This Saturday, WWE will host a Premium Live Event in Germany for the first time in the promotion’s storied history. Bash in Berlin takes place from Uber Arena and will stream live on Peacock.
Gunther cut his teeth on the German independent season in the years preceding his WWE run. Gunther returns to Berlin — a seven-hour drive from his birthplace of Vienna, Austria — to defend his newly acquired world heavyweight championship. Gunther will take on fellow King of the Ring finalist Randy Orton who looks to start his 15th world title reign.
The other major title match sees WWE universal champion Cody Rhodes defend his crown against ally and good friend Kevin Owens. Rhodes opted to give Owens the opportunity after SummerSlam despite Owens saying he didn’t deserve it. Now, the two are at each other’s throats as the rivalry heats up before the encounter.
In addition, the rivalry between CM Punk and Drew McIntyre will hit a new level of intensity when the pair meet in a strap match. Finally, former Judgment Day leaders Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley will take on Judgment Day’s Dominik Mysterio and Liv Morgan in mixed tag team action.
Let’s take a look at who the CBS Sports experts are picking to win in each match on Saturday’s card.
WWE Bash in Berlin 2024 predictions
World Heavyweight Championship — Gunther (c) vs. Randy Orton: Orton is a perfect first challenger for Gunther’s title reign. Orton is as much of a made man as there is on the WWE roster and losing here will do him no harm. Gunther also builds cred by picking up a second win over Orton, having controversially defeated him at King and Queen of the Ring. There’s no real mystery in the result here, especially in Germany, but the journey to get there should be a good one as Orton has settled into a nice role as the dangerous veteran. Pick: Gunther retains the title — Brent Brookhouse (also Shakiel Mahjouri)
Undisputed WWE Championship — Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Kevin Owens: Similar to Gunther, WWE won’t take the title off Rhodes in a quick feud after spending two years preparing him to be the company’s top star. Rhodes vs. Owens should be a great match that reminds people how good Owens is. It’ll also add another strong title defense to Rhodes’ reign. There is little doubt that Rhodes retains the title. The more interesting question is how well the superstars’ friendship endures by night’s end. Pick: Cody Rhodes retains the title — Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)
CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre (Strap Match): McIntyre got the SummerSlam win, which means Punk has to get the win back and even things up. The focus on Punk’s friendship bracelet in the SummerSlam match was met with a mixed reaction. A strap match should provide the violence that match was missing. This isn’t going to end things between Punk and McIntyre but if we’re following standard wrestling logic, Punk gets the win to heat up a third meeting between the two, likely at Survivor Series. Pick: CM Punk wins — Brookhouse (also Mahjouri)
Damian Priest & Rhea Ripley vs. Dominik Mysterio & Liv Morgan: If there’s one match that’s hardest to predict on the card, it’s this one. The heels winning makes sense if you want to continue to build up Priest and Ripley’s frustration and the rest of Judgment Day interfering provides plenty of easy paths to get there. Still, it feels like Priest and Ripley benefit from a win here and it pushes closer to Ripley getting her hands on Morgan in another title match. If that’s the end goal, Priest and Ripley should get the win. Pick: Damian Priest & Rhea Ripley win — Brookhouse
Ripley and Priest are the competitive favorites, so to speak. They are a far more imposing duo than weaselly lovebirds Morgan and Mysterio. I suspect The Judgement Day’s combine might will be too much for the heroes to overcome. It’s the most straightforward way to continue the feud. If WWE opts to give the German crowd an easy pop, LWO might even the numbers game by aiding Priest and Ripley to victory. Pick: Dominik Mysterio & Liv Morgan win — Mahjouri
Women’s Tag Team Championship — Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn (c) vs. Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill: Candidly, I have no idea how this match plays out. Not because the WWE has crafted a complex storyline or presented the teams as competitively even, but because it seems like creative barely cares. The Unholy Union’s title win at Clash at the Castle felt like an opportunity to reward the Scottish crowd. Belair and Cargill are far bigger draws but feel invisible without the titles. I anticipate WWE will course correct with new champions. Pick: Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill win the titles — Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)