3 mistakes Triple H has made in the build to Bad Blood
Bad Blood is less than a week away. The premium live event is expected to be memorable as WWE has put together a solid card loaded with top-tier talent and sufficient hype from great storytelling.
The marquee matches include the much-anticipated Hell in a Cell match between CM Punk and Drew McIntyre, and a blockbuster tag team match between The Bloodline's Solo Sikoa & Jacob Fatu and the unlikeliest of allies in Roman Reigns and the Undisputed WWE ChampionCody Rhodes.
However, as things stand, Triple H could have handled many things better leading up to Bad Blood.
#3. A lack of title matches will hurt the long-term impact of Bad Blood
As of writing, only the Women's Championships are set to be defended at Bad Blood in Atlanta. On RAW's side, Rhea Ripley will look to reclaim the championship she never lost from Liv Morgan.
In a SummerSlam rematch, Nia Jax defends the WWE Women's Title against Bayley. More championship matches could be added at the last minute, for example, a Triple Threat for the US Title between LA Knight, Andrade, and Carmelo Hayes.
Nonetheless, Hunter should have been more cautious. Both World Champions are full-time talent. Hence, there is no logical reason to miss out on marquee World Title bouts for the monthly PLEs.
Cody Rhodes' feud with The Bloodline has pushed the Undisputed WWE Championship aside. Meanwhile, Gunther has refused to grant Sami Zayn a shot at his World Heavyweight Title.
Although The Ring General could change his mind and grant Zayn his wish, the company could be saving it for a later show. Bad Blood seems too soon for the eventual clash between the two rivals.
Championship matches add a sense of importance and prestige to premium live events. They tend to have more hype, and the outcomes have immediate and long-term implications. In their absence, the show lacks depth and significance.
#2. More stipulations should have been added
CM Punk and Drew McIntyre will settle the score inside Hell in a Cell. Aside from that, WWE didn't make much effort to live up to Bad Blood's history of hardcore stipulations.
Dominik Mysterio hanging above the ring in a shark cage is intriguing, but it doesn't do much from the perspective of extreme, hardcore wrestling. Adding a No Holds Barred stipulation to Rhea Ripley vs. Liv Morgan would elevate the match, and allow both women to tear each other apart.
Similarly, Damian Priest will finally get his hands on Finn Balor. The problem is that Triple H has booked a standard match. This is not befitting of the ill-will between these former friends. At best, it should be booked as a Steel Cage bout to keep The Judgment Day from interfering.
Making The Bloodline vs. Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes a Street Fight would add another dimension to the match. Randy Orton, Kevin Owens, and the Tongans could get involved and melee could ensue. Needless to say, the stipulation would also increase the scope for damage.
#1. Many of WWE's biggest stars were sparingly used in the build-up to the show
While CM Punk and Roman Reigns, two of WWE's biggest draws, are confirmed for Bad Blood, they were sparingly used in the build-up to the PLE. Reigns has not appeared since the Season Premier of SmackDown on September 13.
The Straight Edge Superstar has been kept away from Drew McIntyre and has also sold his injuries off-screen. However, his absence has taken some heat away from the program.
Randy Orton, a key figure in The Bloodline-Cody Rhodes saga, was also used sparingly. Solo Sikoa also missed a few dates. Therefore, WWE has not consistently used its top stars in the build-up to the event.
The big players are meant to raise hype and their absence in the build makes the show feel less important.