WWE is holding its first-ever Premium Live Event in Berlin, Germany. The bash in Berlin was announced in the Autumn of 2023. It marks a new chapter in WWE’s expansion in the global markets for its live show, having held events in Glasgow, Lyon, Toronto, and Perth already in 2024. This will be the company’s last European adventure, with visions to 2025, when Italy and London are already rumoured to play host to events.
Entering this card follows what has become a traditional five-match formula. This format has been criticised by fans and journalists alike for its limitations on some stories and talent. A company with nine sets of title belts and only having five matches means these champions are being sacrificed, especially in the tag and women’s divisions, with neither set of titles being defended on the show. That being said, following, I will give my views on the matches set for the August 31st event
Gunther vs Randy Orton – World Heavyweight Championship – Loser Leaves Raw
The perfect start to Gunther’s reign on top of a win against Orton instantly establishes him in the casual fan’s eyes as a guy who deserves to be at the top of the card, even with the 650+ days with the Intercontinental strap.
This feud began at King of the Ring, where Orton’s botch of a pinfall where a shoulder remained up as Gunther got the winning fall opened up a chance at redemption for Orton. He waited until a championship would be on the line following SummerSlam. At Bash in Berlin the two will go to war over Monday night’s richest prize, this will of course only go one way with Gunther grabbing a win after what should be a barnstorming match in front of a hot crowd. As for story implications, I think this is one-and-done, with Randy Orton being primed for a heel turn and a feud with Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship, which has a rich history to work from. Gunther will go on to find his next challenger likely re-entering The Judgement Day feud with Damian Priest due a rematch for his title and Finn Bálor needing legitimacy to lead this new faction.
Randy Orton
Cody Rhodes vs Kevin Owens – WWE Championship – Main Event
Next in line for the fighting champion tour, Cody Rhodes is facing Kevin Owens. Owens is a ‘baby face’, or good guy for those uninitiated. However, he has been conflicted recently and shows more evil traits, like reintroducing the pop-up powerbomb into his move-set, something we haven’t seen since his last stint on the dark side. I do believe at Bash in Berlin, this will become a feud that has legs with Owens disliking that Rhodes has become more cautious when he considered himself to be a friend of the champion. I’d like to see this enter into a trilogy or at least two matches, the first being face vs face, then a heel Owens walking into Bad Blood during October.
Kevin Owens and Cody Rhodes as allies
As mentioned in the Gunther vs. Orton segment, I believe that is where Cody’s reign is headed. I would personally book Rhodes losing his title, setting up a WrestleMania clash between the two former stablemates, given that ‘The Bloodline’ has temporarily left the title picture. This long-term vision I have leads to Orton vs. Cena for the WWE Championship in 2025, where Cena breaks Ric Flair’s fake world championship record.
Overall Owens is a generational talent who plays both sides of the coin very well and will make Cody look incredible as he eats the pin off a triple ‘Cross Rhodes’.
Terror Twins vs The Judgement Day – Mixed Tag Team Match – Bash In Berlin
Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley, who both lost at SummerSlam due to interference from The Judgement Day, have been waging war against their former group, which now includes Liv Morgan, Dom Mysterio, JD McDonagh, Carlito, and Finn Bálor. This match finally sees ‘The Terror Twins’ teaming up to try and seek revenge against ‘LivDom’, as Morgan stole Ripley’s love interest, Mysterio.
Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio
This feud had potential but is now ice cold, there was years of lore to incorporate into this programme that hasn’t yet. Morgan and Ripley will of course have two more title bouts where Ripley regains her crown likely at WrestleMania 41 but this feud just isn’t doing it for me anymore, it feels like we’ve been at the same point for months with no progress and hopefully, after it gets more personal between the two women.
Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley attack Dominik Mysterio
Priest is helping Ripley here despite being betrayed by Bálor, so hopefully, this will also pick up in the weeks leading up to Bad Blood. Bálor and Priest have years to content to work off and should culminate inside ‘Hell in a Cell’ where all blood feuds conclude. It is just a matter of timing that match.
This match at Bash in Berlin will be good, as all four are on top of their game currently. However, the story needs a shot in the arm somehow. Maybe the introduction of ‘Big Mami Cool’ Raquel Rodriguez to battle Rhea Ripley would do it.
CM Punk vs Drew McIntyre – Strap Match – Bash In Berlin
At SummerSlam, I thought their match was ruined by the gimmick of Seth Rollins being the special referee and the bracelet being the story’s focal point. I get the sentimental nature of the story; however, on TV, Punk admitted that McIntyre could keep it, making him look foolish for having it cost him the match.
The Strap Match is a device that has been rarely seen, save for the most heated rivalries. CM Punk and Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF) had one in AEW, which is regarded as a classic in that promotion. Or the hate-based feud of Eddie Guerrero vs. JBL, who had a ‘Bullrope Match’. In this type of bout, you must incapacitate your opponent and touch all four corners of the ring to win; there are no rules involved.
CM Punk hits Drew McIntyre with a leather strap
In this match, CM Punk will get his win back from SummerSlam. These guys will have a grudge match trilogy at Bad Blood in October as well, and even though Punk poured cold water on a journalist’s suggestions of using the aforementioned ‘Hell in a Cell’, this will be the device to decide the feud of the year. McIntyre will demand the third match on TV, and I hope it will be just brawling between the two on Raw until then, which will prompt General Manager Adam Pearce to require a Cell to settle this.
The Unholy Union vs Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill – WWE Women’s Tag Titles – Bash In Berlin
Finally, this rematch is happening at Bash in Berlin. The Unholy Union of Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn were crowned Women’s tag champions at Clash at the Castle in Glasgow. Here, the partisan crowd gave them a huge ovation but have not had the same fanfare in the States, likely due to their presentation before winning the big one. They were rarely featured on the main roster and seldom won matches, so the crowd wasn’t invested. Adding Blair Davenport to their circle provides something fresh because, as Bea Priestley, Davenport was one of the hottest women’s talents on the independent scene, which got her an NXT deal.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn, The Unholy Union
This match will either end in a disqualification or see Davenport and Naomi, an ally of Cargill and Belair, get involved. Whatever happens, they will be involved. The prediction here is easy: Bianca and Jade will regain their titles and hold them for a very long time; I draw a blank for potential feuds they will have in the future. Zoey Stark and Shayna Baszler haven’t been booked strong, Jacy Jayne and Fallon Henley as the best NXT have to offer.
Only Damage CTRL presents a realistic challenge to these two and is likely a match to be saved for the Royal Rumble of Survivor Series in November. Survivor Series will see War Games happen once more, taking the focus off the women’s titles again, making me think January is the destination for another women’s tag title match on a PLE.
