A big boost for RAW; Staying the course? 4 reasons why Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker isn't on the card for WWE Bad Blood
WWE Bad Blood is next up on the PLE schedule. Emanating from Atlanta, Georgia, the event will feature grudge-match feuds from both RAW and SmackDown.
Cody Rhodes hails from Atlanta and will team with longtime rival Roman Reigns to tangle with Jacob Fatu and Solo Sikoa. Another prominent champion, Bron Breakker, also hails from the same locale.
Despite sharing a hometown with The American Nightmare, the current Intercontinental Champion isn't booked for Bad Blood. His defense against Jey Uso will take place on next week's RAW for the next four reasons.
#4. Triple H has utilized five-match cards for secondary PLEs
A big change in Triple H's New Era in WWE has been a smaller card for secondary PLEs. While SummerSlam and WrestleMania will always have bigger cards due to their spots in the PLE hierarchy, others have been kept to a maximum of five matches this year.
Backlash: France, King and Queen of the Ring, Clash at the Castle, and Bash in Berlin each had five contests booked. Even Money in the Bank was limited to five matches in total.
As things sit, Bad Blood has Damian Priest vs. Finn Balor, Liv Morgan vs. Rhea Ripley, and the Hell in a Cell match between CM Punk and Drew McIntyre.
That leaves two spots for bouts from SmackDown. Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes will face Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu. That only leaves one match from the blue brand to fill out the card.
#3. It can give a boost to next week's RAW
If RAW and SmackDown don't regularly feature matches with high stakes, why should fans tune in? Booking enticing matchups is just as important a selling point as seeing top stars face off or deliver scathing promos.
Having at least one title match every two weeks gives fans a reason to invest time in RAW or SmackDown. While the potential for a title change may be low given the time of year and champion, it can still provide a boost for a show.
And if the losing star looks great in defeat, it can propel them into more meaningful storylines. That's what happened to Chad Gable after he came away empty-handed in pursuit of the Intercontinental Championship.
#2. RAW already has three matches on the Bad Blood card
As it sits, RAW feuds fill three spots on the card for Bad Blood. Two are grudge matches featuring the Judgment Day. Rhea Ripley faces Liv Morgan for the Women's World Championship while Damian Priest looks to get his hands on Finn Balor.
Drew McIntyre will also meet CM Punk in a Hell in a Cell contest. If WWE sticks with a five-match card like it has for most of the smaller PLEs in 2024, that will leave two spots for SmackDown fights.
Bron Breakker and Jey Uso could make the card if another spot is added. However, as things currently stand, RAW is already represented by three heated feuds that were built over the course of 2024. The Intercontinental title feud began recently after Jey Uso became the top contender to Breakker.
#1. The RAW match could set things up for another showdown
If there isn't a clean finish when Bron Breakker defends the Intercontinental Championship against Jey Uso on RAW, it will ultimately lead to another match.
Breakker could cheat to win, or someone from the Judgment Day could cost Jey his shot to win the title. Should it end with a dirty finish, the second showdown could be added to Bad Blood.
The feud between Uso and Breakker is in its infancy, so it doesn't have months of buildup like the other fights on the card.