Since 2009 when Hell in a Cell began, WWE has established this event as a slower-paced environment where superstars get the opportunity, and an adequate amount of time, to showcase their in-ring ability and properly tell stories. The event didn’t disappoint this time around as the matches were some of the best I’ve seen in WWE since WrestleMania 35. Not one of them disappointed in the slightest.
The Fiend’s demonic character fits perfectly in Hell in a Cell. Because of this, Vince McMahon may want to consider booking his match at WrestleMania to take place inside the Cell. This would be a special occasion because the last ‘Mania match in Hell in a Cell was the End of an Era Match between Triple H and The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXVIII in 2012. I was in attendance for this, and The Undertaker’s streak was still in-progress.
Seth Rollins is going to be psychologically in a dark place for quite some time. He very arguably turned heel at Hell in a Cell. The entire match upset fans because it didn’t make much sense from a psychology standpoint. Unfortunately, it still wasn’t enough to overcome the Horror movie-like aura of The Fiend. The only superstar who I would dare compare him to is Kane when he debuted in the first-ever Hell in a Cell match in 1997 and he brought the Michael Myers Presence.
I personally thought the psychology of the match was fantastic. Seth Rollins’ character did a complete revolution around the merry-go-round in a matter of one match lasting about 20 minutes.
The match between Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch was also a barnburner. It served to kick off the show in an unbelievable way. There is a very plausible scenario where Becky Lynch holds the Raw Women’s Championship until ‘Mania next April, which will market one full year of her holding the title. She most definitely deserves it, as the energy she puts out clearly resonates with the WWE universe.
This victory for Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan appears to be the official starting point of a face turn and change of heart for Bryan. It could also be the start of a major push into WWE Championship contention for Roman right around WrestleMania time (I don’t feasibly see a scenario in which he’s drafted anywhere but SmackDown, as he is WWE’s top star and his character also fits perfectly with the sports atmosphere FOX intends to create).
It was refreshing to see the Kabuki Warriors undergo a character change and win the Women’s Tag Team Championships. They are too skilled of performers to not win these titles at some point. Asuka got a nostalgic pop from the crowd to finish the match by using the mist that Tajiri used to use back in the day.
I have only one thing to say about the 10-time Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair: Woooo! The OC also could not afford to take a clean loss, particularly Gallows and Anderson. Finally, Chad Gable seems to be embracing the “Shorty” moniker. He is someone to keep an eye on because Vince McMahon reportedly really likes him.
His victory over Ali may be a subtle hint that Randy Orton will get another major Title opportunity sooner rather than later, perhaps on Monday Night Raw since he has been on the SmackDown roster for a few years. The victory would definitely be a sign of an impending title match if we were talking about NXT, since wins and losses mean a whole lot more down at Full Sail University.
Brock Lesnar is reportedly scheduled to square off with Cain Velasquez at Crown Jewel on October 31 and is also scheduled to appear on SmackDown more frequently in the coming months. This completely makes sense. FOX probably demands it since they are paying WWE $1 billion to air SmackDown.