Complete Primer for Hell in a Cell 2016
Halloween… a night of fear, torment, and wrestling matches. Join the Suplah co-hosts as they run down the card for tonight’s PPV; Raw’s own HELL IN A CELL, where Seth Rollins faces Kevin Owens for the WWE Universal Championship, Sasha Banks defends her title against Charlotte Flair in the first-ever women’s Hell in a Cell match, and Rusev tries to topple the Roman Reigns empire for the United States championship.
But before the live event starts, maybe you need a chance to catch up? Check out what you might have missed in the build to the event right here…
Cedric Alexander, Lince Dorado and Sin Cara vs. Tony Nese, Drew Gulak and Ariya Daivari – Six-man Tag Team Match (Kickoff Show Match)
What’s the reason for this match, you might ask? I instead ask; why did the WWE have little-to-no plans regarding their newly resurrected Cruiserweight division after the Cruiserweight Classic ended?
In the latest edition of the “we needed something for the pre-show, so let’s throw something together” syndrome WWE has developed, we’ve got a series of incredible talents facing off against each-other, in what’s sure to be an entertaining kick-off for the event… all without the hassle of a storyline, to boot.
Bayley vs Dana Brooke – Singles Match
On one side of the ring is an exceptional talent, fresh off of the NXT scene, looking to make a name for herself and to establish herself as a worthy competitor in Raw’s women’s division… and in the other corner is Bayley.
A botched finish on Raw led to Dana Brooke getting a clean pin on former NXT Women’s Champion, setting the scene for, what else? An arm wrestling competition. Brooke attacked Bayley during the proceedings, further cementing the legacy of the WWE’s arm wrestling contest series. Now we have a rematch to determine who becomes slightly more important in the grand scheme of things, and who Dana Brooke will lose to in her next rivalry.
Enzo and Cass vs Gallows and Anderson – Tag Team Match
The saddest story in the world, also known as The Club, face off against Enzo and Cass, in a feud that perfectly demonstrates how little you matter when you’re in the same division as The New Day. Formerly decorated tag team Gallows and Anderson attacked the comedy duo one week on Raw, leading to Big Cass defeating Karl Anderson in singles competition the following week.
Karl Anderson has competed in the finals of the G1 Climax before, putting on high-quality matches with some of the best talent that side of the planet… and has also never won a singles match in WWE. Could the Club’s luck change when they face off against the second-most popular team on Raw? You probably already know the answer.
T.J. Perkins (c) vs Brian Kendrick – Singles Match for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship
The Man with a Plan faces off against the Life is Strange NPC yet again, this time with the Cruiserweight Championship on the line… again. It might seem hypocritical to complain about a lack of a storyline in the kick-off show, and then complain about the story of these two later on. But, hear me out.
After facing off at Clash of Champions, Kendrick turned heel and has since been sharing many backstage segments with TJP. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem, if not for the fact that they write Perkins to drop video game references in almost every single sentence he says. Grating, to say the least.
Kendrick defeated Perkins on Raw by submission, retaining his number one contendership for the title. Kendrick would often commentate Perkins’ matches, before defeating him again in a six-man tag match. Spanky’s dominance wouldn’t last, however, as he would randomly lose to Rich Swann on Raw. This would lead Kendrick to ask Perkins to lay down for him at Hell in a Cell… judging by his track record, that request seems entirely unnecessary.
The New Day (c) vs Cesaro and Sheamus – Tag Team Match for the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship
The Best of Seven Series between the Celtic Warrior and the Swiss Superman ended in the only way you could end that calibre of a series… in a draw. Fulfilling this man’s own prediction of the series, Mick Foley would then make Raw’s answer to SmackDown’s “odd couple” tag team, and put the two combatants in the same team, earning themselves a championship opportunity against the money printing machine known as The New Day.
Defeating various jobbers over the course of the weeks leading up to the PPV, arguing whilst they did so, Cesaro and Sheamus appear to be on their game. Such a shame that Demolition’s record with the tag belts hasn’t been broken yet, right?
Roman Reigns (c) vs Rusev – Hell in a Cell Match for the WWE United States Championship
Further continuing the highly-condensed career path of John Cena, Roman Reigns would defeat Rusev for the United States championship, with the goal of elevating the belt… by beating Rusev repeatedly over the following months. This definitely seems familiar. A rematch on Raw between the two ended by double countout, leading Lana to demand a match at the next PPV, which just so happened to be the PPV where Hell in a Cell matches are booked. Smart move, Lana.
Roman Reigns would accept this rematch proposal, only to request for the match to take place inside the aforementioned structure. This will mark Reigns’ second appearance inside the Cell, and Rusev’s first appearance. Let’s hope this means we get a good match out of them, and swiftly move on from the rivalry after this… again, this sounds somewhat familiar.
Sasha Banks (c) vs Charlotte Flair – Hell in a Cell Match for the WWE Raw Women’s Championship
Yeah, Charlotte has a last name now. No reason, just go with it. After retaining the belt at Clash, Charlotte would face Banks for the belt on Raw… AGAIN. Sasha would defeat Charlotte to reclaim the championship for a second time. Now we get into the real reason as to why this match is a bad idea.
Normally, a feud warrants a Hell in a Cell match to emphasise the brutality of the rivalry, and to give it a climactic end in a way that’s either made careers, or broken them. This match is seen as a punishment for men to be put through, something that you would never want to be in… and yet this particular feud is almost the antithesis of what a Hell in a Cell match should mean.
I could write a separate article based on this, but there’s no time. Just know that they’ve forced history with this match, and you’ll never hear the end of the “Women’s Revolution” trademark they keep repeating on TV incessantly.
Kevin Owens (c) vs Seth Rollins – Hell in a Cell Match for the WWE Universal Championship
Clash of Champions saw Kevin Owens retain the championship against Seth Rollins, thanks mostly to the interference of fan-favourite heel Chris Jericho. Shenanigans would follow over the coming weeks, including the most recent debacle where Seth Rollins stole “the List”, which Jericho spent all evening searching for… because this makes for quality entertainment.
A match on Raw occurred between Rollins and Jericho, wherein if Jericho won he would be inserted into the match at Hell in a Cell… boy howdy, does this sound familiar, yet again. The match has clearly remained a singles bout, and yet the fanbase aren’t as hyped for it as they should be. Perhaps it’s due to this iteration of babyface Rollins, or perhaps it’s due to the disappointing title reign that Owens has experienced. The Raw curse truly continues.
Are you excited for these matches? What are some of your predictions? Let us know at Suplah in a Cell! Starting at 8p GMT and 4p EST, at the link atop this page!
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