| Bad Blood: Atlanta | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Promotional poster featuringCM Punk andDrew McIntyre | |||
| Promotion | WWE | ||
| Brand(s) | Raw SmackDown | ||
| Date | October 5, 2024 | ||
| City | Atlanta, Georgia | ||
| Venue | State Farm Arena | ||
| Attendance | 16,902[1] | ||
| WWE event chronology | |||
| |||
| Bad Blood chronology | |||
| |||
The 2024Bad Blood, also promoted asBad Blood: Atlanta, was aprofessional wrestlingpay-per-view (PPV) andlivestreamingevent produced by the AmericancompanyWWE. It was the fourthBad Blood and took place on Saturday, October 5, 2024, at theState Farm Arena inAtlanta,Georgia, which was the 27-year anniversary of thefirst event that also featured the firstHell in a Cell match. The event was the first Bad Blood to be held for wrestlers from both theRaw andSmackDownbrand divisions, after the Raw-exclusive2003 and2004 events, the first Bad Blood to be held since 2004, the first Bad Blood to air on WWE's livestreaming platforms, and the first Bad Blood to be broadcast in high definition. WWE wrestlersNaomi and reigningWWE Women's Tag Team ChampionsBianca Belair andJade Cargill served as hosts of the event.
This was the first WWE event to take place on the same night as anUltimate Fighting Championship (UFC) PPV after the two companies merged to formTKO Group Holdings in September 2023. As a result, Bad Blood had a start time of 6:00 p.m.Eastern Time to avoid counter programming againstUFC 307.
Five matches were contested at the event. In the main event, which was the main match from SmackDown,Cody Rhodes andRoman Reigns defeatedThe Bloodline (Solo Sikoa andJacob Fatu) in atag team match. In the opening bout, which was Raw's main match,CM Punk defeatedDrew McIntyre in a Hell in a Cell match. The event marked the returns ofRaquel Rodriguez,Jimmy Uso, andThe Rock, as well as appearances by former WWEring announcerLilian Garcia, former multiple-timeWWE Women's ChampionMickie James, andWWE Hall of FamersBooker T,Jacqueline,Arn Anderson,Tully Blanchard, andGoldberg.
The event received generally positive reviews, with the Hell in a Cell match between CM Punk and Drew McIntyre receiving acclaim for its brutality and as the culmination of their ten-month feud.
_Arena%2c_Atlanta%2c_GA_(46558861525)_-_2019.jpg)
Bad Blood is aprofessional wrestling event produced by the American promotionWWE. It was first held as the18th In Your Housepay-per-view (PPV) event on October 5, 1997.[2] After six years, Bad Blood returned as its own PPV event, with both the2003 and2004 editions taking place in June and held exclusively for wrestlers of theRawbrand.[3][4] In 2005, Bad Blood was doubly replaced byOne Night Stand andVengeance, which were both held in June that year.[5][6] Bad Blood was originally to be revived in July 2017,[7] but these plans were scrapped in favor of an event titledGreat Balls of Fire.[8] The original Bad Blood also introduced theHell in a Cell match, a 20-foot-high roofed cell structure that surrounds the ring and ringside area, and it was featured as the main event of all three prior events.[2][3][4]
On July 6, 2024, WWE uploaded aYouTube video featuringUndisputed WWE ChampionCody Rhodes and American record producerMetro Boomin, both residents ofAtlanta, Georgia, where they officially announced the return of Bad Blood after 20 years;[9] Metro andFuture's song "GTA" (featuringYoung Thug), from the 2024 albumWe Don't Trust You, would be announced as the official theme song of the event on September 27.[10] The fourth Bad Blood was scheduled for Atlanta'sState Farm Arena on Saturday, October 5, 2024, the 27-year anniversary of the first Bad Blood, marking the first Bad Blood held on a Saturday. Tickets went on sale on July 19 viaTicketmaster.[9] The event featured wrestlers from the Raw andSmackDown brand divisions and was co-hosted by SmackDown wrestlersNaomi and reigningWWE Women's Tag Team Champions,Bianca Belair andJade Cargill.[11]
In addition to airing on traditional PPV worldwide, this was the first Bad Blood to air on WWE'slivestreaming platforms,Peacock in the United States and theWWE Network in most international markets, the latter of which was the company's first streaming platform that launched in 2014.[12] This would subsequently be the only Bad Blood to air live on the standalone WWE Network, as it ceased operations in its available markets whenNetflix gained the rights in January 2025.[13]
To avoid counter programming againstUFC 307, which took place the same night at theDelta Center inSalt Lake City, Utah, Bad Blood had an earlier start time of 6:00 p.m.Eastern Time (ET). This was subsequently be the first time that both WWE andUltimate Fighting Championship (UFC) held an event on the same night since the two companies merged to formTKO Group Holdings in September 2023.[14]
The event included five matches that resulted from scripted storylines. Results were predetermined by WWE's writers on the Raw and SmackDown brands,[15][16] while storylines were produced on WWE's weekly television shows,Monday Night Raw andFriday Night SmackDown.[17]
AtSummerSlam,Liv Morgan defeatedRhea Ripley to retain theWomen's World Championship after seemingly accidental interference from Ripley's on-screen love interest andJudgment Day stablemate,"Dirty" Dominik Mysterio. Following the match, however, Mysterio turned on Ripley and kissed Morgan, ending their partnership. Later that night, fellow Judgment Day memberDamian Priest lost theWorld Heavyweight Championship after he was betrayed by fellow stablemateFinn Bálor.[18] Bálor subsequently excommunicated Priest and Ripley from the group, with the faction now consisting of Bálor, Mysterio, Morgan,JD McDonagh, andCarlito. Amixed tag team match betweenThe Terror Twins (Priest and Ripley) and Judgment Day (Mysterio and Morgan) then occurred atBash in Berlin, which The Terror Twins won with Ripley pinning Morgan, despite interference from the rest of The Judgment Day.[19] On the following episode ofRaw, Morgan attacked Ripley and injured her leg, while later that night, Priest andJey Uso teamed up to defeat The Judgment Day (Bálor and McDonagh).[20] The following week, it was announced that Morgan would defend her championship against Ripley in a rematch at Bad Blood, while Priest and Bálor also agreed to a match at the event.[21] On the September 23 episode, it was announced that Mysterio would be locked in ashark cage suspended above the ring during Ripley and Morgan's match.[22]
At theRoyal Rumble in January,CM Punk eliminatedDrew McIntyre in the men'sRoyal Rumble match. During the match, McIntyre legitimately injured Punk's triceps after a botched landing of the Future Shock DDT.[23] Over the next few months, McIntyre taunted Punk on social media for causing his injury.[24] Punk retaliated by costing McIntyre the World Heavyweight Championship atWrestleMania XL in April,[25] atClash at the Castle: Scotland in McIntyre's home country in June,[26] and atMoney in the Bank in McIntyre's namesakecash-in match in July.[27] At SummerSlam, McIntyre defeated Punk, which featuredSeth "Freakin" Rollins as thespecial guest referee.[18] This led to a rematch at Bash in Berlin, which was contested as astrap match, which Punk won. During the climax of the match, Punk retrieved the bracelet that McIntyre had stolen some weeks ago. This bracelet was a gift to Punk which was adorned with his wife (AJ Lee) and dog's (Larry) names.[19] On the following episode ofRaw, McIntyre brutally attacked Punk and snapped the bracelet.[20] On the next episode, McIntyre claimed that he ended Punk's career, only for Raw General ManagerAdam Pearce to inform McIntyre that he would be facing Punk in a Hell in a Cell match at Bad Blood.[21]
AtKing and Queen of the Ring in May, SmackDown'sNia Jax won theQueen of the Ring tournament, earning a match for her brand'sWWE Women's Championship at SummerSlam,[28] where she defeatedBayley to win the title after interference from her ally,Tiffany Stratton.[18] On the August 30 episode ofSmackDown, Stratton interfered in Jax's title defense, however, Stratton was impeded by a returning Bayley.[29] On the September 13 episode, Jax stated that SmackDown General ManagerNick Aldis informed her that she would defend her title at Bad Blood. Bayley appeared and stated that she wanted a rematch. This prompted Naomi to come out and declare that she also wanted a title match. Jax then proposed atag team match with herself and Stratton against Bayley and Naomi for the following week, albeit with two stipulations: if Bayley and Naomi won, the woman who scored the pinfall would face Jax for the title at Bad Blood; however, if Jax and Stratton won, the woman who was pinned would beforced to leave the SmackDown brand. Bayley and Naomi accepted.[30] On September 20, Aldis announced that the match would be contested as atornado tag team match, and onSmackDown that night, Bayley and Naomi were declared co-winners as they simultaneously pinned Jax. Aldis then scheduled a match between Bayley and Naomi for the following week where the winner would face Jax for the title at Bad Blood,[31] which was won by Bayley.[32]
.jpg)
On Night 2 of WrestleMania XL in April, Cody Rhodes defeatedRoman Reigns to win the Undisputed WWE Championship in aBloodline Rules match, ending Reigns' historic title reign at 1,316 days.[25] After the event, Reigns took an extended hiatus whileSolo Sikoa appointed himself as the new leader ofThe Bloodline, removingJimmy Uso and managerPaul Heyman from the group while addingTama Tonga,Tonga Loa, andJacob Fatu. Sikoa would also begin referring to himself as the new Tribal Chief of the group. Rhodes subsequently began a rivalry with this new iteration of The Bloodline. At SummerSlam, Rhodes defeated Sikoa in a Bloodline Rules match to retain the title after interference from a returning Reigns.[18] On the September 13 episode ofSmackDown, Rhodes successfully defended the title against Sikoa once again, this time in asteel cage match. Following the match, Rhodes was attacked by The Bloodline which prompted Reigns to come out and assist Rhodes. Later that night, Sikoa proposed a tag team match with himself and Fatu against Rhodes and Reigns at Bad Blood. Rhodes initially declined, stating that his feud with The Bloodline was over. Later, Reigns addressed the fans and stated that he did not need Rhodes's help as it was family business. Rhodes appeared, seemingly teasing a title rematch between himself and Reigns, however, both were ambushed by The Bloodline. Rhodes and Reigns then reluctantly signed the contract, thus making the tag team match official for Bad Blood.[30]
| Role: | Name: |
|---|---|
| Hosts | Bianca Belair |
| Jade Cargill | |
| Naomi | |
| English commentators | Michael Cole |
| Corey Graves | |
| Spanish commentators | Marcelo Rodríguez |
| Jerry Soto | |
| Ring announcer | Samantha Irvin |
| Referees | Jason Ayers |
| Shawn Bennett | |
| Jessika Carr | |
| Dan Engler | |
| Daphanie LaShaunn | |
| Interviewers | Cathy Kelley |
| Jackie Redmond | |
| Pre-show panel | Megan Morant |
| Sam Roberts | |
| Pre-show correspondent | Peter Rosenberg |
The Countdown to Bad Blood took place at WWE Headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut.
The opening match was the Hell in a Cell match between CM Punk and Drew McIntyre. Punk and McIntyre brawled immediately after the bell rang. Punk had his head busted open by McIntyre who proceeded to grind a wrench in Punk's head wound. Punk then threw a toolbox onto McIntyre's head, busting him open as well. Punk and McIntyre exchanged theirGo To Sleep knee andClaymore kick finishers, but both kicked out of the pinfall attempts. Punk would then put McIntyre in theSharpshooter submission hold. After McIntyre hit a superplex on Punk through a table, Punk hit anotherGTS but McIntyre responded by hitting Punk withWhite Noise on the ring steel steps. Punk would then put McIntyre in theAnaconda Vice submission hold. McIntyre would gain the advantage with a low-blow on Punk. McIntyre then retrieved a black bag thought to contain thumbtacks, but would actually contain bracelet beads that resembled the bracelet Punk had containing the letters of his wife AJ Lee and dog Larry. McIntyre dumped the beads on Punk's head and prepared to finish Punk. Punk was able to avoid McIntyre'sClaymore kick, which made McIntyre land on the steel steps with his lower back. After tying a steel chain around his left knee, Punk took a handful of bracelet beads and stuffed them in McIntyre's mouth, reenacting what McIntyre did to Punk several weeks prior onRaw after destroying the bracelet. Punk then used his left knee that had the steel chain wrapped around it to hit theGTS on McIntyre to win the match and end their feud.[1]
In the second match, Nia Jax defended the WWE Women's Championship against Bayley. Bayley used her speed and aggression to gain an advantage, while Jax used her size and strength to counter. In the climax of the match, Bayley hit a pop-up stunner on Jax who proceeded to inadvertently fall onto the referee. Bayley was able to hit herRose Plant finisher on Jax but could not earn the pinfall due to the referee being incapacitated. This allowed Tiffany Stratton to run into the ring and attack Bayley. As Stratton was considering to cash-in herMoney in the Bank briefcase, Jax recovered and caught Stratton red-handed. Stratton ultimately decided not to cash in and distract Bayley. This distraction allowed Jax to hit aSamoan drop on Bayley from the second rope, followed by theAnnihilator finisher on Bayley to retain the title.[1]
The third match was between Damian Priest and Finn Bálor. Priest took control of the match early, though Bálor used his speed and agility to counter Priest's size. After exchanging blows, Priest gained the advantage when he hit Bálor with an apron powerbomb. Shortly after, Bálor's Judgment Day stablemates Carlito and JD McDonagh arrived to interfere. After Priest took out Carlito and McDonagh, Balor was able to hit hisCoup de Grace stomp finisher on Priest twice for a nearfall. After catching Bálor on his thirdCoup de Grace attempt, Priest hit hisSouth of Heaven chokeslam on Bálor to win the match.[1]
Next, WWE Chief Content OfficerPaul "Triple H" Levesque came to the ring for a major announcement. Triple H announced that atCrown Jewel, the reigning men's and women's world champions would face each other in an annual event. While the world titles won't be contested at the event, the respective winners of the men's and women's matches would be named Crown Jewel Champion. Shortly after,World Heavyweight ChampionGunther arrived and touted his confidence in winning the Crown Jewel Championship. Gunther then noticedWWE Hall of FamerGoldberg, who was in attendance with his son Gage, a college football linebacker for theColorado Buffaloes football team. Gunther then insulted Goldberg's parenting skills, prompting Goldberg to hop the barricade and confront Gunther. As security and WWE officials separated Goldberg from Gunther,Sami Zayn, who was set to challenge for the title on the following episode ofRaw, arrived and attacked Gunther. The segment ended with Goldberg warning Gunther "You're Next".[1]
In the fourth match, Liv Morgan defended the Women's World Championship against Rhea Ripley. A stipulation for the match was that Morgan's on-screen love interest and Judgment Day stablemate "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio had to be suspended in the air in a shark cage. Morgan would target Ripley's left knee (which had been previously injured) to gain an advantage and was able to hit aCodebreaker, but Ripley was able to overcome it. During the match, Mysterio was able to unlock the shark cage but got his foot caught and was left hanging from the cage. After hittingRiptide on Morgan in the ring, Ripley decided not to pin Morgan yet after seeing Mysterio hanging from the cage. Ripley grabbed a kendo stick and proceeded to repeatedly strike Mysterio with it. The attack would continue untilRaquel Rodriguez, having returned after a seven-month hiatus, appeared and attacked Ripley. As a result, Ripley won the match via disqualification. However, since championships do not change hands via disqualification or countout unless otherwise stipulated, Morgan remained champion.[1]
In the main event, Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns faced off against Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu of The Bloodline in a tag team match. Rhodes and Fatu started the match for their respective teams. Despite an early offensive flurry from Rhodes that included aDisaster Kick, Fatu brushed it off no worse for wear. Shortly after Reigns and Sikoa tagged in and began a physical exchange. After Reigns started to gain the upper hand, Fatu's interference gave the Bloodline the advantage. After receiving a series of hip attacks in a ring corner from Sikoa and then Fatu, Reigns was able to make the hot tag to Rhodes. Rhodes landed consecutively a scooped power slam, theBionic Elbow andCody Cutter on Fatu. Before Rhodes could hit hisCross Rhodes finisher, Sikoa provided a distraction that allowed Fatu to hit a pop-upSamoan Drop on Rhodes. Fatu and Sikoa then isolated Rhodes from Reigns for a lengthy beatdown. Rhodes finally escaped and provided a hot tag to Reigns, turning the tide. After Sikoa kicked out of a crucifix pin, Reigns hit hisSuperman Punch on Sikoa and was set to hit his spear finisher before Fatu interfered. Fatu and Sikoa hit a series of superkicks on Reigns then hitting a jump-up moonsault/top-rope splash combination, but Rhodes broke the pinfall. Rhodes recovered and brawled with Fatu outside the ring. Rhodes sent Fatu through a ringside barricade into the timekeeper's area, but an unfazed Fatu started throwing chairs at Rhodes. After hitting theCross Rhodes on Fatu ringside Rhodes proceeded to place Fatu on the announce table. After saluting Reigns, Rhodes hit a top-rope splash on Fatu through the announce table. In the ring, Sikoa and Reigns exchanged blows before Reigns landed anotherSuperman Punch on Sikoa. Before he could hit his spear finisher, Reigns was distracted byWWE Tag Team Champions Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa. Sikoa was able to hit aSpear on Reigns for a nearfall. As Sikoa looked to hit hisSamoan Spike on Reigns, Sikoa was distracted by the arrival of a hooded individual. After neutralizing Tama and Loa, the hooded individual was revealed to be Jimmy Uso, having returned after a six-month hiatus. This allowed Reigns to hit theSpear on Sikoa to win the match.[1]
After the match, Reigns and Uso embraced one another as Rhodes returned to the ring. After sharing a word with Rhodes, Reigns left the ring with Uso. Rhodes was then immediately jumped by the Bloodline, prompting Reigns and Uso to come to Rhodes' aid as they fought off the Bloodline. As Rhodes, Reigns, and Uso stood tall in the ring, Reigns returned the Undisputed WWE Championship to Rhodes.The Rock then made a surprise appearance and stared down Reigns, Rhodes, and Uso from the entranceway. Without saying anything, The Rock counted to three, usingJohn Cena's signature hand gesture and made a throat-slash gesture before leaving.[1]
The event received generally positive reviews, with the Hell in a Cell match between CM Punk and Drew McIntyre being singled out for praise,[33][34][35] and was awarded a5-star rating byDave Meltzer, becoming both Punk's third five-star match and his first since his match against John Cena atMoney in the Bank, and McIntyre's second ever five-star match each in WWE, as well as the highest-rated match of the event. The other matches received the following ratings from Meltzer: the WWE Women's Championship match received1+3⁄4 stars (the lowest score of the event), the Damian Priest-Finn Bálor match3+1⁄4 stars, the Women's World Championship match 2 stars, and the tag team main event4+1⁄4 stars.[36]
CM Punk opened the following episode ofRaw to thank the fans who loved him, his peers, and those who hated him because without them he would not have achieved success in WWE.[37]
Women's World Champion Liv Morgan teamed with Raquel Rodriguez to take on Rhea Ripley's team on the October 14 episode ofRaw. The match ended in a no-contest when WWE Women's Champion Nia Jax interfered.[38] Morgan was planned to defend the Women's World Championship against Ripley in a rematch at Crown Jewel, but Ripley suffered a legitimate orbital bone injury. Ripley was then written off television on the October 29 episode ofNXT, where Morgan and Rodriguez attacked Ripley in the parking lot of theWWE Performance Center.[39]
Lilian Garcia, who made her first WWE appearance since 2019 during the event, returned toRaw for the first time in 15 years on the October 21 episode as a ring announcer. She was subsequently announced as having become a full-time ring announcer for the brand, replacingSamantha Irvin who left the company.[40]
Goldberg would confront World Heavyweight Champion Gunther on the June 16, 2025, episode ofRaw, setting up a match between them forSaturday Night's Main Event XL, which would also be Goldberg's retirement match.[41]
After the event, fan footage from outside State Farm Arena showed Cody Rhodes at his tour bus about to prepare for the post-show press conference whenKevin Owens confronted him. Rhodes and Owens argued, which escalated when Owens attacked Rhodes, turning Owensheel for the first time since 2022, and disbanding the trio of Rhodes, Owens, andRandy Orton. Security and WWE officials were able to separate them. Paul "Triple H" Levesque addressed the issue, stating that it would be handled internally.[42] This would eventually lead to a match between Orton and Owens at Crown Jewel.[43]
On the following episode ofSmackDown, Jimmy Uso told Roman Reigns they needed help against Solo Sikoa's Bloodline (Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, and Jacob Fatu), insinuating to bring back Jimmy's brother Jey Uso, who had left the group on his own terms a year ago and was moved over to Raw, but Reigns was against the idea.[44] Jimmy then appeared on the October 14 episode ofRaw to make amends himself, but Jey declined.[38] Sikoa and his Bloodline wanted to recruit Jey but they caused Jey to lose hisIntercontinental Championship the following week,[45] and Jey caused The Tongans to lose the WWE Tag Team Championship on the October 25 episode ofSmackDown. Later, Jey and Jimmy embraced, reunitingThe Usos, while Reigns watched on.[43] It was then announced that Reigns and The Usos would take on Sikoa, Fatu, and Tama in a six-man tag team match at Crown Jewel.[46]
On August 6, 2025, WWE announced thatESPN'sdirect-to-consumer streaming service would assume the streaming rights of WWE's main roster PPV and livestreaming events in the United States. This was originally to begin withWrestleMania 42 in April 2026, but was pushed up to September 2025 withWrestlepalooza. As such, this was the only Bad Blood to livestream on Peacock in the US.[47][48]
| No. | Results | Stipulations | Times[1] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CM Punk defeatedDrew McIntyre bypinfall | Hell in a Cell match[49] | 31:25 | ||
| 2 | Nia Jax (c) defeatedBayley bypinfall | Singles match for theWWE Women's Championship[49] | 14:10 | ||
| 3 | Damian Priest defeatedFinn Bálor bypinfall | Singles match[49] | 12:45 | ||
| 4 | Rhea Ripley defeatedLiv Morgan (c) (with"Dirty" Dominik Mysterio) bydisqualification | Singles match for theWomen's World Championship[49] Mysterio was suspended above the ringside area in ashark cage. | 14:00 | ||
| 5 | Cody Rhodes andRoman Reigns defeatedThe Bloodline (Solo Sikoa andJacob Fatu) bypinfall | Tag team match[49] | 25:50 | ||
| |||||
Don't Miss WWE Bad Blood, Saturday Oct. 5 at 7 ET. 4 PT on Peacock in the U.S and WWE Network everywhere else.