WWE Bash in Berlin was just like Gunther, the man who headlined the show and successfully defended his title by putting Randy Orton to sleep.
There were no gimmicks, special appearances by non-WWE personalities, or blasts from the past. BIB was pure wrestling, and that’s perfectly fine every once in a while.
In case you missed it, here are the results:
- (c) Cody Rhodes retains the WWE Championship and defeats Kevin Owens (pin).
- Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill regain the WWE Women’s Tag-Team Championship, defeating The Unholy Union (Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn).
- Strap Match: CM Punk defeats Drew McIntyre.
- Mixed Tag Match: Damian Priest & Rhea Ripley defeat “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio & Liv Morgan.
- (c) Gunther retains the World Heavyweight Championship and defeats Randy Orton (technical submission).
Beyond the results, here’s what we learned from all five matches:
Rhodes Wins and Owens Is at a Crossroads
The Cody Rhodes-Kevin Owens match was the best of the night, and it opened the show. The other matches were solid and held their own, but none were quite as strong as Rhodes’ entertaining effort to retain his title.
Rhodes sold the knee injury Owens mentioned on SmackDown, and the latter decided not to take advantage of it.
That reluctance is likely to haunt Owens, and it may be the thing that pushes him over the edge into a heel turn.
On a larger side note, Owens still doesn’t have a contract extension with WWE, so there are questions about his future with the promotion. Stay tuned for the latest on that story as it develops.
Bianca and Jade Regain the Titles, But Is It Setting Up a Feud?
The Unholy Union’s tag title reign was nice while it lasted, but the consistent push of Jade Cargill needs to be validated by a title of some sort. Sharing the tag titles with Bianca Belair is perfect, especially if it sets the table for a potential feud between the two.
The match was mildly clunky; however, it had its moments thanks to the expert tag-team chemistry from Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn, and the athleticism from Belair and Cargill.
They are able to make up for what they don’t have in the way of chemistry with athletic feats that only a handful of women in the world can pull off.
There is a big-money feud to be had between Cargill and Belair, but it seems way too early in the former’s career for that to happen. Perhaps Belair will amicably break off to pursue and win another world title, giving Cargill a more logical target to aim at while she improves her in-ring skills.
CM Punk Whips Drew McIntyre, and He Looked Excellent in the Ring
Punk finally got his bracelet back from Drew McIntyre, as it took a gang of GTS to incapacitate the Scottish Warrior long enough to touch every turnbuckle.
When I saw that the two men were having a Strap Match, I was a little concerned, as Punk has battled tons of injuries over the past few years.
However, even with a few bumps, Punk looked great, moved well, and showed good strength hoisting McIntyre to complete the GTS. It appeared he finished the match without serious injury.
That’s good news for Punk, WWE, and professional wrestling overall.
Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley Beat Up the Entire Judgment Day, and It’s Unclear What’s Next
Operation push Rhea and Priest is in overdrive. The two most dominant former members of the Judgment Day won their mixed tag match against Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio, and they took down the interfering members of the faction in the process.
Rhea and Priest’s victory was so dominant, it’s tough to imagine what else is left for the pair to do with Judgment Day – besides Mami regaining her title from Morgan. I’d imagine that happens at Bad Blood in October – if not Survivor Series.
Priest’s situation is more confusing. Is he going to go back after Gunther? That doesn’t seem like a winning situation. We’ll see if the feud with Judgment Day – specifically Finn Balor – is what powers Priest’s presence at Bad Blood.
Gunther Wins, Treated Like a Babyface in Berlin
Gunther was treated like the top-tier Superstar that he is in Berlin. WWE gave him the main event spot, he received a huge pop from the German crowd, as well as a standing ovation and dedicated mic time to address fans following his win over Orton.
The Viper even shook Gunther’s hand in the ring as a show of respect.
I don’t think Gunther is turning face. Instead, WWE gave him the respect and platform to be appreciated in his home country (technically, he’s from Austria).
He also defeated Orton completely clean in the main event of a PLE, which tells you all you need to know about how good WWE feels about him. He will be among the elite for as long as he’s with the promotion.
