WWE’s annual Hell in a Cell pay-per-view takes place this Sunday, Oct. 7th in Detroit, Michigan. Here is a preview of the card, complete with match-by-match breakdowns and predictions.
This year marks twenty years since the first ever Hell in a Cell match between The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels at Badd Blood 1997. The innovative and ground breaking stipulation has stood the test of time and now often serves as the blowoff for long-standing blood feuds.
The latest edition of Hell in a Cell – a SmackDown Live exclusive event – boasts a strong undercard and will feature four championship matches, including a WWE title bout between Jinder Mahal and Shinsuke Nakamura. It could also mark the end of two intense rivalries, as Kevin Owens will take on Shane McMahon and The New Day will defend their tag team titles against the Usos.
Before the main card gets going, the newly-formed tag team of Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin will face off against The Hype Bros on the pre-show. Zack Ryder and Mojo Rawley have been in the midst of a breakup for the past month or so, whereas American Alpha 2.0 have been steadily building team chemistry and momentum.
This is an opportune time to set up a turn for one of The Hype Bros and give Gable and Benjamin a strong victory, further pushing them up the tag team ranks.
Prediction: Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin defeat The Hype Bros
Source: WWE.com
Dolph Ziggler vs. Bobby Roode
When the “new” Dolph Ziggler made his re-debut on SmackDown Live, he slammed a variety of WWE talents for getting over by being overly gimmicky and pandering to the audience week after week. He seemed set for a collision course with Bobby Roode, who’s “Glorious” character fit the exact template Ziggler was trying to bring down.
This feud seems like it should be money, as two extremely skilled in-ring performers with a little bit of a build should have some chemistry and put forth a solid effort. However, creative seems to have booked themselves into a corner.
Who takes the loss here?
Ziggler has reinvented himself and his entire motivation is based on the idea that wrestling ability should supersede pomp and circumstance. With a loss, his entire ethos is torn apart and he loses all credibility.
Roode is a former NXT champion who has yet to have a truly significant feud on the main roster. It likely wouldn’t be wise to have him eat a loss and derail the momentum he’s been building since his arrival in WWE.
In a perfect world, this match ends in a way that allows both men to save face. Ziggler could become so frustrated with not being able to finish Roode that he loses his temper, takes it out on his opponent and gets disqualified.
This rivalry probably isn’t going to end here and it’s hard to argue that Ziggler needs a win more than Roode does. It feels like an eternity since his last significant stretch in the company, so look for him to get the win in this match – a hand full of tights or feet on the ropes wouldn’t be a bad way to go – and continue this feud with Roode through Survivor Series.
Prediction: Dolph Ziggler defeats Bobby Roode
Source: WWE.com
Randy Orton vs. Rusev
Two immensely talented WWE superstars. Two characters stuck in creative limbo.
Even though Orton’s creative direction is more than slightly confusing at the moment, he’ll likely get the W. If history is any indication, the math should be quite simple: Orton doesn’t lose a ton of feuds and Rusev doesn’t win many.
Orton’s track record plus Rusev’s track record equals an Orton win and a Rusev loss.
You may be racking your brain to remember when Rusev’s last big win was and you wouldn’t be alone. Of course, this would be an opportune time for Rusev to get that elusive victory over a top-level star, but, history.
If there’s one thing fans can collectively hope for, it’s that the two men will be given a good amount of time to show what they’re capable of and put on an entertaining match. Everyone is aware of what great talent Orton and Rusev possess, and after their SummerSlam squash match, it’s high time they get a chance to showcase it.
That being said, the outcome seems fairly obvious. Rusev will dominate most of the match with a combination of power moves and dastardly tactics, only to make one false move and fall to an RKO out of nowhere.
Prediction: Randy Orton defeats Rusev
Smackdown. Photo by WWE.com
SmackDown Women’s Championship match: Natalya (c) vs. Charlotte Flair
Since defeating Naomi at SummerSlam to become the SmackDown women’s champion, Natalya has proven that she deserves to be considered amongst the elite in women’s wrestling. No surprise there.
Charlotte on the other hand has recently returned from a two-month absence from WWE television during which she took care of her ailing father, “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair. Upon her return, she was immediately thrust back into the women’s title picture.
Once you start to put the pieces of the puzzle together, it becomes clear that Natty may have simply been a transitional champion; Charlotte needed a heel to defeat and Naomi didn’t fit that bill. It goes without saying that Charlotte is the cream of the crop when it comes to overall performance and Hell in a Cell should be one more opportunity to prove it.
This week’s tag team match in which Charlotte and Becky Lynch took on Natalya and Carmella ended with Charlotte tapping out to the sharpshooter in the middle of the ring. It would be hard to imagine a scenario in which the crown jewel of the division doesn’t make up for that loss and come out on top this Sunday.
The wild card here is the possibility of a Carmella cash-in.
What better way to create legitimate heel heat than to have Carmella ruin Charlotte’s shining moment – especially given the circumstances of her two-month absence – by stealing the title from her?
Of course, the probability of a cash in is always low, but this seems like a perfect opportunity that WWE should not squander.
Prediction: Charlotte defeats Natalya to become the new SmackDown women’s champion; Carmella then cashes in and defeats Charlotte to become champion
WWE.com
United States Championship match: AJ Styles (c) vs. Baron Corbin
Let’s get one thing out of the way: this match feels like it’s missing something.
It could be lacking heat or anticipation. Or maybe it’s simply missing “The Perfect 10” Tye Dillinger, who has consistently been involved in the Styles-Corbin narrative and seemed like “The Perfect Fit” for this match. More on that later.
Remember when Corbin won the Money in the Bank briefcase earlier this year? He seemed to be primed for a major push, but the SmackDown writers slammed on the breaks. Corbin went on to lose the briefcase, as well as his SummerSlam match with John Cena.
He’s since regained some steam, but WWE seems to have lost faith in him along the way which should indicate that he isn’t considered to be on the AJ Styles level.
You may be thinking, “Styles doesn’t need this win. He’s one of the best overall performers in the company”, and that could very well be true. He may not need the win, but he doesn’t need the loss, and especially not to Baron Corbin.
There is the possibility that Styles could lose his US title to Corbin and move on to bigger and better things, such as the WWE championship. It remains to be seen, however, how long the feud between Jinder Mahal and Nakamura will continue, which would mean that Styles would need to stay busy hosting “US Title Open Challenges” until then.
Moreover, Corbin seems to have unfinished business with the previously mentioned Dillinger. Styles should get the win, push Corbin into a feud with Dillinger and move on to something fresh.
Prediction: AJ Styles defeats Baron Corbin to retain the United States championship
Smackdown. Photo by WWE.com
Hell in a Cell SmackDown Tag Team Championship match: The New Day (c) vs. The Usos
Much like the showdown between Kevin Owens and Shane McMahon, this encounter is one that unquestionably deserves to take place inside Hell in a Cell. It’s also neck and neck with Owens-McMahon for the most anticipated match in the card.
If this in fact is the end of their rivalry, WWE fans can look back on a feud of the year contender between The New Day and The Usos, a series of great promos and stellar matches that have often stolen the show. Both teams have brought out the best in each other.
Last year’s draft has been extremely beneficial for The Usos who have found new life on the blue brand. As for The New Day, their act was in danger of becoming stale on Raw and a move to SmackDown allowed them to find their greatest rivals in quite some time.
Expect a fast-paced, hard hitting and exciting match that should live up to the expectations created by their previous encounters.
So who leaves Hell in a Cell as tag team champions?
This seems to be a case of “who’s got next?” in the SmackDown tag team division, and it looks like Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin could very well have next. They’ll likely defeat The Hype Bros on the pre-show and a revenge storyline already exists between Gable and The Usos, who injured Gable’s leg leading up to their official heel turn.
Look for them to be next in line for a tag title shot after The Usos squeak by The New Day.
Prediction: The Usos defeat The New Day to become the new SmackDown tag team champions
Source: WWE.com
WWE Championship match: Jinder Mahal (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
First and foremost, Mahal and Nakamura have some ground to make up after their less-than-stellar SummerSlam match and the lackluster build leading to their Hell in a Cell encounter. The powers that be have decided that their WWE championship tilt isn’t worthy of taking place inside the Cell, which should give a few clues as to how cold this feud has truly been.
Let’s look on the bright side: this match, like many others on the card, is tough to call.
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The case for Nakamura is one that’s been made since he’s arrived on the main roster, which is that he’s clearly beyond ready in terms of his performance in the ring. He’s definitely over with the crowd, but he may need a big win sooner rather than later and the title could be the boost his character needs.
The argument for The Modern Day Maharaja is also one fans are quite familiar with. He’s a great promotional tool internationally, especially with a tour of India set to take place in the very near future.
The stars seem to be aligned for a Nakamura win. He’s taken so much storyline abuse from Jinder and the Singh brothers that it feels like its time for him to get his payback, but again, history is a great indicator of what could happen in the present. If we’ve learned anything from the past, it’s that WWE is not afraid of consistently putting Mahal over an established talent.
Look for Jinder to defeat Nakamura via his usual nefarious means.
Prediction: Jinder Mahal defeats Shinsuke Nakamura to retain the WWE championship
Source: WWE.com
Hell in a Cell match: Kevin Owens vs. Shane McMahon
Over the past couple of months, SmackDown Live has truly become the Kevin Owens show. KO has taken the leap to become the biggest heel in the company and his rivalry with commissioner Shane McMahon is the next step in his journey to the top.
Everyone is familiar with the build: Owens feeling like he’s been mistreated and threatening to sue the company, Vince McMahon confronting Owens by making the match and getting busted open for his troubles, and the ensuing brawls between the two competitors.
What still needs unpacking are the implications of the encounter and what they could mean on Sunday night and in the future.
A stipulation was added this week on SmackDown that made the match falls count anywhere. This will undoubtedly factor into an outside-the-cage finish, with most fans are expecting more theatrics from the daredevil McMahon.
Some have even been calling for a Sami Zayn heel turn, a swift swerve that could reboot Zayn’s character and provide this storyline with an extra plot twist.
Beyond that, there is a gigantic, COO-sized shadow looming over the match.
Shane’s real-life brother-in-law Triple H should be real-life furious with the war that Owens – Triple H’s kayfabe “chosen one” – has been raging on his family. We may not see him at the pay-per-view, but rest assured that this program has a Triple H return written all over it.
Kevin Owens’ aforementioned rise in WWE seems to be one of creative’s top priorities, so it would be shocking to see him lose this match. Although it’s true that a strong heel character doesn’t need to win every feud, there are some feuds that simply need winning and this is one that Owens just can’t lose.
Next: WWE Hell in a Cell: Kevin Owens To Send a Message
Look for Shane to make KO look like a million bucks by working hard, taking some crazy bumps and entertaining fans as he always does. In the end, though, Owens should absolutely obliterate and conquer him and end the show standing tall over McMahon’s beaten body.
Prediction: Kevin Owens defeats Shane McMahon