Michael Cole, Big E and The Miz hosted the preshow outside Uber Arena. There was a big, raucous crowd behind them. They even gave Cole an ovation and chanted for Cathy Kelley, Bryon Saxton and Jackie Redmond when shown elsewhere in the arena.
Randy Orton sit-down interview – part one
Orton said there was a six-month period where he thought his career might be over but he started feeling better a few months after his surgery and he started training. Orton spoke to Shawn, Steve, and Undertaker and they all admitted to feeling the same thing he was feeling, that the fans may not care about him anymore after a long time off.
Cole asked about CM Punk returning at Survivor Series, the same night as Orton’s return match. Orton was cool with it. Orton also spoke about how much WWE has changed for the better. They can take a few weeks off if they need to and stay fresh or be with their family.
He spoke about how much he’s changed and matured over time. He talked about what it was like being a “babyface” like John Cena and enjoyed being a “good guy.”
Peter Rosenberg interviewed Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill. Belair said they would win the tag titles while putting over Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre. Cargill wasn’t interested in putting them over (and even used that term) and said they would win their titles back.
Redmond interviewed Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio. Morgan didn’t like Redmond’s question and listed every reason she had to hate Rhea Ripley.
They aired a video package of the many couples we’ve seen in WWE (including Edge and Vickie Guerrero and Daniel Bryan and AJ Lee).
There was a random Braun Strowman video package meant to kill time. He’s not on today’s show.
They thanked BABYMETAL and Electric Callboy for today’s theme song RATATATA. Miz butchered the ad read and Big E laughed hysterically.
There was a quick interview with Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest.
Saxton interviewed Triple H. He said Bash in Berlin has once again broken the arena gate record.
There was another video meant to kill time. They interviewed a bunch of wrestlers about the best heels and heel moments in WWE.
There was a commercial with Scarlett urging people to never drink and drive. I don’t normally mention these ads but it deserves repeating: Don’t drink and drive.
There was a video of Miz trying German cuisine and beer. They brought a plate of donuts to the panel and Jackie Redmond purposely ate a round donut (instead of a long one) because it was more appropriate for television.
Cody Rhodes vs. Kevin Owens will open Bash in Berlin.
They aired the sit-down interview Corey Graves did with Rhodes and Owens. This was well done.
There was a video of Ripley discussing her tattoos.
Sebastian Hackl interviewed Gunther. Gunther knew it wouldn’t be easy to beat Orton. Orton was a 14-time champion but that also meant he lost it 14 times. Gunther doesn’t plan on losing.
Randy Orton sit-down interview – part two
Orton put over Gunther and looked forward to fighting him again. He flew his wife in to watch the match live.
It did bother Orton to hear Gunther talk trash about his father and grandfather but Gunther didn’t really get under his skin.
Orton admitted he did think about possibly tying and beating the record for most world title reigns. Cole wished Orton luck and he thanked him.
There was a Gunther training video. He did a lot of neck bridges to protect his neck against an RKO.
Kelley interviewed CM Punk. Punk was fighting for his pride and his family and would make sure Drew McIntyre was fighting for his life.
Gunther, Randy Orton, CM Punk (wearing a Bret Hart sweatshirt), Drew McIntyre, Rhea Ripley & Damian Priest, and Liv Morgan & Dominik Mysterio were shown arriving at the arena.
There was a long video intro.
Cole announced a sold-out crowd of 13,149.
Cole and Wade Barrett are the announcers. Sebastian Hackl and Manu Thiele are the German announce team.
The opening match started at 1:14 pm ET.
Cody Rhodes defeated Kevin Owens to retain the Undisputed WWE Championship (23:17)
Both guys entered to big reactions. They shook hands. They locked up and there were loud duelling chants.
Owens easily countered Rhodes’ attempts for a Cody Cutter and Disaster Kick early on. They countered each other’s finishers and went nose-to-nose, not so friendly anymore.
Owens caught Rhodes’ suicide dive attempt and hit a cannonball off the apron. Rhodes knocked Owens off the apron with a Disaster Kick and hit a suicide dive. The crowd sang Rhodes’ name as he took over. Rhodes applied a figure four but Owens got a rope break. Owens knocked Rhodes out of the ring and hit a frog splash off the apron. They knocked each other down with clotheslines but Rhodes fired up and hit a powerslam and Disaster Kick for two.
Owens blocked the cutter again and hit a German suplex and superkick but Rhodes came back with the Cody Cutter for two. They exchanged strikes until Owens hit a pumphandle neckbreaker for two. Owens hit a rolling senton off the middle rope for two. The crowd chanted, “This is awesome.”
Rhodes blocked a stunner and hit a Cross Rhodes for a nearfall. Owens hit an avalanche fisherman buster for two. They punched each other wildly before trading superkicks. Rhodes went for a super cutter but his leg gave out and he fell.
Owens was about to go after his leg but stopped himself. Rhodes rolled out of the ring to recoup and he even told Owens he was ok. Owens decided to kick his leg out.
Owens set up for a powerbomb into the edge of the ring but stopped himself again. Barrett screamed about Owens not having the killer instinct and Owens told him, “Shut you, you idiot!”
Owens hit a stunner in the ring for two. Rhodes hit consecutive Cross Rhodes but Owens reversed a third one and hit a stunner for a nearfall. The crowd chanted “Holy sh*t.”
Owens tried a senton bomb but Rhodes got his knees up. That hurt his already injured knee but he managed to hit a Cross Rhodes for the pinfall win.
Owens was dejected after the match. Owens turned his back as Rhodes tried to embrace him. Owens eventually hugged Rhodes and raised his hand.
Cargill and Belair entered separately. They wore matching green and silver gear. Dawn and Fyre wore black and white.
Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill defeated Isla Dawn & Alba Fyre to win the Women’s Tag Team Championship (12:03)
Belair was in control but the champs double-teamed her to take control. Cargill finally decided to interject but Fyre hit her with a suicide dive. The champs worked over Belair for a while and Fyre gave her a tornado DDT, kicking Cargill off the apron in the process.
Belair fought back and made the hot tag to Cargill who knocked over both women. She gave Dawn a spinebuster and Fyre a fallaway slam. She gave Dawn what looked like a jackhammer for two. Belair tagged in but Dawn and Fyre gave her a combo Gory bomb and flatliner. Cargill broke up the cover. Cargill and Belair worked together and Cargill slammed Belair onto Fyre for a two count.
Fyre tried a senton bomb with Belair on Dawn’s knees but Belair moved (with help from Cargill) and Fyre crashed onto Dawn. Cargill and Belair hit Dawn with a combo DDT into a German suplex and Cargill pinned Dawn for the win.
Samantha Irvin explained the strap match rules. You must touch all four turnbuckles in succession without interruption. There are red (McIntyre) and green (Punk) lights in each corner.
They mentioned again that McIntyre lost the only ever strap match he was in. I don’t think they’ve ever mentioned that the loss came to Karrion Kross (even though he works for them).
Strap Match: CM Punk defeated Drew McIntyre (19:14)
McIntyre attacked Punk during his entrance and whipped him with the strap before the match began. They got the strap around Punk’s wrist and the referee reluctantly started the match.
McIntyre continued the assault until Punk suddenly hit a GTS. Punk decided not to go for the corners and whipped McIntyre instead. Punk looked under the ring so McIntyre hit him from behind. McIntyre gave Cole a death stare for calling him a hypocrite.
McIntyre set up for a DDT on the announce table but Punk gave him a back body drop and whipped him some more. Punk stepped off the table he was standing on to grab a separate other table from under the ring.
McIntyre headbutted him and put the table away. McIntyre attacked him with a steel chair. They hammered away at each other and Punk came up bleeding (thanks to the headbutt). McIntyre set up a chair in the corner but Punk hit a running knee and bulldog.
Punk finally set up the table but McIntyre rolled back in the ring. Punk followed him in but ran into a Claymore Kick. McIntyre touched three buckles but Punk yanked McIntyre into the corner chair.
Punk touched three buckles but McIntyre stopped him and dropped him over the top and through the table outside the ring. McIntyre hoisted Punk on his shoulders and began touching each corner but Punk touched each corner too behind his back.
Barrett tried to explain that this shouldn’t count but Cole screamed that it does. With the red and green lights lit up, they each struggled to teach the fourth one but they wound up brawling which reset the lights. McIntyre went for Claymore but Punk hit a boot of his own.
Punk applied a sharpshooter and McIntyre tapped out but it didn’t matter. Punk held it in for a while to inflict as much pain as possible. Punk let go when it seemed like McIntyre passed out. Punk touched two corners but McIntyre yanked him in with the strap and hit a neckbreaker.
McIntyre pulled the bracelet out of his trunks, placed it on his wrist and hit a Claymore Kick. McIntyre touched a couple of corners but Punk pulled him in and hit a GTS. Punk saw the bracelet so he hit another GTS.
Punk touched two buckles and decided to hit another GTS. Punk touched a third buckle and hit one more GTS. Punk grabbed the bracelet, put it on, and touched the final buckle to win the match.
Cole said this was Punk’s first win in WWE in 10 and a half years. Punk embraced UFC’s Oban Elliot in the crowd and celebrated by standing on the barricade as the fans gave him a standing ovation.
This was pretty good and had a fairly simple layout (which is fine). It did feel like Punk needed a win after months of talking tough.
Cole insulted Dom’s physique (for a lack of muscle), which he’s done before.
Mixed tag team match: Rhea Ripley & Damian Priest defeated Dominik Mysterio & Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan (14:20)
(It’s a mixed tag, so once one person tags in the other person has to enter too.)
Priest beat up Dom as the crowd chanted “We want Mami.” Priest was about to tag her but Dom escaped and tagged Morgan. Morgan got in Priest’s face but Ripley flew in with a dropkick. Ripley beat up Morgan until Dom tagged in and Priest beat him up again.
Morgan distracted Priest so Dom shoved him into the announce desk and drove him into the steel steps. Dom took over and Morgan gave Priest a cheap shot. The crowd chanted “F*ck you, Dom.” Ripley made the hot tag and hit Morgan with a German suplex and knee strike.
Ripley saw Dom get to his feet and he tried pleading with her. Ripley clotheslined Dom twice and slammed him. Ripley choked Dom with her legs as the crowd cheered.
Morgan kept trying to save Dom but Ripley kept knocking her aside. Ripley went for Rip-tide on Dom but Morgan finally did cut her off with a Codebreaker. Morgan hit a nice crucifix bomb variation for two.
Priest tagged in and hit Dom with a running clothesline but Morgan broke up the cover. Priest and Ripley each hit a Razor’s Edge. Ripley chucked Morgan from the ring as Priest set up Dom for a clothesline.
JD McDonagh tried to interfere but Priest knocked him off the apron. Ripley dropped Carlito onto the apron but Morgan wiped out Ripley with a sunset powerbomb off the steel steps into the barricade.
McDonagh distracted the ref as Finn Bálor flew in and hit Priest with a slingblade. Dom followed with a 619 and frog splash for a close nearfall.
Ripley went after Morgan but McDonagh distracted the ref so Priest chucked him over the announce table. Priest superkicked Bálor but Dom hit a suicide dive. Priest dropped him anyway with a clothesline on the announce table.
Morgan was all alone so Ripley hit her with Rip-tide for the pinfall win.
This was fun. Ripley and Priest get their big win but they’re saving Ripley’s Rip-tide to Dom for another day.
Samantha Irvin introduced Orton. Ludwig Kaiser introduced Gunther to the delight of the fans.
Orton wore red trunks and knee pads. Gunther wore burgundy.
Gunther defeated Randy Orton to retain the World Heavyweight Championship (35:10)
The crowd stood and sang for a full minute as the match began. Orton applauded them. Five minutes into the match, the crowd began doing the wave. Orton was amused and even joined them. The crowd went nuts.
(Not the first time the fans did the wave during a Randy Orton match. They did it the Raw after WrestleMania 29 when he wrestled Sheamus. That one was out of boredom.)
Gunther wasn’t amused and he chopped Orton down. Orton drove Gunther shoulder-first into the steel steps. He targeted Gunther’s arm and tossed him into the steps again. Orton dropped Gunther onto the announce desk four straight times.
Orton targeted the arm in the ring until Gunther started to mount a comeback but Orton cut him off with a powerslam. Orton hit a superplex off the middle rope but also sold his previously injured neck.
Gunther was mounting a comeback again but Orton poked him in the eye. Orton hit a draping DDT and went for an RKO but Gunther countered into a German suplex. Gunther hit a dropkick and splash for two.
Gunther tried but failed to hit a powerbomb because of his injured arm. He used his other arm to hit a clothesline. Gunther tried again to hit a powerbomb and after a long struggle, he finally did for a two count.
Gunther went for another powerbomb but Orton suddenly hit an RKO for a nearfall.
Orton cleared the German announce table and placed the steel steps next to it. Gunther went after Orton but Orton gave him a back suplex on the steps. There were duelling chants.
Orton climbed the steel steps and drove Gunther through the table with a back suplex. Orton did his pose while standing atop the steps.
Orton slid Gunther into the ring and set up for an RKO but Gunther shoved him off and applied a sleeper (which he beat Bálor with) as the crowd did duelling chants again.
Orton broke the sleeper and was about to set up for an RKO but Gunther chopped him across the back. Gunther applied the sleeper again but Orton hoisted Gunther off his feet and dropped backward.
Gunther popped right back up and reapplied the sleeper. Gunther hit repeated elbows and applied the sleeper again. Orton finally passed out and the referee called it. Gunther retained.
(The crowd cheered for Gunther’s win. They liked both men and would’ve likely popped big for a title change.)
— Gunther offered Orton a handshake and Orton shook his hand.
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