I'm back for the second installment of monthly WWE ppv recaps, and this time around, I'm covering WWE Hell in a Cell. One of the more gruesome events in a few years, Hell in a Cell was one of the better WWE events this year, and I'm excited to bring you the recap.
Note: This was written before RAW, and is limited as such.
RECAP
1st match: John Cena US Open Challenge Winner: Albertoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
We kick off the show with Cena's US Title Open Challenge. There were a lot of rumors flying around the internet about how would be the mystery challenger, and there was a lot of hype for this match. Zeb Colter answered the challenge, and announced Cena's opponent: Alberto Del Rio. Yep, this one came from outta nowhere. Del Rio makes his return to the WWE, while still holding the AAA Mega Title, which is interesting. The match was pretty fun, and these two have got some very good chemistry, having fought extensively in the past. Del Rio ends it with his superkick, and beats Cena clean in just under ten minutes. Just the fact that Del Rio returned at all was a shocker, none the less aligning with Zeb and beating Cena so quickly. With Cena leaving for now, it'll be interesting to see where they go with Del Rio's character.
2nd match: Reigns vs Wyatt, Hell in a Cell Winner: Roman Frickin' Reigns
I was reading a lot of tweets from the past few weeks heading into this match, and I gathered that most of the viewing audience had all but lost interest in this story arc. I have to admit I wasn't expecting much, and was pleasantly surprised by what we got. The match was in no way a classic, and suffered from pacing issues, but it was surprisingly brutal considering the two men in the match. Bray put on some of his finest work, and you really got the sense he was trying so hard to put over this match. The crowd did kind of ruin this match for me, even attempting to start a "Let's go Roman, Roman sucks" chant. A crowd can really make or break this kind of a match, and they failed on almost every level to help the two combatants out. The other complaint I had was that I felt like this would've been better as a Street Fight/Hardcore-style match, as putting it in the Cell felt a little unnecessary. Other than that, I really enjoyed what we got.
3rd match: New Day vs Dudley Boyz Winners: The New Day
The Eddie Guerrero tributes were strong in this match, with the New Day sporting Xavier Woods armbands, and Kofi trying his hand at the classic Latino Heat finish. I think this match was better than their previous encounters, as it was the first time I was genuinely excited about these two facing off. It is a little strange to have Team 3D lose once again, though I suppose this is building up to a Tables match at TLC.
4th match: Charlotte vs Nikki II Winner: Charlotte
These two were one of the highlights at Night of Champions, and they were once again one of the top acts. Nikki has developed into a fantastic heel, thanks partly to some true heat from the crowd, and also from the work she's been putting in. I think I enjoyed this one a little more than their last encounter, although I would've loved to see Charlotte mix it up and finish Nikki up with Natural Selection this time around. Charlotte is not a fantastic face, and works better as a heel, so I see a turn in her future. Not in her immediate future, however, as the 'E seem set on moving forward with Paige as Charlotte's next challenger. I can't bring myself to care about a match between these two, and hopefully this all gets wrapped up sooner rather than later.
5th match: Seth Rollins vs The Guy in the Mask Winner: Seth Rollins
I pretty much made my feeling's known about Kane in the last recap, and I haven't changed my opinion. This is easily the worst match on the card, as Kane is entirely unwatchable, and Rollins just barely makes this worth watching. On a night where a lot of the younger talent was on display, this match is held back by having an older guy no one cares about. Hopefully the next challenger for Rollins' title is much, much more interesting. (He is). Oh yeah, and Seth Rollins hit a Frog Splash.
6th match: The match no one cares about Winner: Kevin Owens
If there was any way the WWE could tell the fans they don't care about the IC Title, this was it. The match had no real build up, and the crowd either didn't care or gave them hell. It was a horrible match, no one cared about Owens winning, and the WWE almost intentionally tried to screw these guys over. They knew full well the the audience was waiting for Lesnar vs Taker, and sent these two guys out as a sort of sacrificial lamb. I can't even express how horrible this was. Let's just move on.
7th match: Lesnar vs The Undertaker IV(I think) Winner: Brock Lesnar
One of the biggest aspects of professional wrestling is the importance of the main event. Even if you have a weak under and midcard, the main event can save your show, and there was no bigger example than this match. Lesnar vs Taker delivered on every level, giving fans the type of brutality that hasn't been seen in a long time. This felt like a final battle, with both men going to any length to pick up the win. It was awesome to see Lesnar take apart the ring, and then the chokeslam was amazing. Finally, Lesnar took a page out of the Undertaker's book, hitting the Deadman with a low blow before finishing him off. Of course, this being the WWE, they had to muck it up with the Wyatt Family getting involved, but that doesn't take away from a great match.
Final Thoughts:
This was definitely an improvement from last month, but I'm not really invested in what the 'E is hinting at for the future. With Survivor Series on the horizon, the WWE has a big chance to capitalize on the momentum from what was a pretty good show. It'll be interesting to see what they want to do going forward, with a lot more NXT stars poised to make the jump to the main roster in the near future.
7/10
That's it from me, stay tuned for more new content each and every week.
-Henry
Note: This was written before RAW, and is limited as such.
RECAP
1st match: John Cena US Open Challenge Winner: Albertoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
We kick off the show with Cena's US Title Open Challenge. There were a lot of rumors flying around the internet about how would be the mystery challenger, and there was a lot of hype for this match. Zeb Colter answered the challenge, and announced Cena's opponent: Alberto Del Rio. Yep, this one came from outta nowhere. Del Rio makes his return to the WWE, while still holding the AAA Mega Title, which is interesting. The match was pretty fun, and these two have got some very good chemistry, having fought extensively in the past. Del Rio ends it with his superkick, and beats Cena clean in just under ten minutes. Just the fact that Del Rio returned at all was a shocker, none the less aligning with Zeb and beating Cena so quickly. With Cena leaving for now, it'll be interesting to see where they go with Del Rio's character.
2nd match: Reigns vs Wyatt, Hell in a Cell Winner: Roman Frickin' Reigns
I was reading a lot of tweets from the past few weeks heading into this match, and I gathered that most of the viewing audience had all but lost interest in this story arc. I have to admit I wasn't expecting much, and was pleasantly surprised by what we got. The match was in no way a classic, and suffered from pacing issues, but it was surprisingly brutal considering the two men in the match. Bray put on some of his finest work, and you really got the sense he was trying so hard to put over this match. The crowd did kind of ruin this match for me, even attempting to start a "Let's go Roman, Roman sucks" chant. A crowd can really make or break this kind of a match, and they failed on almost every level to help the two combatants out. The other complaint I had was that I felt like this would've been better as a Street Fight/Hardcore-style match, as putting it in the Cell felt a little unnecessary. Other than that, I really enjoyed what we got.
3rd match: New Day vs Dudley Boyz Winners: The New Day
The Eddie Guerrero tributes were strong in this match, with the New Day sporting Xavier Woods armbands, and Kofi trying his hand at the classic Latino Heat finish. I think this match was better than their previous encounters, as it was the first time I was genuinely excited about these two facing off. It is a little strange to have Team 3D lose once again, though I suppose this is building up to a Tables match at TLC.
4th match: Charlotte vs Nikki II Winner: Charlotte
These two were one of the highlights at Night of Champions, and they were once again one of the top acts. Nikki has developed into a fantastic heel, thanks partly to some true heat from the crowd, and also from the work she's been putting in. I think I enjoyed this one a little more than their last encounter, although I would've loved to see Charlotte mix it up and finish Nikki up with Natural Selection this time around. Charlotte is not a fantastic face, and works better as a heel, so I see a turn in her future. Not in her immediate future, however, as the 'E seem set on moving forward with Paige as Charlotte's next challenger. I can't bring myself to care about a match between these two, and hopefully this all gets wrapped up sooner rather than later.
5th match: Seth Rollins vs The Guy in the Mask Winner: Seth Rollins
I pretty much made my feeling's known about Kane in the last recap, and I haven't changed my opinion. This is easily the worst match on the card, as Kane is entirely unwatchable, and Rollins just barely makes this worth watching. On a night where a lot of the younger talent was on display, this match is held back by having an older guy no one cares about. Hopefully the next challenger for Rollins' title is much, much more interesting. (He is). Oh yeah, and Seth Rollins hit a Frog Splash.
6th match: The match no one cares about Winner: Kevin Owens
If there was any way the WWE could tell the fans they don't care about the IC Title, this was it. The match had no real build up, and the crowd either didn't care or gave them hell. It was a horrible match, no one cared about Owens winning, and the WWE almost intentionally tried to screw these guys over. They knew full well the the audience was waiting for Lesnar vs Taker, and sent these two guys out as a sort of sacrificial lamb. I can't even express how horrible this was. Let's just move on.
7th match: Lesnar vs The Undertaker IV(I think) Winner: Brock Lesnar
One of the biggest aspects of professional wrestling is the importance of the main event. Even if you have a weak under and midcard, the main event can save your show, and there was no bigger example than this match. Lesnar vs Taker delivered on every level, giving fans the type of brutality that hasn't been seen in a long time. This felt like a final battle, with both men going to any length to pick up the win. It was awesome to see Lesnar take apart the ring, and then the chokeslam was amazing. Finally, Lesnar took a page out of the Undertaker's book, hitting the Deadman with a low blow before finishing him off. Of course, this being the WWE, they had to muck it up with the Wyatt Family getting involved, but that doesn't take away from a great match.
Final Thoughts:
This was definitely an improvement from last month, but I'm not really invested in what the 'E is hinting at for the future. With Survivor Series on the horizon, the WWE has a big chance to capitalize on the momentum from what was a pretty good show. It'll be interesting to see what they want to do going forward, with a lot more NXT stars poised to make the jump to the main roster in the near future.
7/10
That's it from me, stay tuned for more new content each and every week.
-Henry
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