WWE Bash in Berlin 2024 winners: Results, highlights, grades of matches: Recap (2024)

WWE made history tonight in Germany.

Four weeks after SummerSlam, WWE hosted Bash in Berlin, the company's first-ever premium live event in Germany, and posted its highest grossing arena show in history. The sold-out German crowd was ready for its moment. After all, it had been 27 years since Berlin, Germany's capital city, hosted a WWE show.

Based on the reaction Saturday night, it's a good bet WWE won't wait that long before its next stop to Berlin.

Bash in Berlin concluded a weeklong European tour that also included stops in Netherlands and Belgium and multiple shows across Germany.

It was just a five-match card, but the matches all had significance and over-delivered.

Who were the big winners from Bash in Berlin? The Journal Sentinel provided coverage of the event below with match analysis, highlights and grades.

WWE Bash in Berlin 2024 winners: Results, highlights, grades of matches: Recap (1)

WWE Bash in Berlin post-show

Randy Orton vs Gunther highlights

There was no controversy in this outcome.

Three months after their King of the Ring title match ended in controversy, Gunther left no doubt to the referee in his championship match against Randy Orton.

Gunther forced Orton to pass out as he put an aggressive sleeper move on The Viper in a battle of titans.

"Rarely will you see a matchup as physical as we just witness," announcer Michael Cole said.

In a sign of ultimate respect, Gunther and Orton shook hands in the middle of the ring as the premium live event went off the air.

Gunther is building a legendary résumé. But they don't call Orton the legend killer for nothing. Orton showed off these tendencies throughout the match.

He even went old school with a hands to the face, which referee Charles Robinson allowed. But there's also a reason Gunther is called the Ring General. He showed off his vicious streak as well. Early on, as Orton was going for an RKO, Gunther reversed it for a huge suplex.

Gunther later delivered a massive powerbomb on Orton. The veteran Orton did get off an RKO out of nowhere that had the crowd on its feet as Gunther was going for another powerbomb.

Orton appeared like he took control of the match after he slammed Gunther onto the steel steps in front of the German announce table.

That led to the crowd chanting Randy's name. But the crowd also was doing its best to will on Gunther, who is beloved in Germany.

Orton then lifted Gunther and threw him through the table. Orton, standing on top of the steps, then gave the fans his classic pose with his arms stretched out.

The crowd ate it up.

Orton has been in the business long enough to know you can't lose sight of your opponent, especially one the caliber of Gunther. Orton was going for the finishing blow with his RKO, but he took too long. Gunther countered and got Orton into a sleeper hold.

Gunther was now in control after getting the opening.

Orton did his best to fight out of it, but Gunther was too strong. Gunther unloaded a series of punches down on Orton and when it looked like there would be a break in action, Gunther went right back on the attack to get him back in the sleeper. Orton was fading once and for all.

This was a good ole' fashioned fight that delivered.

Grade: A

Bash in Berlin winner: The crowd at Uber Arena in Berlin, Germany

The crowd inside the Uber Arena delivered all night. The WWE universe has been the winners of the premium live events all year, especially the ones in person during the international sites.

The event was just over three hours, but they brought the energy all night with their chants and intensity. Well done, Berlin.

Where is Gunther from WWE from?

Gunther is a native of Austria, a country that borders Germany. But Gunther is beloved in Germany after he spent years wrestling in the country before his WWE career began.

Announcer Michael Cole called Gunther a "professional wrestling icon in Germany" and a "local hero."

Gunther is 37 years old. He had the longest Intercontinental championship reign in WWE history and won his first world title at SummerSlam earlier this month.

Ludwig Kaiser introduces Gunther

Gunther's friend Ludwig Kaiser, a German native, gave Gunther his classic introduction.

Randy Orton arrives for championship match vs Gunther

Randy Orton, a future WWE Hall of Famer, is going for his 15th world championship.

And the crowd welcomes him by singing his entrance song.

Orton, who has been part of WWE since the early 2000s, is 44 years old.

Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley get payback on Dominik Mysterio and Liv Morgan

The Terror Twins stand tall.

And they got payback on their former Judgment Day members.

Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley, as expected, brought the aggression from the start on Dominik Mysterio and Liv Morgan.

"Mami" chants rang through the Uber Arena in support of Ripley.

Ripley finally got her hands on Mysterio, who cost her the title match against Morgan at SummerSlam when he turned his back on her.

That had to feel pretty sweet for Mami.

Ripley and Priest were going for the knockout punch when they both Morgan and Mysterio up for a double razor’s edge. But that's when Judgment Day members Finn Balor, JD McDonagh and Carlito entered the picture.

Mysterio and Morgan had the upper hand briefly as the numbers were in their favor. Morgan hit a sunset powerbomb to Ripley and then Mysterio got a 619 on Priest followed by a frog splash.

Priest kicked out and then unleashed terror on his former allies.

Priest took out Balor, McDonagh and Carlito. Mysterio looked to take Priest out while on top of the announce table. But Priest drilled Mysterio with a running clothesline.

With Mysterio and the other Judgment Day members laid out, Morgan realized she was on her own. And when she turned around in the ring, Ripley was standing over her and drilled her with a headbutt. She then executed a massive Rip Tide on Morgan for the win.

Priest and Ripley get revenge. Meanwhile, it's time to regroup for the new Judgment Day.

Grade: B+

CM Punk wins strap match over Drew McIntyre, gets bracelet back

CM Punk was busted open. He went through a table. And he was hit with two Claymores during his strap match against Drew McIntyre.

But none of that wasn't going to stop him from winning his first match in WWE in over 10 ½ years over his longtime nemesis.

This was personal for CM Punk. McIntyre has been his bitter rival all year ever since he was hurt at the hands of the Scottish Warrior at the Royal Rumble.

CM Punk came up short in his return match at SummerSlam. Four weeks later, Punk, despite being a bloody mess, stood tall over McIntyre and received his bracelet back in the process.

The two are attached via a leather strap on each wrestler's wrist. You can only win when you touch all four corners of the ring in succession. There are no pins or submissions. After you touch the turnbuckle, a light goes on.

McIntyre went on the attack before the match could even officially begin and they were strapped.

The crowd greeted CM Punk with his trademark "CM Punk" chants.

This match was all about inflicting pain on each other. At one point, McIntyre unloaded a series of head butts to bust Punk open.

As Punk was setting up a table, McIntyre hit him with a Claymore. But the momentum changed again, Punk later drove McIntyre face first into a steel chair in one of the corners.

Then when CM Punk went for a running bulldog off the ropes, McIntyre used his size to lift him up and threw him out the ring and through a table.

Each had their moments of trying to hit the turnbuckles only to be stopped with CM Punk getting the upper hand on McIntyre when he had him in a sharpshooter.

Finally, McIntyre brought out the bracelet that he stole from CM Punk. The bracelet is very personal for CM Punk as it has the names of his wife (former WWE superstar AJ Lee) and his dog (Larry) on it. He hit CM Punk with a Claymore and appeared in line for the win.

But CM Punk would recover and hit a GTS on McIntyre. He then hit him with a second GTS as he hit his first two turnbuckles as McIntyre laid in the middle of the ring.

Before CM Punk touched his third turnbuckle, he hit McIntyre with a third GTs.

Then for good measure, CM Punk hit a fourth GTS on McIntyre before emphatically hitting the fourth and final turnbuckle. But before he did that, CM Punk retrieved his bracelet from McIntyre’s wrist. This wasn't your classic wrestling match. It was simply a fight between two competitors who don't like each other one bit.

Now, each has a win in the last month. Will this rivalry continue?

Grade: A-

Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill are new women's tag team champions

Biance Belair and Jade Cargill are back on top of the women's tag team division.

Two months after losing the titles in a triple threat match at Clash at the Castle in June without being pinned, Belair and Cargill recaptured the championships by beating the Unholy Union of Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn in the second match at Bash in Berlin.

Cody Rhodes defeats Kevin Owens to retain Undisputed WWE championship

That was a hot start Bash in Berlin!

In a match between friends and longtime allies, Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens began it with a handshake and ended it with a hug and the American Nightmare's hand raised.

In between, there was plenty of drama and an A+ wrestling match.

The atmosphere inside the Uber Arena was thunderous throughout and looks like it will give the other international events in 2024 a run for its money.

The match was back and forth with both trying to gain the upper hand early on. Owens, competing in his first WWE title match since January 2023 at the Royal Rumble, had a couple of the big moments of the match when he had a frog splash outside the ring onto Rhodes as well as huge Fisherman Brain Buster off the top rope.

Owens was bringing it.

The two also engaged in a series of submissions.

But the match turned and really got interesting when Rhodes' knee appeared to buckle in the ring. The champion had injured it earlier on the European Tour. Would Owens attack it and weaken Rhodes to gain an advantage?

Owens was clearly conflicted. He first went to check on Rhodes outside the ring, but Rhodes wanted to continue to fight.

But then when Owens had a chance to give Rhodes one of his signature Apron Powerbombs, the Prize Fighter had second thoughts. The move has provided him many victories over the years given the violent nature of it.

Wade Barrett, announcing with Michael Cole at ringside, couldn't believe Owens couldn't pull the trigger.

From there, the match went back in the ring with Owens giving Rhodes a huge stunner and near fall. Rhodes then executed two Cross Rhodes on Owens and when he was going for a third, the challenger reversed it for another stunner. But Rhodes kicked out again with loud cheers filling the arena.

Moments later, as Owens was going for a Swanton Bomb, Rhodes got his legs up and finished it off with a Cross Rhodes.

With Rhodes recovering from the battle, Owens came over and gave him a hug before raising Rhodes' arm in victory. No bad blood comes from the match and Owens will continue to have Rhodes' back against The Bloodline this fall.

This was a fantastic match out of the gates to get the already-hyped crowd even more fired up.

Grade: A

Cody Rhodes vs Kevin Owens

The undisputed WWE championship match between champion Cody Rhodes and challenger Kevin Owens is starting things off in Berlin.

Rhodes won the title at WrestleMania in April to finish his story and capture his first WWE championship. Owens hasn't held a WWE singles title in seven years.

The sold-out crowd at Uber Arena welcomes Rhodes to the arena with an electric response as they sing his entrance song.

Owens, meanwhile, appears as focused as ever as he sat on the top turnbuckle to watch Rhodes come out and as Samantha Irvin is announcing each competitor.

Is Roman Reigns competing at Bash in Berlin?

No.

After the Tribal Chief returned at SummerSlam on Aug. 3 to get his hands on Solo Sikoa in his main event match against Rhodes, Reigns isn't scheduled to appear at Bash in Berlin.

He's made a couple of appearances on Smackdown since SummerSlam to fight Sikoa and the new Bloodline, but their storyline is far from over.

Bash in Berlin 2024 date and time

Date:Saturday, Aug. 31
Time:1 p.m. Eastern, noon Central

How to watch WWE Bash in Berlin

Bash in Berlin airs exclusively on the Peaco*ck streaming service in the United States and the WWE Network elsewhere.

Triple H says WWE will 'make history' at Bash in Berlin

WWE has returned to Berlin, Germany, for the first time in 27 years, Paul "Michael "Triple H" Levesque said in pre-show interview.

WWE's chief content officer recalled his match here in the 1990s with Bret Hart when he wrestled in front of 6,000 fans.

"Now 27 years later, it is massive," he said. "We will have over 13,000 fans here, sold out. They're going to get an incredible event."

Levesque said Bash in Berlin will "make history" by being the highest grossing arena event in WWE history following records set earlier this year at Clash of the Castle and Backlash, both of which were international premium live events.

It's WWE's seventh international PLE of the year.

Levesque noted the volume of events outside of the United States "speaks to the dedication of our international fans."

"They're going to be insane here tonight," he said.

And Levesque added that they'll continue to host events across the world. "We're going to be going everywhere," Levesque said.

Who is Jackie Redmond?

Redmond, who serves as a backstage interviewer on RAW, is the host of the Bash in Berlin Countdown show.

Bash in Berlin preview

Bash in Berlin Countdown show

Randy Orton interview before match vs Gunther at Bash in Berlin

It's been a long road for Randy Orton to get back to a title match.

A back injury sidelined the Viper for 18 months from 2022 to late 2023.

He discussed that and more in an interview with WWE announcer Michael Cole ahead of his championship fight with Gunther at Bash in Berlin

WWE Bash in Berlin match card

Undisputed WWE Championship Match

Cody Rhodes (champion) vs. Kevin Owens

World Heavyweight Championship Match

Gunther (champion) vs. Randy Orton

Mixed Tag Team Match

Liv Morgan (women's world champion) and Dominik Mysterio vs. Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley

Strap Match

CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match

The Unholy Union (champions) vs Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill

Bash in Berlin predictions

Cody Rhodes defeats Kevin Owens

In a battle of friends, Rhodes retains his title. But one of the burning questions is whether Owens turns heel on Rhodes. He's certainly been teasing it.

Gunther defeats Randy Orton

This will be a hard-hitting affair, but Gunther isn't losing four weeks after winning his first world title. The 14-time champion Orton won't go down easily but Gunther's reign over RAW is just beginning.

Dominik Mysterio and Liv Morgan defeat Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley

The Terror Twins have been on a mission to get revenge on Dominik Mysterio and Liv Morgan since SummerSlam. They'll come out on fire, but Mysterio and Morgan will sneak out a win, with the help of The Judgment Day.

CM Punk defeats Drew McIntyre

There's no Seth Rollins to distract CM Punk on this match like at SummerSlam. The CM Punk-Drew McIntyre feud, which has been WWE's rivalry of the year, gets more personal every day. There's never been as much animosity over a bracelet as this feud has provided. Punk gets revenge from his SummerSlam loss and earns his first televised singles win on WWE programming in over 10 years.

Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill defeat the Unholy Union

A couple of months after losing their titles to Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn, the powerhouse team of Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill win back their championships.

NXT No Mercy 2024

The weekend isn't over for WWE when Bash in Berlin ends.

The company's development brand is holding its own event called No Mercy on Sunday night in Denver, Colorado.

Start time is 6 p.m. The event streams on Peaco*ck.

What time is it in Berlin, Germany?

Bash in Berlin begins at 7 p.m. local time in Berlin, Germany. It's seven hours ahead of the Central Time Zone and eight hours ahead of the Eastern Time Zone.

WWE PLE schedule 2024

Royal Rumble (Jan. 27) at St. Petersburg, Florida
Elimination Chamber (Feb. 24) at Burswood, Perth, Australia
WrestleMania (April 6 and April 7) at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Backlash (May 4) at Lyon, France
King and Queen of the Ring (May 25) at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Clash at the Castle (June 15) at Glasgow, Scotland
Money in the Bank (July 6) at Toronto, Ontario, Canada
SummerSlam (Aug. 3) at Cleveland, Ohio
Bash in Berlin (Aug. 31) at Berlin, Germany
Bad Blood (Oct. 5) at Atlanta, Georgia
Crown Jewel (Nov. 2) Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Survivor Series (Nov. 30) at Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada