The Hell in a Cell pay-per-view is one of the most exciting of the year - or at least it should be. Strangely enough, the match card this year hasn't been built in the best way. There was only really hype for the two matches that take place in the show's namesake, with everything else seemingly thrown together last-minute. Still, that didn't mean WWE doesn't have the talent to still pull something like this off. It would just take some excellent booking...
'The Man' Becky Lynch proved she was THE face of WWE right now, in an incredible bout against the challenger to her Raw Women's Championship, 'The Boss' Sasha Banks. Despite Banks coming up short, she lost absolutely zero momentum here, proving to be one of the best Superstars in the business who has benefitted immensely from her time training, away from the spotlight.
This was only the second time in history that female Superstars had gone head-to-head inside Hell in a Cell, and the two worked hard to ensure they used every inch of the devillish structure to bring the pain to one another. Tables, ladders and chairs were used, along with the chain of the cell door and kendo sticks, in a thrilling opening match to the pay-per-view.
Some truly mind-blowing spots had audiences on the edge of their seats, including a meteora from Banks to Lynch straight into a ladder, and another from the turnbuckle to send Lynch straight through a table. Every move was executed with perfection, and the two should be celebrated for bringing their rivalry to what should be its culmination for now.
Unfortunately, the night seemed to go downhill from this point onwards. Superstars such as Randy Orton, Ali, King Baron Corbin and 'Shorty' Chad Gable of course gave their all in the squared circle, but their storylines lacked intrigue. Corbin and Gable will go on, as the King attacked 'Shorty' backstage in a brutal beatdown.
Where WWE really messed up however, was their main event. Universal Champion Seth Rollins was set to defend his title against 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt inside Hell in a Cell. The first big mistake from booking was bathing the entire match in a red light. Sure, it looked like a trailer for a horror movie, but it served more to annoy fans than to elevate proceedings.
The action itself inside the cell was as dangerous and terrifying as it should be. It was the finish that sent this match plummeting to the depths of some of the worst bouts to have taken place in WWE.
Though a hammer has been used on numerous occasions in the past where No Disqualification rules are at play, referee Rod Zapata was forced to call time on the bout when Rollins used the weapon to launch his final attack on Wyatt. Rollins was disqualified, and Wyatt was handed the win. Championship rules meant that the title didn't change hands.
It was an insane, mind-numbing moment that couldn't even be saved by The Fiend's return from being viciously assaulted, and causing Rollins to bleed from the mouth with two Mandible Claws. The live crowd reacted with chants of 'AEW' - the acronym for All Elite Wrestling, which launched last week (October 2nd, 2019) on TNT with its new weekly show, Dynamite.
Can Monday Night Raw writers save the anger they've got coming towards them in their next show? Perhaps only if they open up the night with a swift Universal Championship change, from Rollins to Wyatt. Everything else will fall short.
The WWE action continues tonight (October 7th, 2019) during Monday Night Raw, ahead of Friday Night SmackDown later this week (October 11th, 2019).
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