A totally typical WWE SmackDown show — solid action, horrid booking and a complete lack of direction. The Hell in a Cell matches weren’t exactly classics but delivered overall as Owens/Shane was exactly the stunt fest I expected while New Day/Usos was somehow both truly exciting & unsettlingly goofy. I guess the Nakamura experiment is over before it ever really even started.
– Nick Randall
**********
Thumbs In The Middle
Best Match: New Day/Usos
Worst Match: Orton/Rusev
Came back from the Giants-Chargers game in NJ looking forward to this and was somewhat disappointed Shane and Owens went all-out but not by much. New Day and the Usos keep stealing the show month after month.
– Mike Stack
**********
The two Cell matches were standouts. They both sold different stories, with New Day vs Usos selling the danger of being inside the cell and Shane/KO selling the danger and fear of fighting outside it.
The US triple threat was good, I enjoyed all three guys. Corbin looked good, and really put some stink on those kicks when he put AJ out of the ring for the pin.
Charlotte vs Natalya wasn’t especially riveting but I enjoyed watching it and I’m excited to see where it goes from here.
And finally, Sami saving Owens was a fantastic moment and I can’t wait to see how it plays out. Did he want to save his friend from certain doom? Did he help Owens win to end the feud, because if Owens lost he’d certainly get hurt from escalating this feud more and more? Or has he finally snapped and wanted to hurt Shane?
Cliffhangers can be fantastic for wrestling and stories in general, and Hell in a Cell 2017 ended on a great one.
– Cole Golden
**********
Thumbs up for HiaC. Best match: Usos-New Day. Worst: Roode-Ziggler. Everything was at least good with the exception of Roode-Ziggler and the finish of Charlotte-Nattie. Would go four stars for both HiaC matches. Was very uneasy when Shane and Owens fought on the top of the cage and for the ridiculous Shane stunt at the end.
The final three New Japan matches were better than anything on the WWE PPV. I’d go ****3/4 for Naito-Ishii, and in a normal year, it would be a MotY contender. Ospreay-Kushida was almost as great, at ****1/2. Okada-EVIL was excellent, if maybe a bit disappointing since it didn’t reach the level of the other two matches. ****1/4 for that one. Huge thumbs up, obviously, and not having watched any of the undercard, I can’t name a worst match.
– David Wolf
**********
Thumbs in the middle show.
Mixed bag. Some of the matches delivered, some were predictable and some were plan silly. First half of the show seemed to go by quickly, the second half was brutally slow.
New Day-Usos: Really enjoyed this match and feud.
Randy Orton-Rusev: Good straight forward wrestling match. I suppose you have to keep Orton strong but another missed opportunity to put someone new over..
Charlotte-Nattie: Brutal finish. Match was OK before the finish that was just dumb and lazy.
Corbin-Styles-Dillinger: First half of this match was basic, last 10 minutes was great.
Nakamura-Jinder: Not as bad as previous one but still nothing to it. Finish was a head scratcher but predictable.
Roode-Dolph: Filler and disappointing.
Shane-Owens: Better then expected but way too long. Would love to see Shane stop trying to kill himself. Loved the surprise turn by Zayn. Just what he needed.
**********
Thumbs in middle
Best Match: Usos-New Day
Worst Match: Roode-Ziggler.
– Mike Flynn
**********
Thumbs up
Usos/New Day ***1/4 disappointing. Too many kendo sticks and it it was sometime unpleasant. Work was excellent and crazy
Rusev/Orton *** fine. Clever finish
Best Match US Championship ***3/4. AJ is still amazing. Excellent match
Women’s Title. ***1/4 Match was good. Nattie is so much better as a face.
World Title ***. Jinder suck but Nakamura was good here.
Worst Match Roode/Ziggler. ** 1/4. Not good. Would have been too slow even if better wrestled. Dolph needs a sabbatical.
Main event: *** it delivered but it shouldn’t be done
– Russell Griffith
**********
Thumbs Up — good show overall, much more watchable than past few WWE PPVs
Best Match — Usos vs New Day
Worst Match — Jinder / Nakamura
– Dave Gould
**********
Thumbs in the Middle
Best Match: The Usos vs The New Day
Worst Match: Shinsuke Nakamura vs Jinder Mahal
PPV was going well until we got into the third hour. Thought all the matches were solid with Usos vs New Day were great. Nakamura vs Mahal was rough and counter-productive booking. Mahal is the most dogsh*t wrestler to be WWE champion. He just has nothing going for him in between the ropes.
Main event was excessive. This tweet sums up my feelings
Looking forward to Owens and Zayn as a team though
– Kevin Chiat
**********
Thumbs Up
Best Match: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Tetsuya Naito
Worst Match: Hiromu Takahashi, SANADA & BUSHI vs. Bad Luck Fale, Yujiro Takahashi & Leo Tonga
A great show, especially after intermission, even with little doubt about the outcomes of the final two matches. Ospreay vs. Kushida was outstanding, as usual with those two, and only narrowly missed out on
my Best Match vote.
– Lou Pickney
**********
THUMBS UP!!!!!!
Best Match: Okada vs. EVIL
Worst Match: None. (I could do without Yano though…)
The last three matches were all main event-caliber awesome and it’s crazy to think that they were able to follow each other and deliver big time. KUSHIDA is one of my favorite wrestlers and it blows me away that he was possibly only in the THIRD best match on this card. Solid undercard matches too, it was cool to see “Sho and Yo” and I thought the build for future matchups was quite strong and am excited to see things peak on January 4th.
Overall, a really great show. Probably best consumed with a bit of time/distance from HIAC since the disparity between the two doesn’t really feel fair and is maybe best(and simply) described by this card’s name: “King of Pro Wrestling”.
Shane McMahon and Kevin Owens headlined inside — and on top of — Hell in a Cell in the main event of a SmackDown-exclusive pay-per-view from Detroit, Michigan.
Hell in a Cell at the new Little Caesars Arena featured crazy bumps and wild action in two Hell in a Cell matches. Owens defeated McMahon after Shane took a crazy bump where he leapt off the top of the cage. The plot thickened in their ongoing storyline as Sami Zayn interfered to assist his nemesis in helping Owens win the match.
In the other Hell in a Cell match on the card, the Usos won the SmackDown tag team titles in a stuntshow with The New Day.
Jinder Mahal retained his WWE Championship over Shinsuke Nakamura after Mahal pinned Nakamura with his finisher. The Singh Brothers interfered during the match, but the finish itself was still relatively clean.
While one champion retained, another lost his title without actually being defeated. Added to the US title match on the pre-show, Tye Dillinger took the pinfall in a triple threat match where Baron Corbin won the US Championship. Styles was kept strong in losing the title without him being pinned. Corbin stole the pinfall in a match where Styles was a bumping machine.
In a backstage skit on the pre-show, Tye Dillinger was lobbying with SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan. Dillinger wanted himself added to the US title match since he defeated Baron Corbin in a match on SmackDown. Bryan agreed with Dillinger, and he added Dillinger to the match. The US title match later on is now AJ Styles defending against both Corbin and Dillinger in a triple threat match.
The kickoff pre-show had Renee Young hosting a panel that included Peter Rosenberg and David Otunga.
Aiden English joined the panel to discuss his relationship with Rusev. English predicted a Rusev victory in his match against Randy Orton. English then sang a song dedicated to Rusev.
Charlotte Flair answered questions in the “social media lounge” relating to her SmackDown Women’s Championship match where she challenges Natalya.
The pre-show tag team match was a short tale of two opposites. Solid teamwork worked well for a new team, while an established team showed signs of separation and miscommunication.
Shelton Benjamin & Chad Gable defeated The Hype Bros
Ryder was pinned after taking a modified Doomsday Device. Bejamin and Gable worked over Zack Ryder as they cut the ring in half. Mojo Rawley ran wild after a hot tag, but to no avail. The Hype Bros once again teased dissension. Adding to that, they did not even have matching gear as each wore different colors.
Huge pop from the crowd as the cell is lowered over the ring for the opening match on the main card.
The New Day did a an in-ring promo before their match to hype the crowd.
The Usos defeated The New Day inside Hell in a Cell to win the SmackDown Tag Team Championship
The Usos won the titles when they pinned Woods after a wild spectacle. Big E and Xavier Woods were the in-ring tandem for New Day while Kofi Kingston was outside the cell at ringside. Both team went underneath the ring to get weapons when the match started. A chain became involved at the outset. Lots of big bumps led to “this is awesome” chant only a few minutes into the match.
For a musical interlude, Woods hit an Uso with a couple trambones. Woods accompanied that by using a cow bell and a gong.
The Usos had batting practice with kendo sticks as they repeatedly struck Big E. The Usos then singled out Woods with an Umaga splash in the corner of the cage. Woods got his knees up on another splash in a nasty-looking bump that set up a New Day comeback.
Woods got more kendo sticks. He and Big E used the sticks to trap Jey Uso in the corner of the cage. They stuck the kendo sticks through an cage to tie up Uso. He escaped to join his brother to cut off the New Day.
The Usos did a shoulder tackle Doomsday Device that drove Big E into the chainlink fencing. Somehow, Big E kicked out for a near fall. The Usos got handcuffs, and they cuffed both Woods and Big E to the ring. With Kofi watching in horror, the Usos caned a heldless Woods. They next went to cane Big E.
Big E had broken free of his handcuffs as he fired up into a rally. The Usos cut off Big E and delivered Double Uce (double Superfly splashes off the top) for a near fall.
The kendo sticks came back play in the closing moments as the Usos caned a handcuffed Woods. They laid Woods on a chair, and climbed the turnbuckles to deliver Double Uce for the pinfall.
AJ Styles cut a promo backstage about his upcoming US title defense. About the addition of Tye Dillinger to the title match, Styles said he would make the best of a bad situation. Styles quoted the late Tom Petty in saying he “won’t back down” in the triple threat match.
Randy Orton defeated Rusev
Orton pinned Rusev after a hitting the RKO. Much more methodical than the stuntshow that was the previous match, Rusev worked over Orton’s back looking to set up the Accolade. Rusev worked over Orton until a comeback by “the Viper” that led into the finish. Orton was popping the crowd as he teased an RKO. Rusev countered with by attempting the Accolade. Orton escaped the clutches of Rusev to hit the RKO and score the pinfall.
Baron Corbin defeated Tye Dillinger and AJ Styles in a triple threat match to win the United States Championship
Corbin pinned Dillinger to win the US title, which meant the champion lost the title without actually being pinned or submitted. Styles was clearly the crowd favorite, and he was a bumping machine in this match. The crowd chanted “where’s your briefcase” at Corbin.
Styles and Dillinger formed a brief partnership at the outset of the match as they teamed up to dispatch Corbin. The partnership then quickly dissolved into a series of exchanges.
Corbin soon began cleaning house as he dominated for a lenghty stretch. Corbin mauled both Dillinger and Styles. Eventually, Styles fired up on Corbin.
Dillinger ran wild on Styles. Dillinger escaped a Styles Clash only to caught in a Calf Crusher. Corbin made the save to break up the hold. Styles did a springboard into a flying forearm to the outside. Back in the ring, Corbin caught Styles on a springboard to deliver a huge chokeslam backbreaker.
Styles did a springboard 450 for a near fall. Styles hit the Phenomenal Forearm on Dillinger in the closing moments. Corbin rushed in to boot Styles out of the ring as he stole the pinfall to win the title.
Charlotte Flair defeated Natalya via disqualification in match for the SmackDown Women’s Championship
Nattie got DQ’d to lose the match, but she retained the title in the process.
The body of the match was Nattie working a leg as she grounded Charlotte with leglocks. Nattie kept dissecting the leg. Charlotte countered a sharpshooter, and she hobbled into a comeback where she chopped down Nattie.
Nattie soon cut her off with a Liger bomb for a two count. On the outside, Nattie rammed Charlotte’s knees into the ring steps. Back inside the ring, Nattie applied the sharpshooter. Charlotte powered out to break the submission hold.
Charlotte did a moonsault off the top turnbuckle to the floor. Nattie grabbed a chair and hit Charlotte for the DQ. Nattie then hit Charlotte in the knee with the chair.
Next came a Fashion Files segment where Breezango were trying to solve the case of 2B. The Ascension entered the scene in ridiculous disguises. They gave Breezango an Ascension poster with an inscription that read Ascension wants “2B” friends with Breezango. When Breezango buried The Ascension, they took off their disguises and sulked away in sadness.
Then, there was a knock at the door. Someone had left Breezango a breifcase, but not just any case. This was a “new case” for Breezango to solve. So, Tuesday is “Pulp Fashion” on the next episode of SmackDown.
WWE Champion Jinder Mahal defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to retain his title
Mahal pinned Nakamura clean with his finisher. Nakamura was getting the better of exchanges in the early portion of the match. Nakamura taunted Mahal and displayed Good Vibrations.
Mahal took a powder to the floor, and Nakamura gave chase. Mahal posted Nakamura and threw him into a barricade. Mahal proceeded to get heat on Nakamura as he worked him over.
Nakamura made a comeback with kicks and knee strikes. The Singh Brothers tried to interfere, but Nakamura hit them with strikes. That sligth distraction made Nakamura miss a leaping knee drop off the apron.
Mahal began to dominate, yet Nakamura soon fired up. The Singhs interfered once again, and it backfired this time. Or would it really in the end? Nakamura schoolboyed Mahal for a two count. The Singhs were ejected from ringside by referee Charles Robinson.
Meanwhile, Nakamura hit a Kinshasa in the ring on Mahal. The ref was distracted with the Singhs, and he was late on the count. That allowed Mahal to get a rope break.
Moments later, Nakamura went for a second Kinshasa and Mahal moved to avoid the knee. The champion then countered with the Khallis (half-nelson slam) to score a clean pinfall.
The magnificent aura of Nakamura on the main roster is fleeting fast.
Kevin Owens cut a passionate promo backstage on how he was sending Shane McMahon to hell in their match tonight.
Bobby Roode defeated Dolph Ziggler
Roode pinned Ziggler with a roll-up and a handful of tights.
Roode had his usual grand entrance. Ziggler had promised he would have a new entrance. Just as his theme song began, the music dropped out as the song was cut short. Ziggler sauntered to the ring with no music except a chorus of boos from the crowd.
The first portion of the match was a showcase for Roode. Ziggler then got to shine before an O’Connor roll where he held the trunks on a pinning attempt. Roose reversed the roll-up and held the tights to score a three count.
Ziggler hit a Zig-Zag and laid out Roode after the match, so their feud is continuing.
Kevins Owens defeated Shane McMahon in a falls count anywhere Hell in a Cell match
Owens pinned McMahon after a crazy bump and interference by Sami Zayn.
The fight started outside the cage as McMahon peppered Owens with punches. McMahon leapt off the barricade into a flying clothesline. McMahon was the aggressor until he was knocked off the apron into the cage. Owens also threw McMahon into the cage again.
Owens paused to taunt McMahon’s children before raking McMahon’s face in the wire mesh. Ownes pummeled McMahon, and he then executed a cannonball splash for a near fall. Owens jumped off the ropes into a senton that he missed when McMahon moved.
McMahon began to come alive as he danced around the ring into a comeback. McMahon delivered a swinging DDT, and soon climbed the turnbuckles. McMahon went for a shooting star press as Owens rolled out of the way.
Owens went for a pop-up powerbomb, but McMahon caught him in a triangle choke. Owens countered by deadlifting McMahon into a powerbomb on the ring steps.
The crowd chanted “we want tables” almost on cue. Owens pulled out a table from underneath the ring. He propped the table in corner and laid Shane on it. Running down the apron into a cannonball splash, Owens shattered the table as McMahon rolled out of the way.
McMahon got a trash can, and set it on Owens in a corner. Leaping “coast-to-coast” across the ring, McMahon springboarded into a Van Terminator.
Shane got a pair of bolt cutters. He cut the lock on the cage and opened the door. Of course, the fight spilled outside the cage. Owens DDT’d McMahon on the entrance ramp. Owens also crotched McMahon on the cage door.
Owens teased doing a splash off the barricade through an announce table. He stopped because he had another idea. Owens climbed up the cage and teased jumping off. Owens had reservations, and decided not to jump.
In the meantime, McMahon climbed on top of the cage. They fought on the roof of the cage, exchanging strikes and moves on the structure. They continued to fight on top of the cage for several minutes. Owens teased a powerbomb that McMahon reversed. Seconds later, Owens powerbombed Shane on the roof of the cage. It looked terribly painfull.
Owens went to climb down, and McMahon followed him. The crowd booed at first. The boos turned to buzzing as they fought on the side of the cage. Owens went flying off the cage and crashed through an announce table.
McMahon cleared another announce table so he could lay Owens on it. McMahon climbed back on top of the cage. McMahon stood on top of the cage, crossed himself, and jumped off. Down below, Sami Zayn in street clothes appeared at ringside to pull Owens off the table. McMahon fell off the cage and annihilated a table taking a crazy bump.
Paramedics and trainers went to check on McMahon. Zayn pulled Owens on top of McMahon. Zayn forced a nearby referee to make a three count.
McMahon left on a stretcher as the show closed. Shane gave a thumbs up as he was stretchered out.
Lance Russell, who passed away on 10/3, at the age of 91, was the greatest host of a pro wrestling show that there ever was, or ever will be.
But that was secondary. Lance Russell was, as much as anyone I’ve ever encountered, a wonderful human being. To several generations in Memphis, as well as in cities throughout Tennessee and Kentucky, he was not just the lead wrestling announcer on Championship Wrestling, but, even if you didn’t know him personally, or had never met him, he was like an uncle, or the cool neighbor that you loved hearing tell stories about his most interesting life, or, as he got older, like another grandfather to kids that grew up watching wrestling. That was for the people who didn’t know him.
To those who did, he was, put succinctly, “Lance is a very special person,” in the words of Dave Brown, whose life he shaped when 50 years ago he offered him a job as his sidekick calling wrestling, which led to a career as the most popular television news personality in the Memphis market for decades.
Shelton Benjamin’s first match at a WWE pay-per-view since 2010 will be on the Hell in a Cell pre-show.
It was announced on last night’s go-home edition of SmackDown that Benjamin & Chad Gable would be facing The Hype Bros on Sunday. The match was set up in a SmackDown fallout video last week when an interview with Benjamin and Gable was interrupted by Mojo Rawley and Zack Ryder arguing about losing to The Usos.
Benjamin & Gable previously defeated The Hype Bros on an episode of SmackDown last month, with Ryder refusing to shake hands with the winners after the match.
Though it had been advertised that Breezango’s Fashion Files would be coming back on SmackDown last night, it will instead return on Sunday with a new segment airing during Hell in a Cell. There was also another stipulation added to Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens at the PPV, with it now being a falls count anywhere Hell in a Cell match.
The Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan will host Hell in a Cell on Sunday. Here’s the updated lineup for the show:
Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens in a falls count anywhere Hell in a Cell match
WWE Champion Jinder Mahal defending against Shinsuke Nakamura
SmackDown Tag Team Champions The New Day defending against The Usos in a Hell in a Cell match
SmackDown Women’s Champion Natalya defending against Charlotte Flair
United States Champion AJ Styles defending against Baron Corbin
Randy Orton vs. Rusev
Bobby Roode vs. Dolph Ziggler
Shelton Benjamin & Chad Gable vs. The Hype Bros (kickoff show)
For the first time since July’s lackluster Battleground show, SmackDown will put on a brand-exclusive pay-per-view as Hell in a Cell takes place in Detroit on Sunday night.
Battleground was a night where nearly everything went wrong. The Punjabi Prison main event was awful, AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens had a botched finish, and only the tag title match between The New Day and The Usos saved it from being a totally irredeemable show.
At that point, Battleground was emblematic of the struggles SmackDown was having as a brand. That may have been the low point, but the SmackDown matches at SummerSlam (aside from The New Day vs. Usos again) were weaker than the Raw side as well. Even at three hours, Raw has been the better show this year. SmackDown is still trying to regain the quality it had towards the end of 2016.
Less than two weeks before SmackDown’s next pay-per-view, three more matches were added to the show’s card and a second Hell in a Cell match was confirmed tonight.
It was already known that The New Day would be defending their tag titles against The Usos at the PPV, but it was announced on tonight’s episode of SmackDown that they would be doing so in a Hell in a Cell match. The New Day were the ones to issue the challenge after The Usos defeated Zack Ryder & Mojo Rawley.
The United States Championship match is also set for the PPV, with AJ Styles defending against Baron Corbin. Corbin defeated Tye Dillinger by countout on SmackDown when he threw water into Styles’ face at the announce table and then hurled Dillinger into him. Corbin got on the mic after to set up the match.
As expected, the storyline with Dolph Ziggler mocking elaborate entrances led to Bobby Roode interrupting him tonight and making their match for Hell in a Cell official. And Randy Orton vs. Rusev was confirmed for the PPV after Orton ruined Rusev’s “Pride of Bulgaria Celebration.”
Hell in a Cell takes place at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan on October 8th. Here’s a look at the updated lineup for the show:
WWE Champion Jinder Mahal defending against Shinsuke Nakamura
Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens in a Hell in a Cell match
SmackDown Tag Team Champions The New Day defending against The Usos in a Hell in a Cell match
SmackDown Women’s Champion Natalya defending against Charlotte Flair
United States Champion AJ Styles defending against Baron Corbin
Charlotte Flair is back on television and is next in line for a shot at the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
Charlotte pinned Tamina in a fatal four-way main event tonight to earn a shot at Natalya’s title at Hell in a Cell. The match also included Becky Lynch and Naomi.
Earlier in the night, Charlotte made her first appearance on SmackDown since her father’s health issues (though she’s been backstage at the show the last few weeks). She thanked everyone for their support, said that Ric Flair was making a comeback from his health problems, and that she’s learned that you have to make the moments count in life.
She was then interrupted by Natalya, who said that everyone is happy that Ric is doing better, but she wanted to focus on her “Celebration of Women.” That ended up being more of a celebration of Natalya until Charlotte challenged her to a title match, but Becky Lynch, Naomi, and Tamina all wanted a shot as well and Daniel Bryan made the main event official.
Another title match was also added to the Hell in a Cell lineup before SmackDown, with The New Day and Usos again set to face off with the tag titles on the line.
The recently opened Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan will host Hell in a Cell on October 8th. Here’s what the card looks like so far:
WWE Champion Jinder Mahal defending against Shinsuke Nakamura
Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens in a Hell in a Cell match
SmackDown Women’s Champion Natalya defending against Charlotte Flair
SmackDown Tag Team Champions The New Day defending against The Usos
Shane McMahon will be stepping back inside the Hell in a Cell as he faces Kevin Owens at SmackDown’s next pay-per-view.
Vince McMahon’s return to television tonight led to him announcing the match for Hell in a Cell, with Owens attacking Vince and laying him out after the announcement. The match will be Shane’s first since wrestling AJ Styles at WrestleMania earlier this year and his first Hell in a Cell match since facing The Undertaker at WrestleMania 32.
Vince came to SmackDown tonight to address Shane and Owens’ storyline. Though Owens had threatened to sue the company after being attacked by Shane last week, Vince said that he would fire Owens if he filed the lawsuit and noted that he’s never lost in the courtroom because the laws of the land are written for people like him.
Owens brought up Shane being suspended indefinitely, with Vince saying that he only suspended him for not finishing the job. Owens was fine with Shane being reinstated for the match as long as Vince promised that he could beat “a McMahon” senseless if provoked.
When Vince gave his word, Owens attacked him with a headbutt that busted him open. Owens continued the attack, hitting Vince with a punch, a kick while he was down, a superkick, and a frog splash. Stephanie McMahon then exchanged words with Owens in the entranceway as she went to go check on her father.
Shane vs. Owens is the second match officially confirmed for Hell in a Cell in Detroit, Michigan on October 8th. Jinder Mahal defending his WWE Championship against Shinsuke Nakamura is also set for the PPV.
SmackDown’s next pay-per-view will be headlined by Shinsuke Nakamura getting another shot at the WWE Championship.
Nakamura defeated Randy Orton in Tuesday night’s number one contender’s main event and will challenge for Jinder Mahal’s title at Hell in a Cell. Nakamura vs. Orton was a first-time meeting between the two, and Nakamura hit the Kinshasa to win the match.
Mahal vs. Nakamura was also the WWE title match at SummerSlam last month. Mahal retained in their first meeting after interference from the Singh Brothers. Their rematch is the first thing officially announced for Hell in a Cell, which will take place at the new Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan on October 8th.
More of the card should become apparent on next week’s loaded episode of SmackDown. That show will feature the return of Vince McMahon to television to address the situation with Shane McMahon and Kevin Owens, plus SmackDown’s other three titles will all be defended.
A match was made official for Raw’s next PPV on Tuesday night as well, with Enzo Amore defeating Cedric Alexander, Brian Kendrick, Gran Metalik, and Tony Nese in a fatal five-way elimination match on 205 Live. Amore will challenge for Neville’s Cruiserweight title at No Mercy on September 24th.
I don’t know that I have ever written you to evaluate a match, but I feel compelled to do so out of concern about last night’s main event. I think someone has to speak up for Sasha Banks’ health. She may be passionate and committed and focused and it may be her dream to be a WWE superstar, but she is too small, too prone to injury, too unschooled in ring psychology to be in the position she is in now.
It feels like she is a high-level Indy star who got pushed too far, too fast to the big show based on looks and her body. Her promos are terrible, her ring psychology practically nonexistent and her ability to protect her own body nowhere to be seen. I fear she will be permanently injured some day.
She has made her mark and has proven her point. She should announce her retirement tonight on RAW. If she doesn’t, the WWE should do it for her. This seems too much like a Dynamite Kid situation in the making. Her body is just not made for professional wrestling.
Some people on Facebook are saying it was a great match, but I thought it was awful. There was almost no psychology, many spots were botched or just plain missed and the finish was indescribably bad. The two performers had no chemistry and seemed to be working at cross purposes on a number of occasions. They ruined the PPV.
I think the match set back women’s wrestling for years; if I were a veteran female wrestler in the WWE who had worked for years to make it a viable division I would be furious. I think these two choked. I don’t see how anyone can rate this match highly. And I repeat my concern for Sasha Banks’ physical health. I hope I am proven wrong, but this feels to me like it is headed down a disastrous path for her.
– Christopher Cruise
**********
Was there live. Building basically full, short of a few spots in the nosebleeds the building was packed Biggest pops were Sasha fighting the EMTs, the Eddie spots, and when they fixed the jumbotron during the world title match which is why there was a random YES chant
– Greg Valko
*********
Thumbs Up
– Best Match: Kevin Owens vs Seth Rollins
– Worst Match: Bayley vs Dana Brooke
The worst mistake of the brand split was that the women’s division is so depleted that Bayley is left to work with Dana Brooke instead of Alexa Bliss or Natalya. As a result, she is no longer as hot as she was coming straight from NXT.
Okay, so the only babyface champ is Roman Reigns. Does that mean Reigns vs Owens is the next feud? And if Rusev is about to turn, does that mean he’s going cruiserweight to fight Kendrick?
– Jeff Cohen | Flushing, NY
*********
– Best match: Charlotte v Sasha
– Worst match: Bailey v Dana
Really liked the Rusev match, good brutal stuff. Loved the women’s title match. I’m sure a lot of people don’t like the outcome, but I think it’s the right call. Charlotte is a more complete performer and the title is hotter with baby faces chasing it. Sasha may be the most overrated performer in wrestling right now.
– Erin Hotovy
*********
Thumbs down.
Best match: Owens vs. Rollins. Would’ve been Banks vs. Flair until the really flat, anti-dramatic ending. Did the Boston crowd start throwing rotten vegetables? I can’t believe it sent them home happy.
Worst match: Perkins vs. Kendrick. Are they TRYING to bury Perkins after going to so much trouble to build him. Have they given up on the cruiserweights already?
There weren’t many good moments to begin with on the show, but the blah ending of the final match pretty much blotted out them out of memory.
Steven Grant | Henderson, NV
*********
Thumbs up show
– Best Match: Kevins Owens vs Seth Rollins
– Worst Match: TJ Perkins vs Brian Kendrick
Obviously with the Survivor Series matches coming up I can see them put a holding pattern on the Raw Women’s Championship and the Raw Tag Titles until the Dec PPV of WWE Roadblock.
Eric Poon
********
Thumbs down
– Best: Owens vs. Rollins
– Worst: TJ vs. Kendrick
Such horridly bad decision making and booking it boggles the mind. They are doing such damage to the momentum of the woman’s division, the promise of the cruiserweight division and the appeal of Hell in a Cell as a gimmick. Even the Universal Title story makes no sense, with the chubby pale Canadian with the patchy beard and constant armpit rash somehow being “best for business.” Let’s hope the writers take a simple storytelling class and stop snatching failure from the jaws of victory.
Nick Randall
**********
Thumbs up….despite feeling deflated at the ending.
Best Match: Rusev v. Reigns. Solid. Not let down, even though I prefer Rusev. Good build and pace. I expected this to be the standard for the show, rather than the “best.” Rusev’s facials and selling are just great.
Worst Match: Brooke v. Bayley. Brooke has a lot of work to do. This hair-to-the-turnbuckle thing is ridiculous. I have no idea why this is in all of her matches.
Other notes:
Sasha v. Charlotte should have been the best match, but the abrupt ending (-I think the finish was supposed to be Sasha THROUGH the table, followed by Natural Selection) made for a flat finish. Other spots felt too choreographed and stilted. The heart of them both during the first third drew me in.
Perkins v. Spanky’s tape spot was ridiculously bad. I was lost there and never brought back in after Perkins had to hold his own hand and pretend he was taped to the rope. Camerawork and ref counting could have saved this spot somewhat. Neither did.
Owens v. Jericho AGAIN presented us with a HIACell where outsiders get in. Jericho, Wyatt, HHH, Paul Bearer- completely undermines the gimmick of the match. Takes me out of it and makes me spend my time watching for interference in all other cell matches.
Opener was fun.
What’s with all the tape? I thought Tapout might actually market the stuff, but they don’t. Is this a substitute for selling injuries?
Raw presents its second brand-exclusive pay-per-view since the WWE Draft on Sunday night as Hell in a Cell takes place in Boston, MA.
We’re looking for your thoughts on the show so leave your thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to [email protected]
The show is poised to make history as Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte is set to be the first ever women’s match to main event a WWE PPV. It will also be the first ever women’s Hell in a Cell match.
WWE has billed the show as featuring a “triple main event” with two other Hell in a Cell matches in addition to Banks vs. Charlotte. Kevin Owens will defend the WWE Universal Championship against Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns will defend the United States Championship against Rusev inside of the Cell.
Our live coverage kicks off at 7 p.m ET. The card for the show is:
Raw Women’s Champion Sasha Banks defending against Charlotte in a Hell in a Cell match
WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens defending against Seth Rollins in a Hell in a Cell match
United States Champion Roman Reigns defending against Rusev in a Hell in a Cell match
WWE Cruiserweight Champion TJ Perkins defending against Brian Kendrick
Raw Tag Team Champions The New Day defending against Cesaro & Sheamus
Enzo Amore & Big Cass vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson
Bayley vs. Dana Brooke
Cedric Alexander, Lince Dorado & Sin Cara vs. Drew Gulak, Tony Nese & Ariya Daivari (kickoff match)
CEDRIC ALEXANDER & LINCE DORADO & SIN CARA VS. DREW GULAK & TONY NESE & ARIYA DAIVARI
Good opener ending with Alexander pinning Gulak after a lumbar check. Fast paced good match with a lot of flying moves. This was more like a Lucha Libre match Dorado doing a shooting star press, a monsault out of the ring and the three faces also did a triple dive spot near the finish. The crowd wasn’t into it early but once Alexander tagged in and they started with the big moves the crowd got into it.
ROMAN REIGNS VS. RUSEV FOR THE U.S. TITLE IN A HELL IN A CELL MATCH
Long match with Rusev dominating most of the way. Rusev had the Accolade with a chain around Reigns’ mouth but Reigns powered out of it and did a Samoan drop on the ring steps and then speared Rusev off the ring steps for the pin. The finish came across as the blow-off of their program. Both used kendo stick shots early. The crowd was up and down for it. Reigns wasn’t booed much but the chants were more “Let’s Go Rusev, Rusev sucks.” Both used kendo stick shots early, as well as the ring steps. Probably went too long but a good match..
DANA BROOKE VS. BAYLEY
Bayley won clean with the belly-to-belly. Bayley got a big reaciton coming out but crowd wasn’t up for the match. Just kind of there. Bayley is a good wrestler but Brooke was too limited to do much with. the pop for the win was nothing close to that of the entrance and it’s not supposed to be like that.
Stephanie McMahon and Mick Foley are backstage with Chris Jericho. Jericho was mad at him for interrupting him. Jericho started talking Spanish. Jericho told Stephanie that she needs to choose her team wisely for Survivor Series. He said Team Chris and Kevin should be co-captains of Team Raw. Jericho put Foley’s name on the llist but he never said “You’re on the list” which the people were ready to pop for.
ENZO AMORE & BIG CASS VS. LUKE GALLOWS & KARL ANDERSON
Long monologue by Enzo & Cass. He nicknamed them Big Gal & Andy. He got in a Big Papi reference for an easy Boston pop. Actually the monologue was the best thing on the show so far.
The object of this match was to put Anderson & Gallows over. Gallows superkicked Enzo and then Anderson pinned him after a Magic killer. Match was average. Basic stuff. Enzo sold for a few minutes and Cass got the hot tag and cleaned house. Enzo tagged in and they went right to the finish,
KEVIN OWENS VS. SETH ROLLINS FOR THE UNIVERSAL TITLE
This is tough putting this match so early. It does keep the women from having to follow this because there will be a few matches in between, but I can see the Kendrick match in particular being totally dead later in the night.
Owens retained the title after inteference from Chris Jericho. Owens power bombed Rollins through two chairs to win the match. During the match Owens sprayed a fire extinguisher in the eyes of the referee. They opened the cage door and Jericho ran in and then locked the door and took the key. One highlight was Rollins power bombing Owens over the top rope and through two tables. Rollins used a twisting frog splash but Jericho pulled the ref out of the ring to break up the count. Rollins also kicked out of one power bomb early. Owens used several chair shots on Rollins,but Rollins got the chair and hit both of them, but Owens DDT’d him on the chair. Jericho laid Rollins out with a codebreaker after the match and kept bad mouthing him. Very good match..
Just heard that lots of people left after this match ended.
TJ PERKINS VS. BRIAN KENDRICK FOR THE CRUISERWEIGHT TITLE
This storyline is so beyond bad. Kendrick again begged Perkins to let him win during the pre-show.
The match was well wrestled but the the crowd was totally dead following the previous match. They were sent out to die and they in fact, did die. The finish was so bad. Kendrick did a fake knee injury that nobody bought. Perkins was acting like he believed it and the crowd booed Perkins for his stupidity and Kendrick just for doing it. Perkins tended to him and then Kendrick head-butted him and put him in the captain’s hook for the submission.
NEW DAY VS. SHEAMUS & CESARO FOR THE TAG TEAM TITLES
The New Day are getting the crowed back into this as Kofi Kingston said he was wearing Rob Gronkowski tennis shoes and said that he’s from Boston, which a lot of people don’t know because of the Jamaican thing. Woods actaully got on him for pandering. Kingston talked about how much he loved this city and the crowd was up for the rest of the New Day stuff.
The New Day, which was Woods & Big E, lost via DQ whe Kingston gave Sheamus the trouble in paradise on the floor as Cesaro had Woods in the sharpshooter in the middle. The ref saw it and called for the DQ befoe Woods submitted. E went to save Woods earlier but Sheamus hit E with the trombone which the ref didn’t see, but he turned around and did see Kingston attack Sheamus. The match was good but the finish was designed to keep the program alive without changing the titles. There was a spot where Sheamus gave Cesaro a Brogue kick and Woods very slowly went for the pin but Sheamus made the save. Woods did a rope walk into a flying elbow drop 2/3 of the way across the ring. Sheamus did a plancha, a low plancha but a plancha nonetheless onto all three New Day members.
SASHA BANKS VS. CHARLOTTE FLAIR FOR THE WOMEN’S TITLE IN THE HELL IN A CELL
If I was putting this on last, no way I’d do that finish. Charlotte regained the title. She threw Banks twice on a table that didn’t break and hit the natural selection for the pin. The crowd was totally quiet as nobody thoguht that was the finish. The story of the match started with Charlotte power bombing her off the cage while they were fighting outside hte cage through the announcers table. They teased that Banks couldn’t continue and Banks was put on a stretcher. They were carrying her out and announcing Charlotte as the winner via forfeit,which made no sense since the match hadn’t even started yet. Banks got off the stretcher in the middle of the announcement and the match was on. They had a long match, and the crowd really wanted it to be special but there were issues. There was supposed to be a spot where Charlotte was on the top rope and was supposed to be knocked off through a table. Something happened and Charlotte was standing on the apron and was kind of shoved on the table and the crowd booed it. Banks gave her double knees off the cage out of the ring and double knees in the ring through a chair. A lot of the spots in this match were already done in the Owens match, which was kind of weird.
Hell in a Cell is this month’s Raw PPV, emanating from the TD Garden in Boston, MA. It will be headlined by three Hell in a Cell matches, being billed as a triple main event.
The United States title will be defended as Roman Reigns takes on Rusev. The WWE Universal title is on the line as Seth Rollins squares off against champion Kevin Owens. And the match with the most attention is Sasha Banks defending the women’s title against Charlotte inside Hell in a Cell. On paper it looks to be an interesting show; how it goes is all based on WWE’s booking.
Here are the latest points following No Mercy:
Steve Khan: (WWE SmackDown Live Recapper) (58 points) Kyle S. Johnson: (Columnist) (58 points) Bryan Rose: (New Japan/CWC Reporter) (56 points) James Cox: (WWE Superstars Recapper & WWE DVD Reviewer) (54 points)
Jeremy Peeples: (Lucha Underground Recapper) (39 points)
Brian Hoops: (Daily Pro Wrestling History) (36 points)
Ryan Frederick: (UFC Reporter) (28 points)
PeachMachine: (University of Phoenix Online Mascot) (17 points)
Paul “Gramps” Fontaine: (MMA Writer and Recapper and new grandfather) (17 points)
Kevin LaRose: (WWE Main Event and Total Divas Recapper) (4 points)
JJ Williams: (NXT/CWC Roving Reporter) (3 points)
Dana Brooke vs. Bayley
Bryan Rose: I’m assuming Bayley gets a win here, right? Dana won cleanly a few weeks ago. Fifty-fifty booking as usual, nothing to really see here.
Winner: Bayley
Jeremy Peeples: This is a no-brainer. Dana is on the main roster while Nakamura is in NXT. Maybe Unsolved Mysteries can come back to the WWE Network.
Winner: Dana Brooke
James Cox: Pretty much not seeing Dana Brooke as a long term roster member, just don’t see it. Comparing her to Bayley in any way is just nuts.
Winner: Bayley
Ryan Frederick: They can’t have Bayley lose this match. She seems to be in a holding pattern until WrestleMania season rolls around. But they can’t have Dana beat her. It’s not out of the realm of possibility with this company, though.
Winner: Bayley
Brian Hoops: The should give Bayley a win here, of course they may see more potential in Dana than Bayley but Dana has been winning on TV.
Winner: Bayley
Steve Khan: Bayley should really win this no question.
Winner: Bayley
Kyle S. Johnson: Has to be Bayley. Cannot be anything but a Bayley win.
Winner: Bayley
Cedric Alexander, Lince Dorado & Sin Cara vs. Drew Gulak, Tony Nese & Ariya Daivari
Bryan Rose: I don’t know. Raw hasn’t made me really interested in any of these guys, which is a great testament to how the divison’s been treated so far. Cedric still has momentum from the CWC, but that can only last for so long. No one else has clicked on the main roster, either. Let’s be nice and say the babyfaces win here. Also — where’s Rich Swann?
Winner: Cedric Alexander, Lince Dorado and Sin Cara
Jeremy Peeples: It’s amazing how they have made the “cruiserweight division” feel completely meaningless already, and random matches like this with no rhyme or reason to them are why.
Winner: Team…I think babyfaces? Sin Cara, Lince, and Cedric
James Cox: I’m sure this will be fun but what a way to water down this division.
Winners: Cedric Alexander, Lince Dorado and Sin Cara
Ryan Frederick: It’s a good showcase match for the cruiserweight division, but they seem to want to kill the interest in the division. It’s a real shame because they have guys who can be stars if given the chance. Cedric Alexander is one of those guys. I’d have the babyface team go over here.
Winners: Sin Cara, Lince Dorado & Cedric Alexander
Brian Hoops: I am assuming the person who gets the pin should be next in line for a title shot, but you never know.
Winners: Cedric Alexander, Lince Dorado and Sin Cara
Steve Khan: Should be a decent showcase match with no implications on the bigger picture. Coin flip for the winner.
Winner: Gulak, Nese & Daivari
Kyle S. Johnson: Hey, here’s a match! Might even be fun, too. Let’s go with the babyfaces winning, probably with Cedric being the showcased guy.
Winner: Cedric Alexander, Lince Dorado, and Sin Cara
Enzo Amore & Big Cass vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson
Bryan Rose: Not really enthused for this, either. Amore and Cass still get the big reactions, but…yeah. I don’t know. This could go either way, and given how the rest of the panel goes I’ll go with Gallows and Anderson.
Winner: Gallows and Anderson
Jeremy Peeples: Enzo and Cass have been beating The Club like drums on TV, so the heels are due to win here.
Winners: The Club
James Cox: Gallows and Anderson should be monster main event heels, what happened? They made them do comedy.
Winners: Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson
Brian Hoops: Gallows/Anderson have been getting beat on TV, so by WWE logic they win on Sunday.
Winners: Gallows and Anderson
Ryan Frederick: They’ve killed Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson on Raw. They would’ve been better off on SmackDown. They’ve been beating them too much. With that, I expect them to win at the expense of Enzo & Cass. This feels like two teams with no direction.
Winners: Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson
Steve Khan: I’m tempted to pick Enzo and Cass based on how far beneath the earth Gallows and Anderson have been buried. But every feud seems likely to continue beyond this show, and Enzo and Cass can get a win later to set them up for Survivor Series.
Winner: Gallows and Anderson
Kyle S. Johnson: Guns and Gallows have been buried so deep here that they almost have to win to be able to breathe oxygen again. Take them to win, take the feud to continue.
Winner: Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson
WWE Cruiserweight Championship: TJ Perkins (C) vs. Brian Kendrick
Bryan Rose: Brian Kendrick seems more apt for the role as heel champion chasing the challenger. At this point, I think Alexander and Swann seem like perfect people to chase him. Perkins is great in ring, but hasn’t really blown away anybody with his verbiage as of late. I see Perkins relenting towards the end of the match, Kendrick takes advantage and pins him to win the title.
Winner: Brian Kendrick
Jeremy Peeples: TJ shouldn’t lose the title this early, but they set up a Kendrick win here by having him lose on Raw and be more desperate than ever to win.
Winner: Brian Kendrick
James Cox: I’m not sure where else they go other than with a title change.
Winner: Brian Kendrick
Brian Hoops: Perkins shouldn’t lose this quickly, but Kendrick lost on TV so by WWE logic, Kendrick wins!
Winner Brian Kendrick
Ryan Frederick: It isn’t the right time for TJ Perkins to lose the title. However, the way they have built this match up, the only logical direction is a Brian Kendrick win. They seem to have backed themselves into a corner, and I expect a title change here. I don’t agree with it.
Winner: Brian Kendrick
Steve Khan: It would be weird if Kendrick lost and was still on Raw every week after he said his life would be over if he didn’t win. I wouldn’t change the title yet, but it seems likely here.
Winner: Brian Kendrick
Kyle S. Johnson: The story here will probably be that Perkins will show weakness and pay for it. That, or they’re killing Kendrick dead here. So, since this seems to be a show concerned with resuscitating corpses — and just in time for Halloween! — Kendrick wins.
Winner: Brian Kendrick
Raw Tag Team Championship: The New Day (C) vs. Cesaro & Sheamus
Bryan Rose: Hmm…The New Day are probably set to win just based on the fact they’re probably going to give them the record as longest reigning champions. Cesaro and Sheamus are the latest in the “tag teams that can’t get along” storyline WWE loves to do every other year, so it seems like a ripe time to give them the belts, but they probably won’t.
Winner: The New Day
Jeremy Peeples: Cesaro and Sheamus have no momentum and less heat, so this should be an easy win for The New Day.
Winner: The New Day
James Cox: Too early for Cesaro and Sheamus to be winning anything, but is there’s any more story to tell?
Winner: Cesaro and Sheamus
Brian Hoops: Cesaro and Sheamus may eventually get the belts, but not yet as it is apparent the New Day will get the record first for longest reigning champions.
Winner: The New Day
Ryan Frederick: To me, this doesn’t feel like a one-and-done match. It seems like the New Day win here and hold on to the belts to get the record, and once that is set, then the Cesaro & Sheamus team will finally start to get along and win.
Winners: The New Day
Steve Khan: While a title change seems extremely unlikely, Cesaro and Sheamus need to look strong since this will likely continue. Still, New Day gets the win.
Winner: The New Day
Kyle S. Johnson: This feud probably isn’t ending here, so Cesaro and Sheamus will come up just short, lose cleanly because of some kind of discord between the two, and be granted a rematch anyway. Logic is fun!
Winner: The New Day
Hell in a Cell, United States Championship: Roman Reigns (C) vs. Rusev
Bryan Rose: I hope Rusev overcomes the odds and beat Reigns, who has done nothing but torment him and Lana during this entire feud. But my gut says that Roman will find a way to win, that serial harasser.
Winner: Roman Reigns
Jeremy Peeples: Roman just won the title, and while Rusev is the natural face here, he is doomed to lose to the Big Dog.
Winner: Roman Reigns.
James Cox: Its really time to move Rusev into some main event programs and Reigns isn’t losing.
Winner: Roman Reigns
Brian Hoops: Roman just won title and should keep it here.
Winner: Roman Reigns
Ryan Frederick: They won’t beat Roman, at least not cleanly. And the Hell In A Cell stipulation means a clean win. Add in the fact that Roman just won the title, the winner seems obvious.
Winner: Roman Reigns
Steve Khan: Too early for Reigns to lose. We’ve seen these two wrestle a lot, but this should still be good.
Winner: Roman Reigns
Kyle S. Johnson: Ruthless heel Roman Reigns will continue to badger valiant babyface Rusev by taunting his wife and beating him soundly. Just move Rusev into the main event and feed Braun Strowman to Roman already, will ya?
Winner: Roman Reigns
Hell in a Cell, WWE Universal Championship: Kevin Owens (C) vs. Seth Rollins
Bryan Rose: Owens winning clean I think gives him a lot of momentum. But with WWE, there always has to be a story. Maybe somehow Jericho gets involved in this, leading to an Owens win. I think the next program might be Jericho and Owens if they continue with the split, so that might be the most logical conclusion.
Winner: Kevin Owens
Jeremy Peeples: It’s too early for Owens to lose, and he really needs a credible win here. So I’ll go with HHH returning, hitting a Pedigree on Seth, Seth kicking out of that, but losing to the powerbomb.
Winner: Kevin Owens
James Cox: I do like Owens on top. He and Jericho have been excellent. I want this to be good, but Rollins has been sub par since he returned.
Winner: Kevin Owens
Brian Hoops: Story should be to build Owens up with some wins and make the title mean something. So far, they have not done that and changing the belt now cheapens it further.
Winner: Kevin Owens
Ryan Frederick: I expect Chris Jericho to be involved. Perhaps it plants more seeds for the eventual Owens vs. Jericho match. I hate beating Seth Rollins here without it meaning something, so I could see involvement from either Stephanie or Triple H. Owens needs to win this.
Winner: Kevin Owens
Steve Khan: Should be really good. It’s too early for Rollins to win. He probably has to get through Triple H first at some point. It’ll be interesting to see how Chris Jericho gets involved. We probably won’t see them split yet as they could end up on the Raw Survivor Series team next month.
Winner: Kevin Owens
Kyle S. Johnson: At this stage, it’s fair to assume that Hunter might wait for the end of football season before he reappears in this storyline. He could also show up in this match and then disappear for a month or two again, because that’s just how things seem to work in the WWE. Either way, Kevin Owens retains.
Winner: Kevin Owens
Hell in a Cell, Raw Women’s Championship: Sasha Banks (C) vs. Charlotte
Bryan Rose: Sasha should win this. As far as how the match will go…well, it should be interesting, that’s for sure! They will do a bunch of big spots just to make this as special as they’re hyping it up to be, but that usually tends for it to be a bit more sloppy in execution. We’ll see how it goes.
Winner: Sasha Banks
Jeremy Peeples: WWE loves to have folks lose in their hometown, but Sasha really should retain here to keep her momentum going – especially if this closes the show.
Winner: Sasha Banks
James Cox: At least this is different and at least it’s new. I don’t know how effective they can be in a cage, though. But here, alone, is at least one reason to tune in.
Winner: Sasha Banks
Brian Hoops: Let’s rebook this. Charlotte is the champion and has been retaining title due to outside interference, so they put this match inside the cell so the babyface (Banks) has a fair chance in her hometown to win the title. Easy story to tell but the opposite of what WWE has done.
Winner: Charlotte
Ryan Frederick: The booking of this feud has been head scratching at times, with the monkey wrench of Sasha’s injury changing the direction. They should’ve held off getting the title back on her until here, and I don’t think they’ll have her lose in her hometown. It wouldn’t shock me, though.
Winner: Sasha Banks
Steve Khan: Too early for Banks to lose. We’ve seen these two wrestle a lot, but this should still be good.
Winner: Sasha Banks
Kyle S. Johnson: A title change here risks too much belt-hopping in the span of a few months, so let’s take Sasha to retain. Nia Jax has been MIA in a while, so perhaps a post-match beat down is in the cards.
WWE will be making history tonight at Hell in a Cell.
In addition to Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte being the first ever women’s Hell in a Cell match, Dave Meltzer reports that the plan is for the match to main event the show. It would be the first time a women’s match has ever gone on last at a WWE pay-per-view.
Speculation over which match would main event Hell in a Cell grew earlier this month when Mick Foley seemed to announce in a Facebook post that the Raw Women’s Championship match would go on last, but he later clarified that the match order wasn’t yet finalized. WWE then began promoting Hell in a Cell as featuring a “triple main event” with the show’s three Hell in a Cell matches.
WWE hasn’t yet promoted that Banks vs. Charlotte will main event the show on television or online.
Meltzer reported in last week’s edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that there were internal discussions about which match would go on last, with Vince McMahon “digging his heels” on the match not main eventing the show. But Meltzer noted that McMahon often changes his mind and nothing was final.
Pro Wrestling Insider first reported on Sunday that the match was set to go on last.
In addition to the Bayley vs. Dana Brooke match that was announced earlier, WWE added another bout to the card for next Sunday’s Hell in a Cell pay-per-view on Wednesday afternoon.
A six-man tag match featuring members of Raw’s cruiserweight division will pit Cedric Alexander, Lince Dorado and Sin Cara against Drew Gulak, Tony Nese and Ariya Daivari. The match is scheduled for the Hell in a Cell kickoff show and will be the WWE PPV debuts of Alexander, Dorado, Gulak, Nese and Daivari.
It is the second cruiserweight match scheduled for the show, with WWE Cruiserweight Champion TJ Perkins also set to defend his title against Brian Kendrick.
The card for Hell in a Cell is:
Raw Women’s Champion Sasha Banks defending against Charlotte in a Hell in a Cell match
WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens defending against Seth Rollins in a Hell in a Cell match
United States Champion Roman Reigns defending against Rusev in a Hell in a Cell match
WWE Cruiserweight Champion TJ Perkins defending against Brian Kendrick
Raw Tag Team Champions The New Day defending against Cesaro & Sheamus
Enzo Amore & Big Cass vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson
Bayley vs. Dana Brooke
Cedric Alexander, Lince Dorado & Sin Cara vs. Drew Gulak, Tony Nese & Ariya Daivari (kickoff match)
Wednesday saw the addition of another match to the card for Hell in a Cell, with WWE officially announcing that Bayley will take on Dana Brooke at next Sunday’s pay-per-view.
Bayley and Brooke have been programmed together and building towards the match on Raw in recent weeks. Most recently, Brooke defeated Bayley in an arm wrestling match on Monday’s edition of Raw. Bayley was still selling shoulder damage that she suffered in a loss against Brooke two weeks ago during the match.
Hell in a Cell is scheduled for October 30th in Boston, MA. WWE hasn’t yet confirmed which match will go on last, but has advertised that the show will feature a “triple main event.” The card for the PPV is:
Raw Women’s Champion Sasha Banks defending against Charlotte in a Hell in a Cell match
WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens defending against Seth Rollins in a Hell in a Cell match
United States Champion Roman Reigns defending against Rusev in a Hell in a Cell match
WWE Cruiserweight Champion TJ Perkins defending against Brian Kendrick
Raw Tag Team Champions The New Day defending against Cesaro & Sheamus
Enzo Amore & Big Cass vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson
