WWE Bad Blood 2024: Roman Reigns Losing And 5 Smart Booking Decisions

WWE Bad Blood 2024 will mark the culmination of the long-running feud between CM Punk and Drew McIntyre as well as the latest storyline twist in The Bloodline saga.

Headlined by Punk vs. McIntyre and an unlikely tag team match pitting Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes against Jacob Fatu and Solo Sikoa, Bad Blood in Atlanta is expected to be yet another sellout for WWE as the company looks to extend its streak of stellar pay-per-views. August’s Bash in Berlin was the highest-grossing arena event in company history while just a few weeks prior SummerSlam had its largest crowd of all-time.

Perhaps just as importantly, both shows delivered strong in-ring performances from top to bottom and featured major storyline occurrences, such as Reigns’ return at SummerSlam or Punk’s first singles victory in a decade at Bash in Berlin.

And Bad Blood? Well, The Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer (h/t Wrestling Inc) said the show nearly sold out immediately and ranks “among the most in-demand tickets in pro wrestling history,” after the secondary market “exploded.” WWE’s tried-and-true formula of five-match pay-per-view cards has been a hit, with fewer matches but, overall, more bang for your buck. Bad Blood should be no different.

As one of only three PPVs left in 2024, Bad Blood will also have many major storyline ramifications heading into Survivor Series and Royal Rumble season. With just five matches yet again, the booking of those bouts is even more important.

Here are five smart creative decisions WWE must make at Bad Blood 2024.

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Finn Balor Topples Damian Priest

Even as a former Universal and NXT Champion, Finn Balor hasn’t been pushed all that well as a single star in WWE over the past few years, largely losing to other stars slightly above him on the card.

Now, he finds himself in a similar situation with Damian Priest, his former Judgment Day stablemate who’s now his archnemesis. Priest, settling in nicely as one of Raw’s top babyfaces, currently appears to be a bigger priority than Balor in the eyes of the creative team, but there is still plenty of time left in this storyline.

In lengthy feuds between bitter rivalries that extend for months and result in numerous matches, the best and most logical booking is to stack the odds against the babyface. That’s why at Bad Blood there isn’t much logic behind Priest beating Balor clean as a sheet in their first major match. If that happened, where would WWE go from there? Exactly.

The best scenario here is for the Judgment Day’s advantages in the numbers game to get the best of Priest, with outside interference costing the one-time World Heavyweight Champion the win.

Rhea Ripley Gets Shafted Out Of Women’s World Title

Liv Morgan has held the Women’s World Championship since May’s King and Queen of the Ring, and yet, the timing simply isn’t right for a title change.

Morgan’s feud with Rhea Ripley is carrying the Raw’s women’s division, which has struggled to create compelling storylines outside of their wildly entertaining rivalry. With marquee names like Asuka sidelined while Becky Lynch remains a free agent, WWE needs to continue Ripley vs. Morgan for the foreseeable future.

And why not? The feud, despite going on for most of the year, is still red hot, and truth be told, there aren’t many other options right now for either woman as champion. The best way to keep Ripley and Morgan as relevant as they are is to have them continue their rivalry.

The ultimate climax of Ripley vs. Morgan is clearly going to be Ripley’s big win, and with both Crown Jewel and Survivor Series taking place just next month, WWE can easily extend this rivalry by holding off on Ripley’s win. Similarly to Priest vs. Balor, booking the heel to win via help from Judgment Day is a sensible booking move that could lead to another match in the near future.

Nia Jax Retains The WWE Women’s Championship

Nia Jax has been a dominant WWE Women’s Champion on SmackDown, and her biggest potential rivals are currently in the tag team division.

It’s clear that Jax is being built up as such an unstoppable champion in order to set the stage for a blockbuster match with Bianca Belair or Jade Cargill. Beyond those two stars, there really isn’t much depth to the SmackDown women’s division, save for a potential return from Charlotte Flair.

Still, the biggest rivalries lying ahead for Jax don't involve her Bad Blood opponent Bayley. This instead feels much more like a stopgap rivalry before something bigger down the road, which necessitates a win for Jax at Bad Blood, where she will enter as the overwhelming favorite.

That’s the way it should be, too. Jax has been great as SmackDown’s top titleholder, and there’s no need to take the title off her until the time is just right.

CM Punk Wins Feud-Ending Hell In A Cell Match

CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre is one of those historic rivalries that can easily be revisited down the road, but with their Hell in a Cell match also serving as the rubber match, Bad Blood is almost assuredly going to serve as the end of this feud.

An argument could be made that both stars could use the win, but who needs it more? Consider this: Punk is in the midst of his first major rivalry in WWE more than a decade, and the former WWE Champion is reportedly in line for a potential World Heavyweight Championship feud with Gunther at Survivor Series.

Then, it becomes clear that Punk needs to win at Bad Blood. McIntyre, after all, has been absolutely tremendous as a heel, and after recently re-signing with WWE, his strong performances as Raw’s top villains figure to keep him in a prominent role at or near the top of the card. What’s more, a loss at Hell in a Cell could also force McIntyre to become an even more detestable heel in the weeks and months ahead.

Punk, on the other hand, is the beloved babyface who is likely going to be involved in a significant match at Survivor Series and, long-term, will play a sizable role during WrestleMania season. He needs the win at Bad Blood and the momentum boost it will give him more than McIntyre, a tremendous villain who can become a bigger one with an “L” in Atlanta.

Roman Reigns And Cody Rhodes Lose To The Bloodline

Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes have formed an unlikely alliance as a 2024 version of The Mega Powers, but given their long and storied history, how much will they really get along at Bad Blood?

It was initially suggested that Punk vs. McIntyre would headline Bad Blood, but the latest report is that Rhodes and Reigns vs. Fatu and Sikoa will main event the show instead. Thus, it should come as no surprise if the placement of this match on the card plays a role in the outcome of the bout.

If this Bloodline tag team match indeed closes out Bad Blood as expected, there is likely going to be a major cliffhanger-type angle at the top of the show. That could range from a shocking return, like Jimmy Uso, Paul Heyman or even—gasp—The Rock, or maybe a heel turn from Kevin Owens. Regardless, the question here is: who needs the win the most?

The answer? Fatu. The clear star of the new-look Bloodline, Fatu will be participating in the biggest match of his young career, and given the star power involved on the babyface side, the easiest possible decision would be to have Reigns and Rhodes win in resounding fashion.

But how about taking a risk? Fatu has been an immediate hit so far, and WWE needs to ride that wave, which means that Reigns and Rhodes need to suffer a rare loss at Bad Blood—one that can easily be booked in a way that protects both stars, especially if someone like Heyman or even The Rock shows up in shocking fashion.