The Berlin crowd was audibly split between Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and his challenger Kevin Owens in the opening contest at Bash in Berlin. The event kicked off hot as Michael Cole pointed to how long German fans had waited for a WWE PLE on their home turf.
The match itself was a strong back-and-forth competition, with no wrestler at any point getting the upper hand. As the bout progressed, the competitors shifted gears and pulled out big moves from their arsenal.
The American Nightmare was caught with a rolling fireman's carry slam off the top rope, but he returned the favor to Kevin Owens by countering the Stunner into a Cross Rhodes. The Prizefighter kicked out at two.
In the final act, Owens teased a heel turn as he had an opening to take advantage of Cody's knee injury but chose not to. Despite hitting big move after big move to one another—including their finishers—each man kicked out just in the nick of time.
The ending came when The Prizefighter's attempt to hit a top rope senton was reversed by Rhodes, after which he hit his challenger with the fourth Cross Rhodes of the match to seal the deal. The Prizefighter embraced the Undisputed WWE Champion and raised the latter's hand post-match.