WWE's Bad Blood premium live event on Saturday is aptly named, with the card featuring several major grudge matches that have been built up for months. Two of those matches will draw significant attention, with CM Punk meeting Drew McIntyre inside Hell in a Cell and Roman Reigns returning to action to team with Cody Rhodes against Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu of the Bloodline.
Punk and McIntyre's issues have seen them feuding for months, with things getting increasingly violent. It only made sense that their issues would finally land them inside one of WWE's most infamous matches.
As for Reigns, he has been out of action since losing the undisputed WWE championship to Rhodes at WrestleMania. In Reigns' absence, Sikoa has taken control of the Bloodline and transformed the group into a pack of wild dogs. Reigns finally made his return in recent weeks, attacking Sikoa and his Bloodline, leading to a tense team-up with Rhodes.
Elsewhere on the card, the ongoing rivalry between women's world champion Liv Morgan and Rhea Ripley adds a new chapter when the two square off. They have been at each other's throats since Dominik Mysterio left Ripley for Morgan in an epic betrayal at SummerSlam. Mysterio won't be able to assist Morgan this time, however, as he will be locked in a shark tank.
Along with that feud is the ongoing battle between Damian Priest and his former stablemate Finn Balor. Priest, along with Ripley, were considered the leaders of The Judgement Day for a long time before Mysterio and Balor turned on them both at SummerSlam. Balor cost Priest the world heavyweight title and Priest has been out for revenge ever since, mostly losing the numbers game to the formidable Judgement Day and its five members. Now, Priest and Balor will square off and Judgement Day is likely to factor in some way.
Let's take a look at who the CBS Sports experts are picking to win in each match on Saturday's card.
WWE Bad Blood 2024 predictions
CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre (Hell in a Cell): Both men have promised significant levels of violence -- and blood -- in this one. McIntyre won their first meeting and Punk won the second. It really comes down to who "needs" the win more. Punk is a legend and could probably come out of things fine if he doesn't win the overall feud, but his return to WWE was such a big deal and then he was shelved by injury quickly, it only makes sense for him to come out the victor in his first major storyline. Hopefully, both men can deliver a match that matches the level of anticipation fans have for it and stay healthy in the process. Pick: CM Punk wins -- Brent Brookhouse (also Shakiel Mahjouri)
Cody Rhodes & Roman Reigns vs. Solo Sikoa & Jacob Fatu: Beating WWE's two biggest stars of the last five years is exactly what the new Bloodline need heading into Survivor Series. There's enough going against Reigns and Rhodes that you can give their foes the nod on Saturday. The WrestleMania rivals have an uneasy alliance against a team with better chemistry. Reigns can also lean on ring rust, competing for the first time in six months. It's important that Fatu and Sikoa are positioned strongly ahead of a hypothesized Bloodline vs. Bloodline battle at the end of November. Give the new blood the nod. Pick: Sikoa & Fatu win -- Mahjouri
While I can certainly see the logic in having the new Bloodline win, Reigns returning to the ring for the first time since losing the title to Rhodes at WrestleMania certainly seems to tilt things in his team's direction. The story of Sikoa's Bloodline isn't one of domination so much as it is of a new, out-of-control nature that is going to eventually cause instability. Losing in these moments -- especially if it's Sikoa who takes the pin -- furthers the storyline and gives Reigns his big comeback moment. Pick: Rhodes & Reigns win -- Brookhouse
Women's World Championship -- Liv Morgan (c) vs. Rhea Ripley: This is the toughest call on the card and really this could go either way. Raw has a big problem in the women's locker room. Who is ready to challenge the winner of this feud? Simply because it feels like the answer to that question at the moment is "nobody," it makes me think Morgan retains to drag out the issues with Ripley another month or two, even if Dominik Mysterio is locked in a shark tank for the match. Pick: Liv Morgan wins -- Brookhouse (also Mahjouri)
WWE Women's Championship -- Nia Jax (c) vs. Bayley: WWE under Paul Levesque's creative reign prefers sustained title reigns. There's the occasional hot potato-ing, such as with the intercontinental title, but it's not the status quo. Jax is only two months into her WWE women's title reign and is rematching the woman she beat for the title. Bayley won the title in a nice WrestleMania moment but the subsequent reign wasn't memorable. The dynamic between Jax and Tiffany Stratton is far more interesting and should be prioritized. Pick: Nia Jax wins -- Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)
Damian Priest vs. Finn Balor: The Judgment Day matches are some of the harder ones to judge. Much of it comes down to how long WWE wants to drag out the story. The villainous faction has a firmly established presence on Raw. That somewhat shields Balor and company from start-stop booking. Priest defied expectations as a transitional world champion with a good title reign. It's important he's booked strongly unless WWE wants to abandon the time they invested in him. Pick: Damian Priest wins -- Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)
