Kevin Owens will face Shane McMahon inside the Devil’s playground at WWE Hell in a Cell 2017. Here are three reasons why Owens needs to leave the PPV as the winner.
In just a week’s time, WWE Hell in a Cell 2017 will hit us. The PPV boasts two signature matches inside the Demonic Structure. One of them features Kevin Owens going up against Shane McMahon. Despite no titles being on the line, this match could be the true main event of the night. The match and its results could have major impact on the future of SmackDown Live. Neither man can afford a loss at this time.
Owens, being the biggest heel on the Blue brand, has been hotter than ever before. After all, it’s not every day you get to go up against the top authority figures. Moreover, only a select few superstars have earned the privilege to go head-to-head against a member of the McMahon family. This feud might just as well be the biggest moment in Owens’s WWE career so far. Winning this match could be far more important to him than winning the US or WWE titles.
On the other hand, Shane O’Mac can’t afford a loss either. For once, he is the boss and the man in charge of SmackDown Live. He cannot let one mad man run rampant across the show. That too, after brutally assaulting his own father. Last week we saw Shane in all his seriousness. We still don’t have much idea as to what this week could present to us. However, be assured that creative would pull out all the stops to hype the final SmackDown before Hell in a Cell.
Given the high stakes nature of this match, whatever decision creative takes could have long-term effects for the WWE. As such, it is imperative that the right man walks out from the cell as the winner. Here are three reasons why that man should be Kevin Owens.
WWE.com
3. Shane McMahon is a part timer
I want to start this by giving credit where its due. Shane O’Mac is an incredible athlete. More than that, he is an insanely courageous and tough daredevil. Shane has wowed us all with his high risk spots. Doing them has become second nature to him that anytime Shane is involved in a match, we naturally tend to expect a high risk spot from him.
However, this does not, in any ways, negate the fact that Shane McMahon is a part timer who has seen his better days in the ring. He was never one of the best technical wrestlers. What he has, however, is charisma. However, inside the Devil’s Playground, charisma will not get you anything. Being a daredevil can be a bane than a boon as we saw when he squared off against the Undertaker. The bumps Shane took from jumping off the Cell would eventually cost him the match.
To be honest with you, that is the reality of this structure. It does not reward you for doing some high stakes spots. It rewards you for being cold, calculated and brutal. Those three words are the definition of Owens. He would not do flips and splashes to entertain the crowd. He would much rather smack a steel chair across. For that reason alone, Owens’s victory is a matter of the Hell in a Cell match staying true to its roots.
Above everything else, a former Universal Champion, losing to a part timer in his late Fourties is certainly not best for business.
WWE SmackDown Live commissioner Shane McMahon receives word of an indefinite suspension. Credit: WWE.com
2. SmackDown needs new authority figures
Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon have done a great job of running the Blue brand. However, as they say, all good things must come to and end. The babyface authority figures have shorter shelf lives as opposed to heel authority figures. The crowd just responds better to a babyface standing up against heel authority, rather than a heel going up against a face authority figure.
Credit goes to Owens for playing the fans by the palm of his hand in this feud. He has been captivating and entertaining in his attempts to get one over Shane and Daniel Bryan. Perhaps, it is time to reward his effort with an authority figure who has shown their interest in KO in the past. As we know, Triple H has been advertised for a SmackDown live event in November. What if KO were to win at Hell in a Cell, invoking the need for a new authority figure at the top of the Blue brand?
We still do not know even if the Game were to show up on Tuesday night, whether he would side with the man who assaulted his Father-in-law. However, judging by how far Hunter would go for power, that is exactly what he could do. Moreover, this entire ordeal with Owens might be his idea, to gain control of SmackDown Live.
Like I said in the beginning, SmackDown had a great start following the brand split. However, the show has begun to show signs of getting stale as of late. The same storylines and heel/face dynamics have been at play for well over a year now. Perhaps, now would be a good time to switch things up.
Credit: WWE.com
1. It helps to create a high-stakes match for Survivor Series
If Shane wins at Hell in a Cell, then that’s the end of that. There is no other way to put it. Shane going over would be the ultimate form of burial. Moreover, it would be basically neglecting all of the effort KO has put into his performances throughout this feud. On the flip side, if KO wins, creative can easily milk this feud to a high stakes bout at Survivor Series.
The PPV is well over a month away from Hell in a Cell. But that just means more time to build a memorable and logical match. After defeating and embarrassing Shane inside Hell in a Cell, KO could attempt to make SmackDown truly the Kevin Owens show. This could come much to the disdain of Bryan and the fans. Finally after a few weeks of KO running rampant, Shane could make his emphatic return to Tuesday nights.
He could try to gain back control of the show but eventually fall to KO’s ruthlessness. The resulting war that ensues could finally lead to a match at Survivor Series between Team KO and Team Shane. The winner would get control of SmackDown Live and the loser would be bound to leave the show. With such high stakes, they could easily add a quality bout to this year’s card. I have already discussed some option for this match in an earlier post.
Next: WWE Hell in a Cell 2017: Match Predictions
In any case, the bottom line is that Owens has to be the one standing tall at the end of Hell in a Cell. There are many ways in which this match could end. But in all of them, KO must continue to dominate Shane. The company has built him into a credible heel that can carry a show on his own. It is high time to reward him for the performer he is.