Bash in Berlin 2026 is WWE's biggest test since the Triple H era began

The stakes for Germany

WWE is returning to Berlin in 2026, and the pressure to replicate the atmosphere of the inaugural Bash in Berlin is immense. Fans in the Uber Arena proved they were the loudest, most engaged crowd on the international circuit. Now, Triple H needs to stop relying on nostalgia and start building fresh main events that actually matter for the European market.

Booking a show for a German audience requires more than just putting Gunther on the poster. The Ring General is the obvious centerpiece, but if we get another standard title defense against a mid-card babyface, the crowd will feel cheated. They want high-stakes, technical wrestling that respects the history of the continent.

The main event we deserve

Gunther must defend the World Heavyweight Championship against Ilja Dragunov in a 30-minute Iron Man match. We saw their chemistry in NXT, specifically that 2020 classic where Dragunov ended the historic reign. Expanding that to a main event spotlight in Berlin is the only way to satisfy a crowd that knows their wrestling history.

Dragunov has the intensity to push Gunther to his absolute limit. I predict a 3-2 finish in favor of the champion, with the final fall coming after a desperate clothesline in the closing seconds. Anything less would be a massive missed opportunity to cement this rivalry as the defining feud of the decade.

The rest of the card

The undercard needs to balance established stars with rising talent. Cody Rhodes should be nowhere near the title here; he needs to be occupied in a grudge match that doesn't involve the gold. I expect a feud with Bron Breakker to boil over, culminating in a violent street fight where Breakker finally gets his clean win over the face of the company.

• Solo Sikoa vs. Seth Rollins for the Intercontinental Title: Rollins wins after a Pedigree.
• Liv Morgan vs. Rhea Ripley: The final blow-off to their long-running saga, with Ripley taking the pin.
• The Creed Brothers vs. DIY for the Tag Team belts: A technical masterpiece that ends with the Creeds securing the gold.

The women's division needs a centerpiece as well. Tiffany Stratton vs. Bayley for the Women's World Championship feels like the right direction. Stratton has the heat and the charisma to carry a major international PLE, and putting her over a veteran like Bayley in a clean win would solidify her as a top-tier heel.

The booking flaws we can't ignore

My biggest fear is that WWE treats this as just another stop on the road. We saw the initial success of the Berlin event, but complacency is the enemy of momentum. If the booking team opts for safe, predictable finishes to keep every babyface happy, the energy will evaporate by the second match.

The lack of a legitimate secondary women's feud is also a glaring issue. WWE has a deep roster, yet we keep seeing the same pairings week after week. If they don't elevate someone new to a position of relevance by August 2026, the mid-card will feel like filler. Fans notice when the effort isn't matched by the creative output.

As ESPN's coverage of WWE often notes, the international expansion is the company's primary growth engine. They cannot afford a flat show. This card needs to be aggressive, fast-paced, and focused on in-ring quality over overproduced video packages.