WWE Bad Blood 2024: The Rock Returning Headlines 5 Wild Predictions

WWE has done one helluva hype job for Bad Blood 2024. And this was all before The Rock had anything to do with a Premium Live Event featuring the first-time-ever pairing of Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes. Reigns and Rhodes will join forces against The Bloodline in a modern-day version of The Mega Powers. In addition to CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre inside Hell in a Cell—a finale to a storyline for the ages—Bad Blood is one of the most anticipated shows of the year.

But now, hype surrounding a possible Rock return could put it over the top.

Internet sleuths reading the tea leaves on social media have crafted a narrative that The Rock very well could return in Atlanta, and all signs point to The Final Boss making his first WWE appearance since the Raw After WrestleMania 40. Fair or not, the satisfaction level of this pay-per-view seems to hinge on an unadvertised appearance from The Rock. Bad Blood 2024 features five heated matches, and if one of any of these wild predictions come true, it could challenge most Premium Live Events as the best of 2024.

The Rock Comes Back To Atlanta

In the home stretch of the buildup toward WWE Bad Blood, all signs point to The Rock’s WWE return. After a recent interview on the Pat McAfee show, McAfee asked WWE champion Cody Rhodes if “the big guy” was coming back. Rhodes played coy, and McAfee decided he had all the information he needed to determine that “the big guy” (presumably The Rock) was returning at Bad Blood.

Coincidentally enough, Rock will reportedly be attending a high school football game just an hour away from State Farm Arena. WWE is nearing the end of the year and closing in on the beginning of WrestleMania season. During The Rock’s last appearance, he placed a mysterious object in Cody Rhodes’ hand as a cliffhanger until his return. Rhodes, Reigns and the new Bloodline make for all the ingredients to set up for the return of the Final Boss.

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Raquel Rodriguez Joins Judgment Day

Rhea Ripley will face Liv Morgan in a showdown for the WWE Women’s World Championship with Dirty Dominik Mysterio suspended in a shark cage. The old-school stipulation typically ends with the suspended heel dropping a foreign object in the ring, but in this version, perhaps a returning Raquel Rodriguez will assist Morgan in Dom’s absence.

Of course, this is a wild prediction for the sake of being wild, but Rodriguez and Ripley have a long history as rivals in the ring and friends out of it. Rodriguez would also be a great heater for Dom, similar to how the muscular Mami served as a romantic bodyguard. Rodriguez has been out of action for months due to a brutal bout with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), so her return to the ring is secondary to her recovery.

Tiffany Stratton Almost Cashes In Money In The Bank

Tiffany Stratton still seems months away from actually cashing in her Money in the Bank briefcase as Nia Jax continues to bully her blonde, bubbly underling. As fan support for Stratton grows, the former NXT women’s champion recently suffered a singles loss to Naomi on SmackDown.

Stratton very well may tease cashing in her Money in the Bank briefcase, but in a way that helps Nia Jax retain her title all while sowing the seeds of paranoia surrounding the briefcase.

CM Punk Falls Off The Cell Through A Table

There is so much romance and nostalgia surrounding WWE Bad Blood 2024, which occurs 27 years to the day of its debut. WWE Bad Blood 2024 will also feature a Hell in a Cell match, similar to the first-ever Hell in a Cell match between The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels. Punk and McIntyre have spent much of their iconic feud borrowing from the late-’90s hate triangle between HBK, Undertaker and Bret Hart.

One of the most iconic spots of Michaels vs. Undertaker during the original Hell in a Cell saw Shawn Michaels fall from the top of the cell through a table while trying to hold onto the top of the cage for dear life. In addition to a lot of blood, I expect a similar tribute spot from Punk, who recently paid homage to Michaels in a more lighthearted fashion by wearing biker shorts backstage at the NXT premiere on The CW.

Drew McIntyre Beats CM Punk

Drew McIntyre vs. CM Punk has been such a great feud, I could see either man winning what should be their blowoff match inside Hell in a Cell. But Drew McIntyre is younger, and would benefit more from a win. WWE can always go back to this match at WrestleMania 41, possibly for the WWE World Championship.

Though CM Punk has been better than ever as a babyface in WWE—despite getting injured early in his return run—McIntyre has had something of a career renaissance working with Punk. Punk would not be hurt by losing to McIntyre. But given how decisively Punk beat McIntyre in their strap match at Bash in Berlin, McIntyre could lose momentum by suffering another loss at Bad Blood.