WWE brought Bad Blood to Atlanta’s State Farm Arena, and many fans were wondering how they would book the event’s namesake match, the Hell in a Cell. CM Punk and Drew McIntyre were prepared to bring it all to the table, and they had quite a journey to get here.
At the Royal Rumble in January, CM Punk eliminated Drew McIntyre, but during the match, McIntyre accidentally injured Punk’s tricep, and they turned that into the storyline. McIntyre taunted Punk on social media about the injury, and they kept things going for months without ever touching each other. Punk retaliated by costing McIntyre the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 40, Clash at the Castle in June, and during McIntyre’s cash-in match at Money in the Bank in July.
At SummerSlam 2024, McIntyre defeated Punk, with Seth Rollins serving as the special guest referee. This led to a rematch at Bash in Berlin, where Punk emerged victorious in a strap match. Then Drew McIntyre went on to destroy Punk’s precious bracelet, and that resulted in the match we have in Atlanta.
This match kicked off the Bad Blood 2024 event and marked the 53rd Hell in a Cell gimmick match. Fans in Atlanta were eager to start as the cage lowered, accompanied by flames rising from the ring posts for added cinematic effect. This match was McIntyre’s third Hell in a Cell encounter, and he had yet to win one. CM Punk has been in two previous HIAC matches, and he won each of them.
The bout got off to a brutal start as CM Punk and Drew McIntyre introduced weapons right from the beginning. They tore apart a table and used its legs against each other in an innovative manner. McIntyre sent Punk into the steel cage, causing him to bleed significantly as the punishment continued. Punk’s back was cut up from the cage, with streaks of blood covering his body. McIntyre taunted Punk, stating, “your wife is gonna leave you.” The brutality escalated when McIntyre stabbed Punk in the forehead with a tool from a toolbox he had retrieved earlier. McIntyre became covered in Punk’s blood as he searched under the ring for another table.
Punk fought back with a running knee in the corner and a double axhandle drop from the middle rope. He grabbed a wrench, but McIntyre thwarted his attempt to use it as a weapon and countered with a suplex, drawing chants of “this is awesome” from the Atlanta crowd. Punk then struck McIntyre in the head with a toolbox, causing McIntyre to bleed. Both competitors were now losing blood, raising the stakes of the match.
The two continued to inflict punishment on each other, battling for the upper hand. They traded punches in the ring, but Punk was unable to execute a GTS. The mat was stained with blood as Punk landed a kick that brought both men down. They performed a suplex spot from the ring post through a table at ringside. McIntyre got up first and brought the steel steps into the ring.
Just as Drew McIntyre was about to use the steps, CM Punk caught him with a GTS, resulting in a near fall. McIntyre then responded with a White Noise onto the steel steps for another close count. Punk quickly locked in an Anaconda Vice, but McIntyre grabbed a wrench. However, Punk seized the wrench and struck McIntyre’s skull with it.
McIntyre then delivered a desperate low blow to Punk, causing him to collapse while blood continued to flow from his head. McIntyre then retrieved a black bag filled with plastic beads, reminiscent of those on Punk’s bracelet. Attempting a Claymore Kick, McIntyre missed and crashed spine-first into the steel steps. In a final move, Punk wrapped a chain around his knee, stuffed beads into McIntyre’s mouth, and executed a GTS to secure the victory.
This dramatic conclusion set the tone for the 2024 Bad Blood event, with the aftermath of the match resembling a crime scene due to the blood and chaos, which was fitting given the intensity of their feud.
