WWE has been a top-performing company and has put on a number of quality shows, but “Bash in Berlin” ranks among their more disappointing shows.
The first ever WWE premium live event in Berlin, Germany, was unremarkable and terrible, aside from a very entertaining mixed tag team match and a compelling storyline between Kevin Owens and Cody Rhodes at the Uber Arena on Saturday.
The match was stagnant because the main event was boringly slow, the title change that fans were expecting was the only newsworthy event, and the strap match didn't evoke the emotions one would hope.
With high anticipation for Bad Blood in Atlanta next month, here are five takeaways from the Berlin bash.
Maid Man
It's been a long, tedious and sometimes difficult road, but WWE got Gunter to where he needed to be. His last two big matches didn't end with the dominance we're used to seeing from the Ring General.
Gunther closed out the show in his adopted hometown with Randy Orton passing out in a sleeper hold after several attempts to break free, which was the right outcome as the King of the Ring finals ended with The Viper's shoulders raised and Judgment Day helping him win the World Heavyweight Championship from Damian Priest at SummerSlam.
But the match seemed to go on forever, especially in an era that values labor efficiency.
Orton, whose entrance took forever, made this match play out like it was 20 years ago. He effectively used Gunter's arm to block a powerbomb, but it felt like 10 minutes before he cleared the announce table, stacked the ring steps, climbed them, and hurled Gunter through the table. Orton then entered the ring and took his time attempting an RKO (after Gunter kicked out on the first attempt), but gave the champion the opportunity to go for a sleeper hold, and he paid the price.
The pace was fast, but this was clearly a passing of the baton moment as Orton shook hands with Gunter and exchanged a few words.
Mami's Revenge
The mixed tag match was probably the most entertaining on the card and the one fans were most invested in. Also, perhaps the best moment was when Rhea Ripley pulled a great callback by choking Dominik Mysterio with both legs in the corner, before she and Damian Priest retaliated and then launched into a solo feud for this storyline.
Priest and Ripley did the majority of the offense and the crowd enjoyed it a lot, but it may have been a bit much at times as Women's World Champion Liv Morgan and Mysterio looked helpless and hapless in some sports, but that may be nitpicking. Morgan often found herself having to save Mysterio from pinfalls, which certainly felt on-brand.
The rest of Judgment Day intervened and finally turned the tide, but Ripley and Priest were able to fend them off, and Priest was treated like a main eventer, even though he was forced out after receiving a Sling Blade from Finn Bálor and a 619 and Frog Splash from Mysterio.
A Riptide from Ripley to Morgan allowed her to finish the champion off with her signature stack pin, setting up a rematch for the title between Ripley vs. Morgan and Balor vs. Priest. Ripley's intensity and facial expressions throughout the match were amazing.
forever friend
Kevin Owens and Cody Rhodes had one of the best babyface vs. babyface championship matches ever. They played out perfectly with Owens' hesitation to really take advantage of Rhodes' injured knee, despite him kicking it a few times, to win the WWE Undefeated Championship. This could have been a lot more exciting, except he didn't really defeat Rhodes by dropping him on the apron.
Struggling, Owens attempted a Stunner, but Rhodes kicked out. The challenger was able to kick out of the first Cross Rhodes, then countered by taking the time to stop Rhodes from delivering three consecutive Cross Rhodes with his knee.
In the end, Rose countered with a fourth Stunner after Owens lost confidence after the second one and won the match.
After the match, the two embraced, Owens refused to let Rhodes raise his hand, instead raising the championship again, and Owens pushed the camera away to get his face in the embrace, as if to say there were no secrets going on here.
For now, Owens and Rhodes are friends, but Owens' character remembers everything, and it's hard to imagine his hesitation to do what it takes to win a world championship won't haunt him the next time he finds himself in the same situation.
Will it be a trilogy?
For a while, it seemed odd that the great friendship bracelet feud between CM Punk and Drew McIntyre would end with a match in which they both slammed into the four turnbuckles and had to pin their opponent down and submit him.
But that was put to rest when Punk tapped out McIntyre with a Sharpshooter and then hit four Go To Sleeps on his way to the corner. After the final GTS, McIntyre grabbed the bracelet along with his wife and dog and slammed it into the final turnbuckle with a nice touch.
Still, one win at a time after Punk was able to get the bracelet back for good, are we heading for a rematch that really wasn't needed?
The match was physical and mostly entertaining, and the two pulled off some cool corner spots, with the best bit being Punk punching the Scotsman while McIntyre was carrying him. Still, the more matches we have between these two, the less emotionally invested we become, so this match needs to be included in the 3-match PLE with fewer slots anyway.
Redo it
Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair's second Women's World Tag Team Championship reign needs to be the start of their eventual breakup, because single-team feuds are where the money is. It's the usual babyface tag team formula, with Belair getting hurt early, then hot tagging to Cargill, and the moment being interrupted, but then a small opening pops up, this time with Cargill pulling Belair out of danger, and the two going for their tandem finisher. Isla Dawn and Alba Fire, who won the belts at Clash at the Castle without pinfalling Cargill or Belair, impressed with their work early on and kept the pace moving with some innovative offense.
Biggest winners: Gunther
Biggest loser: Kevin Owens
Best Match: Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest vs. Dominik Mysterio and Liv Morgan
Grade: B-
