bayley has a shot here. That said, I think there’s a real chance we see Tiffany Stratton finally turn on Jax and cash in her Money in the Bank contract to win the title. It might be a little too soon, but a jolt to the division is needed so I’m all for it.
Don Predicts: Nia Jax initially retains the WWE Women’s Championship; Tiffany Stratton cashes in her Money in the Bank contract to win the title.
Damian Priest vs. Finn Balor. WWE did the best they could with what they had to work with. Let’s face it, Balor has become moderately more credible in the last year, but a lot of damage was done prior to that and he’s still not in a place where he’s seen as a top talent even being positioned as the head of the Judgment Day. I’m hoping this is a one-and-done payoff to the rivalry.
Don Predicts: Damian Priest defeats Finn Balor.
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I don’t need an 18 match card, but 5 doesn’t seem to be the sweet spot. There can be variety in match length. Not every wrestler, like Nia, is made for Bret Hart match lengths.
I would agree that 6 or even if you wanted to sneak in a quick 7th match would be acceptable.