CM Punk and Drew McIntyre gave everything in a violent Hell in a Cell match at WWE Bad Blood, but everyone will be talking about The Bloodline after Saturday night. Roman Reigns stood tall in his first match since April's WrestleMania 40 and Jimmy Uso returned after a six-month absence, yet even those headlines are overshadowed by The Rock.
Archenemies Reigns and Rhodes' temporary alliance against Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu was successful. The fan-favorites overcame the odds thanks to Uso's return. Uso's appearance builds anticipation towards Survivor Series: WarGames on Nov. 30, while Dwayne Johnson's arrival poses new questions.
The exciting final moments of Bad Blood should not overshadow the fantastic opening match. Punk and McIntyre seemingly concluded their nine-month rivalry in a grueling Hell in a Cell match.
CBS Sports was with you the whole way through the event, providing updates and highlights as the action goes down in the live blog below.
2024 WWE Bad Blood results, grades
CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre (Hell in a Cell match): No feeling out process was needed. The bitter rivals brawled inside and outside of the ring the moment the bell rang. Punk tried introducing a table, but McIntyre intercepted with a steel chair. The pair got creative with a toolbox as Punk drove a wrench into McIntyre's forehead. Their brutal inventiveness did not stop. McIntyre yanked the legs off a table but would regret it as Punk drove the wedge into his foe's throat. McIntyre turned the tables by catching Punk off guard with a Claymore Kick. McIntyre told a bloodied Punk, "I'll end your career and your wife will leave you!" McIntyre drove steel steps into Punk's head and ground the wrench into his open head wound. Punk desperately cracked McIntyre over the head with the toolbox and busted his head open. The superstars did not give each other or the crowd a break, feeding into the feud's intensity. Punk and McIntyre exchanged finishing moves, hitting the GTS and Claymore, respectively. Punk and McIntyre recreated the iconic Bret Hart and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin spot from WrestleMania 13. Blood poured from McIntyre's face as Punk applied the sharpshooter.
The crowd roared in approval as the superstars took a brief rest while the referee wiped blood from McIntyre's face. The hiatus didn't last long though as the superstars crashed through a table ringside with a superplex. Punk scored another GTS but McIntyre one-upped him by hitting Sheamus' White Noise onto the steel steps. Punk countered a tilt-a-whirl slam variant into an Anaconda Vice. McIntyre tried to reach for a wrench to aid in his escape but Punk snatched it from him and jammed it in his face. Punk looked ready to land a seminal blow but McIntyre reared back and nailed him with a legal low blow. McIntyre revealed a bag -- presumed to be thumbtacks -- and dumped the contents on Punk's head. They weren't thumbtacks but blue, white and red plastic beads resembling Punk's friendship bracelet, a key symbolic item in their long feud. McIntyre's flare for the dramatic cost him. He whiffed on a Claymore Kick. Punk capitalized by wrapping a chain around his knee, stuffing beads in McIntyre's mouth and hitting the match-ending GTS.
A very entertaining match that lived up to the intense, nine-month feud that's dominated Monday Night Raw. Punk was administered oxygen post-match by medical staff as McIntyre watched in anguish. I appreciate the callback to the friendship bracelet but the bead spot was a little silly. Punk def. McIntyre via pinfall. Grade: A
WWE Women's Championship -- Nia Jax (c) vs. Bayley: Jax and Bayley's Bad Blood battle hit many of the same notes from their SummerSlam collision but worse. Jax was the Goliath to Bayley's David. The biggest difference between the two matches was Bayley's aggression. The challenger relied not only on speed but also on viciousness to keep Jax on her heels. Bayley stayed on the champ, kicking and punching her in between suicide dives. It was a good execution in theory, but multiple miscues dragged the match down. Jax tried to add new wrinkles but they were sloppy. Jax executed a hurricanrana that looked nothing like the move, and didn't do her part to make Bayley's sunset flip look clean. Jax sent Bayley outside the ring with a powerful kick out but it looked flat visually.
Jax crushed Bayley with a powerbomb into steel steps before tossing her into the barricade. A pop-up Samoan drop by Jax looked awful, made even worse by a slightly better Samoan drop attempt by Bayley shortly after. Bayley caught Jax with a pop-up stunner and Roseplant but couldn't pick up the pinfall because the referee was inadvertently struck. Stratton attacked Bayley while the referee was unconscious, but Jax came just in time to see Stratton seemingly teasing a cash in. Ultimately, Stratton stayed loyal to Jax. She distracted Bayley long enough for the champ to land a match-ending Banzai drop for the win. Jax def. Bayley via pinfall to retain the title. Grade: C
Damian Priest vs. Finn Balor: This battle between former friends started with a tense staredown. Balor tried to get in his former fellow tag team champion's head but it only angered Priest. The former world heavyweight champion whipped Balor from post to post. Balor stayed competitive with his agility and experience, repeatedly halting Priest with striking flurries and well-timed counter moves. A clean exchange of strikes ended with Priest countering a reverse DDT into a Broken Arrow. Balor answered with a sling blade but Priest roared back with a spinning roundhouse kick and leaping clothesline.
Priest had his estranged friend cowering after hitting an apron powerbomb. Fortunately for Balor, he was rescued by his Judgment Day allies. Carlito distracted the referee long enough for JD McDonagh to interfere. Balor hit the Coup de Grace and covered his foe but only got a two-count. Priest recovered and took out the distractions ringside. Balor leapt onto the back of Priest's neck with a pair of Coup de Graces but Priest endured, catching Balor with a match-ending South of Heaven chokeslam. Balor and Priest have loads of chemistry despite their lack of matches against each other. The action was quick and crisp with plenty of momentum swings. Good stuff all around. Priest def. Balor via pinfall. Grade: B+
Women's World Championship -- Liv Morgan (c) vs. Rhea Ripley: Dominik Mysterio looked like a cool customer hitting the stage in a low rider, but his calm demeanor didn't stick. Mysterio was placed in a shark tank as stipulated for the match. Ripley revealed that her ex-boyfriend feared heights as she signaled to WWE staff to suspend Mysterio high over the rampway. The women's world title match hit many of the same notes as their SummerSlam encounter with added vitriol. Morgan leaned on speed and nefarious tactics to neutralize Ripley's power edge but put extra steam into her open-hand slaps. Morgan hit a tidy codebreaker off the second rope. Ripley countered Oblivion with a headspring, which was supremely impressive despite the shaky landing. Ripley mocked Mysterio by channeling her inner Eddie Guerrero with a frog splash. High above the ramp, Mysterio somehow picked the lock and opened the door. His intentions were initially unclear considering how far off the floor he was. Ripley continued to batter Morgan while blowing humiliating kisses and throwing crotch chops at her ex.
Mysterio leaned forward out of concern for Morgan and tumbled out of the shark tank! Mysterio nearly hit the ground head-first but was saved by a chain wrapped around his leg. Ripley told the referee she'd be back to deal with Morgan but had "unfinished business" elsewhere. Ripley took a kendo stick from underneath the ring and walked over to Mysterio suspended helplessly upside down. Ripley wished herself a happy birthday before pelting Mysterio like a pinata. The cathartic beatdown was cut short by a returning Raquel Rodriguez, who blindsided Ripley. The referee called for the bell. Ripley earned the disqualification win but titles do not change hands via DQ or countout. Rodriguez retrieved Morgan's belt and helped her former tag team partner out of the ring. A solid match and a legitimately entertaining stunt by Mysterio. Rodriguez's return from a seven-month absence was a surprise. The match never really kicked into a high gear but it played out well. Ripley def. Morgan via DQ. Grade: B
Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu and Solo Sikoa: Sikoa defiantly held up the ula fala -- the crown of Tribal Chief -- while staring daggers at Reigns. Rhodes and Reigns argued over who should start the match; meanwhile, Sikoa and Fatu hugged after deliberating. This immediately set the tone for the contrast in chemistry between teammates. Rhodes and Fatu ultimately started the match. Fatu has been a dominant force since debuting in WWE, a reputation that grew stronger on Saturday. Fatu brushed off a Disaster Kick -- one of Rhodes' signature moves -- early in the match. A battle of the chiefs followed the short encounter between Rhodes and Fatu. Reigns and Sikoa exchanged heavy blows to the crowd's delight. Reigns got the better of things until Fatu provided the distraction. Sikoa was loud, repeatedly mocking and yelling at Reigns. Rhodes eventually got the hot tag and went to work on Fatu, putting down "The Samoan Werewolf" with a Cody Cutter. The Bloodline's ability to capitalize on distractions continued to serve them as they took back control after Fatu hit the champ with a pop-up powerbomb. Rhodes suffered a far worse beatdown than Reigns did earlier. Particularly nasty were Sikoa's apron powerbomb and consecutive running corner strikes from The Bloodline.
Reigns sent the Atlanta crowd into a frenzy when he finally got the tag. Superman punches took out The Bloodline but everything broke down from there. Reigns set up Sikoa for a spear, but Sikoa interfered in a way that should have resulted in a disqualification. The Bloodline leveled Reigns with superkicks, Sikoa hit Reigns with a jump-up moonsault and Sikoa followed up with a top rope splash. Technically, the referee is supposed to call a DQ if an illegal participant attacks the opposing team's legal superstar for any reason other than to break a pinfall. The carnage escalated as all four men started brawling. Fatu was hardly phased after going through a ringside barricade. Fatu hurled steel chairs at Rhodes. The WWE champ hit Fatu with a Cross Rhodes ringside, laid him across the announcers' table and crashed through Fatu with a splash off the top ropes. Inside the ring, Sikoa got a near fall on Reigns after hitting a spear off the distraction by Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa. A masked superstar leveled the playing field by taking out Tonga and Loa. The person revealed themselves to be Jimmy Uso, who had been absent since Sikoa and Tonga took him out six months ago. A shocked Sikoa walked into a spear and a three-count as Uso bowed in honor of Reigns. Uso and Reigns hugged post-match.
The Bloodline 2.0 attacked Rhodes during Reigns and Uso's exit. Uso and Reigns deliberated on helping Rhodes and rescued the champ after some consideration. Reigns looked deeply into the undisputed WWE title before handing it to Rhodes. Rhodes held up the championship in what seemed to be the show closer before The Rock's music hit. Dwayne Johnson, equipped with the Brahma Belt, appeared at the entranceway. He didn't say a word but raised an eyebrow at Rhodes and Reigns. A very well-executed match. Reigns was victorious in his first match in six months, Fatu looked like a killer, Uso had a big comeback and Sikoa had an excuse for his loss. I'm not convinced The Rock's appearance was necessary unless he's returning to television imminently. Either way, The Bloodline civil war is in full swing and the journey to Survivor Series should be a thrill. Reigns and Rhodes def. Sikoa and Fatu via pinfall. Grade: A-
