WWE Bad Blood 2024 Predictions: Wrestling Inc. Picks The Winners

While WWE Bad Blood is being revived after 20 years between incarnations and takes place on the 27th anniversary of "In Your House: Badd Blood" in 1997, the name is perhaps more applicable than fans may have imagined when the show was first announced. There are 10 months' worth of bad blood built up between CM Punk and Drew McIntyre, who will honor the first-ever Hell in a Cell match by going to war inside "The Devil's Playground." There's a ton of bad blood between Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest and their respective opponents, Liv Morgan and Finn Balor — both of whom were instrumental in the reconstruction of The Judgment Day and the rejection of "family" members Priest and Ripley. Nia Jax and Bayley have been feuding since before Jax took Bayley's title at SummerSlam, with this renewal of hostilities representing the culmination of their rivalry. And of course, bad blood can sometimes be more literal than figurative, especially when you used to lead a stable called The Bloodline and now have to go up against a new version led by your cousins, with your most powerful rival — and the man who took your WWE Championship — by your side.

In terms of sheer number of grudge matches,  Bad Blood can be seen as a response to 2024's last major American live event, AEW All Out, which also featured several highly personal rivalries while featuring a steel cage. Here at Wrestling Inc., we're hoping our predictions performance ends up being another similarity between the two shows; we went 7-1 at All Out, bringing our collective 2024 record to 109-18-5, and we aim to continue improving on that record Saturday in Atlanta. WWE hasn't made it easy on us — this is one of the promotion's least predictable cards of the year, with two matches essentially being toss-ups — but we think we have a good idea of how things will go down, and our track record suggests we're probably right.

With that in mind, let's get to the picks!

It's a historic night for the Hell in a Cell match at Bad Blood this weekend; 27 years ago on Saturday, the structure was lowered around a WWF ring for the first time. Almost three decades later, another blood feud will be contested within the cell, when Drew McIntyre takes on CM Punk. Most of us here at WINC believe McIntyre doesn't stand a chance in the rubber match of this feud, with 81% of us predicting Punk gets the victory.

Maybe it's because Punk has yet to receive a definitive, high-profile win since his return almost a year ago at Survivor Series: War Games, or because McIntyre has been written as the heel in the storyline, but a majority of us believe that the "Voice of the Voiceless" walks away with the win, in a match that's reportedly set to open the premium live event. After being defeated by McIntyre during their first match at SummerSlam (with Seth Rollins as the special guest referee, complicating things for both men), Punk tied the series later that month at Bash in Berlin, where the pair faced off in a strap match. Collectively, we here at WINC weren't a fan of that match and the silly rules involved, and we're hoping for a more brutal bout within the historic cell.

There's no friendship bracelet bearing the names of Punk's wife and dog, on the line this time, but 80% of us who cast our predictions believe it's still Punk that comes out of the metal structure victorious. We believe it's well past time for this feud to end, and both men can be set up for bigger and better things, with Punk already alluding to the fact he wants a shot at GUNTHER for the World Heavyweight Championship. There's no better argument for getting that shot than winning a Hell in a Cell match against the "Scottish Psychopath."

Written by Daisy Ruth

At WWE Bad Blood, Nia will defend her WWE Women's Championship against the very woman she beat for the title at SummerSlam: Bayley. Jax's previous win, of course, was a huge factor to consider in our predictions, especially since it was also a clean one. Beyond that, though, lies the arguably bigger Tiffany Stratton factor.

On July 6, Stratton gained possession of the Women's Money in the Bank briefcase, which guarantees her a future title match of her choosing. This now presents a unique dynamic, as Stratton is the "bestie" to WWE Women's Champion Nia Jax, who could also be the target to cash her Money in the Bank briefcase in on. So far, Stratton has twice teased a potential cash-in, and both times, they would have been at the expense of Jax. Recognizing these implications, Stratton ultimately decided to take her finger off the proverbial trigger. Based on the recent events of "WWE SmackDown," however, it seems that Stratton may soon be ready to fully pull it.

On the September 20 episode of "SmackDown," Stratton and Jax took on Bayley and Naomi under the stipulation that if the latter pairing won, the woman who scored the pinfall would earn a title shot against Jax at Bad Blood. With Naomi attempting to pin Jax, Stratton descended from the top rope with a moonsault to stop it. Unfortunately for Jax, Naomi rolled out of the way, which caused Stratton to land on her instead. Moments later, Bayley and Naomi simultaneously pinned Jax. The following week, Jax confronted Stratton about the events that unfolded in their tag team match, warning that if her title match at Bad Blood ended badly, the badness would then follow Stratton. In doing so, Jax held her hand around Stratton's throat — a move that seemingly infuriated Stratton, as she was seen huffing in anger after Jax released her grip.

With Stratton visibly upset with Jax, she could plausibly use Bad Blood as the stage for her Money in the Bank cash-in. However, last week was the merely first sign of Stratton showing anger toward Jax, meaning the timeline of the Stratton-Jax downfall may likely just be beginning. And if done right, this story could play out for several more weeks, if not months, with Stratton patiently waiting for the perfect opportunity to cash-in, all while producing a fake smile on the surface.

With all of this in mind, 87% of Wrestling Inc. staff believe Jax will retain her WWE Women's Championship at WWE Bad Blood, with Stratton waiting in the wings and potentially poised for a dramatic turn on her "bestie."

Written by Ella Jay

Damian Priest and Finn Balor have been bitter enemies since Balor interfered in Priest's World Heavyweight Championship defense at WWE SummerSlam in August, causing Priest to drop the title to GUNTHER. The two former Judgment Day allies will finally have an opportunity to face each other in the ring at Bad Blood, and three-quarters of the Wrestling Inc. team believes Priest will pick up the win.

It's clear that WWE sees big things ahead for Priest, with his World Heavyweight Championship reign clocking in at 118 days earlier this year. It's not as though a loss against Balor would completely derail Priest's momentum, but he's already overcome some of the roster's top wrestlers in recent months. In 2024 so far, he's stacked up wins against Drew McIntyre, Jey Uso, Braun Strowman, and more.

Balor is an incredible performer and could still be a significant threat to Priest, especially with backup, but it would be hard to deny that the company hasn't seen him as a world title contender in quite some time. He's largely been moved to the tag division and currently holds the WWE World Tag Team Championship with JD McDonagh. While Balor winning would serve as a straightforward reason to extend the feud, a singles victory wouldn't benefit his trajectory as much as losing would damage his opponent's.

Written by Nick Miller

Liv Morgan is having what can only be described as "a moment" in 2024. The WWE Women's World Champion has her title, she has "Dirty Dom," and she seemingly has the entire Judgment Day on her side. Rhea Ripley might be one of WWE's toughest women, but she's still no match for a numbers advantage, as well as the emotional and psychological manipulation that Liv and Dom have employed against the former Women's World Champion.

While Dominik Mysterio will be suspended in the air in a shark cage on Saturday, 56% of the Wrestling Inc. staff still feel that Morgan will repeat her feat from SummerSlam and retain the title against Ripley. Dumber men than Dominik have found their way out of a shark cage, and it's likely the former NXT North American Champion will have some tricks up his sleeve to help Morgan retain. Maybe Ripley gets her revenge at Survivor Series, or the Rumble, or WrestleMania, but Bad Blood simply doesn't look to be in the cards — no matter how hard Mark Henry prays.

Written by Ross Berman

Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns are, on paper, one of the most dominant possible teams in WWE in 2024. However, the two men's tenuous partnership has many asking the question oft-repeated by WWE's broadcasting teams: "Can they coexist?"

It's a legitimate question, especially considering Reigns's lengthy post-WrestleMania hiatus was caused by the embarrassment of being beaten by Rhodes. While Reigns has repeatedly made it clear how he feels about Solo Sikoa's New Bloodline, it's possible that shows of dominance are being mistaken for rebellion. There's no reason Reigns can't turn his back on Rhodes and align with his kin once again — even if Reigns decides to stand by Rhodes, it's possible that fighting his family alongside his former rival could also be a mindf*** for Reigns putting him off his game. Let's not forget that the former Universal Champion hasn't wrestled since WrestleMania. This is a partnership which required both men to stand on a football field and talk for eight minutes just to make sure they'd be on the same page. This is not a unified front.

All of these uncertainties are why Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu are slightly favored by the Wrestling Inc. staff heading into Bad Blood. Sikoa and Fatu are a unified pair, which is more than one can say for Reigns and Rhodes, so 56% of the staff have voted for The New Bloodline getting one over on the Champion and the Chief.

Written by Ross Berman