At one point, the Hell in a Cell match was gruesome. It was guaranteed that whoever stepped inside would be victim to punishment. And the competitors put their bodies on the line in an almost sadistic way to thrill the viewers. Nowadays it is mostly just a basic No Disqualification match with a huge cell around it.
That is until Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose came along...but before i get to that:
WWE Intercontinental Title - 2 out of 3 falls match: Dolph Ziggler (c) vs Cesaro
The event kicked off with arguably the best match of the night in terms of technical brilliance. A quite exceptional match, with one particular spot which leaves you in awe. Ziggler and Cesaro are amongst the best talents on the roster and hopefully one day they are in main event positions where they belong.
Nikki Bella vs Brie Bella
The stipulation to this match was that the loser must become the winner's personal assistant for 30 days. Who cares really. This feud lost steam the moment it began. They are both horrible actresses. They are both incredibly annoying. Yet i have to admit they are OK in the ring. This match flowed well and there where some good moments, but i couldn't have cared less what the outcome was.
WWE Tag Team Titles: Gold and Stardust (c) vs The Usos
Both very talented teams, but they have had much better matches in the past. It was almost as if they had watched Ziggler and Cesaro and then went out there deflated that their title match would never exceed it.
Hell in a Cell Match - No.1 Contender for WWE World Heavyweight Championship: John Cena vs Randy Orton
These two have faced each other over one million times. Well it certainly feels like that. The so called "feud" is so monotonous that every time they come together you can feel the whole "WWE Universe" collectively sigh in disappointment. It doesn't matter what the winner gets, no-one cares and this was not a hell in a cell match. I think there was a chair and a table. The rest was basic wrestling. Michael Cole can nonsensically announce it to be "one of the greatest cell matches ever" all he wants. It was lackluster and your run of the mill Cena/Orton match.
U.s Title: Sheamus (c) vs The Miz w/Damien Mizdow
The run up to the match was far superior to the match itself. MIzdow is quickly becoming a fan favorite which is great to see. An average match.
Rusev w/Lana vs Big Show
Again, the run up overshadowed the match. I am a big fan of Rusev. I don't think we have seen the best of him. I think WWE are saving his abilities for something much greater. The crowd was electric at points and they added to the match.
WWE Divas Title: AJ Lee (c) vs Paige w/Alicia Fox
This feud is marred in disappointment. The two most polarizing divas on the roster, in what should have been a classic. Unfortunately this was the 4th consecutive event where they faced off. This could have been so much more but ended up being a mess of a feud. The match reflected that.
Hell in a Cell Match: Dean Ambrose vs Seth Rollins
And so we reach the culmination of an event and also the end of what has been the best, most natural feud in recent years. Rollins and Ambrose have been outclassing most of the "top guys" on the roster for over 2 years now. First as the Shield, now as individual competitors. The story was built on betrayal and revenge and it worked perfectly. The match was certainly a testament to what a Hell in a Cell match should represent and present. It was violent, it was personal, it had everything. Even a controversial ending. The deserving main event, and showed Cena and Orton what a Hell in a Cell match is all about.
The rating is because of how much i enjoyed the opening match and the main event. Every match borough something to the table and made for a great event. It could have been a lot better of course, but considering WWE's track record it could have been a lot worse.
That is until Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose came along...but before i get to that:
WWE Intercontinental Title - 2 out of 3 falls match: Dolph Ziggler (c) vs Cesaro
The event kicked off with arguably the best match of the night in terms of technical brilliance. A quite exceptional match, with one particular spot which leaves you in awe. Ziggler and Cesaro are amongst the best talents on the roster and hopefully one day they are in main event positions where they belong.
Nikki Bella vs Brie Bella
The stipulation to this match was that the loser must become the winner's personal assistant for 30 days. Who cares really. This feud lost steam the moment it began. They are both horrible actresses. They are both incredibly annoying. Yet i have to admit they are OK in the ring. This match flowed well and there where some good moments, but i couldn't have cared less what the outcome was.
WWE Tag Team Titles: Gold and Stardust (c) vs The Usos
Both very talented teams, but they have had much better matches in the past. It was almost as if they had watched Ziggler and Cesaro and then went out there deflated that their title match would never exceed it.
Hell in a Cell Match - No.1 Contender for WWE World Heavyweight Championship: John Cena vs Randy Orton
These two have faced each other over one million times. Well it certainly feels like that. The so called "feud" is so monotonous that every time they come together you can feel the whole "WWE Universe" collectively sigh in disappointment. It doesn't matter what the winner gets, no-one cares and this was not a hell in a cell match. I think there was a chair and a table. The rest was basic wrestling. Michael Cole can nonsensically announce it to be "one of the greatest cell matches ever" all he wants. It was lackluster and your run of the mill Cena/Orton match.
U.s Title: Sheamus (c) vs The Miz w/Damien Mizdow
The run up to the match was far superior to the match itself. MIzdow is quickly becoming a fan favorite which is great to see. An average match.
Rusev w/Lana vs Big Show
Again, the run up overshadowed the match. I am a big fan of Rusev. I don't think we have seen the best of him. I think WWE are saving his abilities for something much greater. The crowd was electric at points and they added to the match.
WWE Divas Title: AJ Lee (c) vs Paige w/Alicia Fox
This feud is marred in disappointment. The two most polarizing divas on the roster, in what should have been a classic. Unfortunately this was the 4th consecutive event where they faced off. This could have been so much more but ended up being a mess of a feud. The match reflected that.
Hell in a Cell Match: Dean Ambrose vs Seth Rollins
And so we reach the culmination of an event and also the end of what has been the best, most natural feud in recent years. Rollins and Ambrose have been outclassing most of the "top guys" on the roster for over 2 years now. First as the Shield, now as individual competitors. The story was built on betrayal and revenge and it worked perfectly. The match was certainly a testament to what a Hell in a Cell match should represent and present. It was violent, it was personal, it had everything. Even a controversial ending. The deserving main event, and showed Cena and Orton what a Hell in a Cell match is all about.
The rating is because of how much i enjoyed the opening match and the main event. Every match borough something to the table and made for a great event. It could have been a lot better of course, but considering WWE's track record it could have been a lot worse.
