WWE Hell in a Cell 2019: Results, Highlights, and Grades

Tonight, on the WWE Network, the yearly edition of Hell in a Cell takes place. The main event sees Bray Wyatt taking on Seth Rollins for the WWE Universal Championship. Will Seth Rollins be able to defend his title, or will Wyatt’s new character be able to dethrone Seth?

Normally, I would try to write an extensive preview of the show here, however WWE has only given us four matches on the card. Most of WWE’s focus lately seems to have been on the debut of SmackDown on Fox and on Crown Jewel. So, we don’t know how many matches will be on the card total, nor do we know the participants outside of the four announced.

Here is the card that we know thus far:

Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch – WWE Raw Women’s Championship

Bayley vs. Charlotte – WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship

Roman Reigns & Daniel Bryan vs. Erick Rowan & Luke Harper

Seth Rollins vs. ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt 

As for what else we will see on this card, we don’t know at the moment. WWE still has a little time to announce matches before the pre-show, but it’s entirely possible that we will only know these four matches heading into the show. While this is a recap of Hell in a Cell, it highlights a problem with WWE’s inability to book in advance at the moment, and while this show will likely have some fun wrestling, it is one that was definitely put together at the last minute.

However, WWE might surprise us all and pull out all the stops for this show that has had an underwhelming build. So, who will walk out WWe Universal Champion? Will Becky Lynch be able to keep the title she has held for several months? Will Bayley still wrestle like a babyface despite being portrayed as a heel? Will Charlotte wrestle as a heel despite being portrayed as a babyface? Will Merick Rowan finally be vindicated for the crimes of his twin brother, Erick Rowan? Will Hell be contained within a Cell? Stay tuned here and find out!

https://twitter.com/NatbyNature/status/1181017988058636288

Lacey Evans vs. Natalya

Bliss and Cross cut a promo, but the announcers kept talking over them. It seemed like they weren’t quite prepared for it. I take it as a mistake on the panelists part.

Lacey briefly out wrestled Nattie in the opening portion of this match, but she couldn’t keep the advantage forever on the Hart family member. Nattie was able to escape each move, but Lacey kept the advantage throughout the first few minutes. Lacey rolled up Nattie but got a two count. Nattie went for the sharpshooter but Lacey got the ropes.

Lacey continued to get the heat to total silence. Lacey missed a springboard moonsault and Nattie locked her in a Sharpshooter for the submission win. The crowd cheered a little at the finish.

Result: Natalya

Rating: *

Natalya dropped Lacey after the bell like a jerk, and the how does that make her look like a babyface? We can say it was payback for Lacey punching her, but it still comes across as a sore winner.

A hype video played to open the show, saying that a “Villain was born 2 decades ago…” referring to Hell in a Cell. So, the cage is sentient? I need some backstory on this. How did the Cell realize it could think? What’s its motivation for trying to kill wrestlers? Oh, I’m sorry, “Superstars?”

Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch (c) – Hell in a Cell for the WWE Raw Women’s Championship

Sasha attacked Lynch right away at the start of the match and the action spilled under the cell before it was fully lowered. Both women were on the outside as Sasha rammed Becky into the cage to drop her. Becky got a chain and attacked Sasha. Becky sent Sasha into the cage. Becky locked the cage with the chain. The action went back in the ring quickly, so I have no idea what the point was of the brawl outside of the cage.

Becky got a table into the ring, while Sasha got a ladder. Becky hit Sasha with a chair, and back in the ring, smashed Sasha’s face into an unfolded chair. Sasha dropkicked the chair into Becky. Becky hit an exploder suplex and Sasha rolled to the outside. Becky hit three dropkicks. Sasha drove her into the apron and then hit a meteora off the apron into the ladder that was setup!

Becky appeared to hit her head right on the back of the ladder. That was an ugly spot. Becky had to retire due to neck injuries before she made it to WWE and was retired for quite some time. This probably didn’t help. Sasha put Becky’s arm in the door of the cage and pulled it shut over the arm. Sasha put the arm in a chair and stomped on it.

Sasha set Becky up on the chair and hit a meteora on Becky for a near fall. Sasha grabbed another chair and stuck it in the cage by its legs. Sasha grabbed another chair, but Becky rolled her up for a near fall, and then kicked the chair into Sasha. Sasha got sent off the apron into the cage, which was hard to watch, as that is what ended the career of WWE referee Tim White.

Sasha was sent into the ring post and Becky hit an exploder into the side of the cage that looked nasty. Becky hit a drop toe hold into the bottom of an unfolded chair for a near fall. Becky hit a dropkick off the top rope. Sasha grabbed a kendo stick and beat on Becky with it before setting the sticks up in the corner.

Becky drove Sasha into the kendo sticks and setup a chair on top of them. Becky put Sasha on the chair and hit a dropkick off the apron into the chair and kendo sticks. That was creative. Sasha managed to hit a back stabber in the ring and put Becky on the top rope. Becky fought out of a suplex, but Sasha fought out of a powerbomb and hit a meteora through the table!

Becky kicked out! Sasha grabbed a kendo stick and locked on the Bank Statement with the kendo stick. Becky managed to get outside of the ring and hit Sasha with the stick multiple times. A few times in the head, by the looks of it. Sasha threw Becky into the chair at ringside that was stuck in the chair. Sasha used several chairs but Becky managed to fight out and hit an exploder off the top rope into the chairs before looking on the Disarmher for the win.

Result: Becky Lynch

Rating ****1/4 (4.25)

This was an absolutely fantastic match. Outside of a few scary spots, everything was very, very good.

A hype video aired for Bryan/Reigns vs. Rowan & Harper. It recapped how stupid this storyline has been, as it showed Rowan pushing over the speakers, on the other side of the forklift. So, we have no idea who drove the forklift, and no idea who drove the car to attack Roman, and no idea who the evil twin was (I still say my story about Merrick Rowan was a better explanation).

Daniel Bryan & Roman Reigns vs. Erick Rowan & Luke Harper – Tornado Tag Match

Daniel Bryan as a babyface is great, as much as the story leading into this match doesn’t make sense. He got a big pop as he came out, and it’s clear that he should be one of the top babyfaces in the company. Bryan and Reigns ran wild in the early portion, but as Regins went for a spear on Rowan, Harper cut him off with a big boot.

Bryan tried to make the save, but Harper and Rowan cut him off and continued to get the heat on both men. It was at this point that I realized the match was a tornado tag, as it wasn’t announced until the preshow, and I forgot. Harper and Rowan drove the stairs into Roman. Rowan got Bryan up on his shoulders, but before the Doomsday Device could be hit, Roman cut him off. Bryan rolled him up, but Rowan kicked out.

Rowan screamed “You tried to embarrass me!” and I’m not sure how. Bryan tried to lock on the LaBelle lock, but Harper cut him off. Rowan hit a Jackhammer on Bryan, but Bryan kicked out. Bryan got the advantage briefly, and Roman made a comeback, pulling Rowan to the outside and then hitting Harper with a ton of clotheslines in the corner. As Roman hit the ropes, Rowan pulled the top rope down and Roman spilled to the outside.

Bryan attacked Harper and started to kick him in the corner. Bryan went for his running corner kick, but Harper dodged. Bryan slipped behind, hit a dropkick to the knee and then hit the Yes Kicks, but Rowan pulled Bryan to the outside. Reigns hit the drive by dropkick on Rowan and Harper dived onto Reigns and hit his face on the announce table.

Harper and Rowan still had the advantage, and Rowan slammed Harper into Reigns. Vince was clearly in Cole’s ear talking about how big Rowan and Harper are and how small Bryan is. Harper and Rowan drove a part of the barricade into Roman’s face and picked up Bryan and tried to put him through the announce table.

Bryan countered with a hurricanrana off the table on Harper while Reigns got up and speared Rowan through one of the announce tables. Bryan and Harper were in the ring, and Bryan hit a running dropkick 3 times. Bryan put Harper on the top rope and went for a top rope hurricanrana, but Harper held him and hit a top rope powerbomb! Bryan kicked out! Bryan escaped a half nelson suplex by landing on his feet and sent Harper into a superman punch from Roman. Bryan hit his flying knee, and Roman hit the spear for the win!

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1180997122365116416

Result: Daniel Bryan & Roman Reigns

Rating ***3/4 (3.75 stars)

Excellent tag match from all 4 men here. The storyline leading into it made no sense, but hopefully we can move on now. Bryan and Reigns hugged after the match and shook hands to a great reaction from the crowd.

Seth Rollins cut a promo that was overly scripted and had forced tag lines that sounded fake.

Randy Orton vs. Ali

Orton took the early part of this match with some cheap shots. After Randy hit him with a thumb to the eye, Ali managed to get onto the top rope, but Orton threw him off to the floor, and Ali’s body made a sickening thud. Orton hit a front suplex and a back suplex on the announce table. Orton stomped on Ali’s stomach in the ring. Orton sent Ali back to ringside and went for another back suplex onto the announce table, but Ali backflipped out and hit a dropkick.

Orton drove Ali into the ring post though with an ugly bump. Ali had a big welt on his side because of it. Orton locked on a chinlock, but Ali managed to fight out and hit some chops and forearms, but Orton countered with a knee to the ribs of Ali. Ali hit a dropkick that sent Orton to the outside and Ali hit a suicide dive that sent Orton flying over the announce table.

Ali got a near fall, but after hitting the ropes, Orton hit a power slam for a near fall of his own. Ali jumped on the second rope and hit a tornado DDT before going for a 450 splash, but he missed. Orton hit the second rope DDT and left Ali laying in the middle of the ring. Ali countered an RKO attempt with a crucifix, but Orton kicked out. Ali went for a rolling attack, but Orton popped up and hit the RKO.

Result: Randy Orton

Rating *** (3 stars)

The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka & Kairi Sane) vs. Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross (c) – WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship

Cross and Alexa got the heat on Asuka in the early portion of this match, but Asuka managed to send Nikki to the outside. Asuka went for a baseball slide, but Nikki pulled the apron aside and trapped Asuka and Bliss followed up with a dropkick. Asuka got loose and hit a kick on Cross and then drove Alexa into the barricade before tagging in Kairi Sane.

Asuka and Sane beat on Bliss for a few minutes. Asuka locked on an ankle lock on Bliss in the middle of the ring and then turned it into a half crab. Alexa somehow got into a side headlock. Asuka dropped her again and then tagged out to Sane. Sane poked Cross in the eyes and hit a sliding D lariat on Bliss, but the ref was distracted by Cross trying to get in the ring. Bliss fought out of another ankle lock and made the hot tag to Cross.

Cross ran wild and dropped Sane before hitting a flying cross body on Kairi Sane. Sane kicked out. Kairi countered and went for her flying elbow, but Cross got her knees up and hit a neckbreaker off the top rope. Asuka made the save and dragged Sane to her corner before tagging in and kicking Cross. Asuka used Kawada kicks on Cross to a great cheer from the crowd.

Nikkie caught a kick from Asuka and hit a clothesline. Asuka spit poison mist into Nikki Cross’s face and followed up with a big kick to defeat Bliss and Cross to win the tag team titles.

Result: The Kabuki Warriors

Rating **3/4 (2.75 stars)

So, Asuka and Kairi are just heels for no reason? This seemed out of nowhere. However, they acted like babyfaces after the match, so I have no idea what was going on. Either way, Asuka and Kairi are two of the best wrestlers in the company, so hopefully they get featured more. However, this is another example of wrestlers just being heels or babyfaces without a specific turn. Asuka and Kairi just acted like heels from the start of the match for no reason.

The Bullet Club (AJ Styles, Luke Gallows, & Karl Anderson) vs. The War Viking Raider Experience Machine (Hanson & Rowe) & Braun Strowman

Hanson and Anderson started the match with Hanson overpowering Anderson. Hanson locked on an arm wringer, but Anderson hit a throat thrust and Gallows tagged in. Hanson went to the top rope, jumped at Gallows, but Gallows ducked, and Hanson rolled through ad made a tag to Rowe. Rowe ran wild for a bit, but Styles cut Rowe off and he fell to the floor. Styles ran wild for a bit, and tried to hit a forearm on Braun, but Braun caught him. Gallows pulled Braun off the apron, and after a heat segment, Hanson backdropped Styles and made the hot tag to Braun.

Braun ran over everyone, both literally and figuratively. Styles managed to hit a forearm, but Braun dodged an attack and had Styles setup for the powerslam, but Gallows cut him off and then the bell rang for no reason, as the OC was DQ’d for kicking too much ass.

Result: The Viking Raiders & Braun Strowman via DQ

Rating: DUD (0 stars)

This finish sucked. It completely killed the match. Strowman and the Raiders ran wild, beating everyone down, so why not just pin them? At least Styles sold Braun’s punch like death.

The Street Profits cut a promo backstage and there was a run in with Truth, Carmella, and Tamina. Tamina rolled up Carmella for the title. Tyler Breeze showed up and no on recognized him. Tamina hit him with a forearm. Carmella and Truth ran off looking for the title. Apparently, Breeze was there because he was on Watch Along. It would have been nice if they told us this beforehand, as it would have setup him being there. A simple explanation. Instead, they assume everyone knew he was on Watch Along. This sucked. Truth was funny.

Baron Corbin vs. Chad Gable

Baron Corbin cut a promo making a ton of short jokes. Gable was overpowered early on, and Corbin sent Gable flying shoulder first into the ring post. Corbin used some boring offence for 3 or 4 minutes to beat on Gable. Gable was able to knock Corbin down with a basement dropkick after a few minutes and then he hit a series of hard forearms. Gable hit the Chaos Theory on Corbin, but Corbin kicked out.

Gable hit two koppo kicks, but on the third, Corbin caught him and hit a powerbomb. That was actually a cool spot. Corbin put Gable on the top rope but Gable locked on an armbar and then smashed Corbin’s knee into the ring post. Corbin hit Deep Six, not selling his knee at all. Gable managed to avoid the end of days and he hit a moonsault and locked on an ankle lock. Corbin rolled to the outside and Cole pitched it to an ad break, but it’s PPV, so there was no ad break.

Corbin went for his scepter, but Gable rolled him up and got the pinfall. Gable was announced as “Shorty Gable” by the announcer. This sucked. Chad Gable is so much better than this.

Result: Chad Gable

Rating * (1 star)

This show started strong but jumped off a cliff. Hopefully Charlotte and Bayley can bring it back up.

Charlotte Flair vs. Bayley (c) – WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship

Before the match started, Tamina was in the crowd running from Truth. She used Funaki as a human shield, but Carmella kicked Tamina in the head and Truth was able to pin her. Truth wins the 24/7 title again.

Charlotte took control of the match early on with some hard chops. In the early portion, Charlotte had the better of Bayley, locking on a Boston crab. Bayley poked Charlotte in the eye from ringside and started beating on Charlotte. Charlotte turned it around with some chops and a suplex, followed by a kick up. Charlotte hit a big elbow that dropped Bayley. Bayley rolled to the outside and dragged Charlotte to the floor.

Bayley drove Charlotte’s leg into the LED board on the side of the ring. Bayley drove Charlotte’s leg into the ring post. Bayley got the heat here and a few near falls after this. Charlotte made her comeback with a chop block and kicking the leg of Bayley in spots taken directly from her dad. Charlotte hit Natural Selection, but Bayley kicked out.

Charlotte went for a moonsault, but Bayley got her knees up. They went to the outside, but Charlotte managed to hit a fallaway slam on the floor. Charlotte went for the Figure 8, but Bayley rolled her up. Charlotte kicked out. Bayley rolled Charlotte up again, but Bayley had her feet on the ropes. The ref saw it, and Charlotte hit Bayley with a big boot and locked on the Figure 8 for the victory.

https://twitter.com/MsCharlotteWWE/status/1181028591242551296

Result: Charlotte Flair

Rating **1/2 (2.5 stars)

This match was good in the ring but had zero heat. The crowd doesn’t want to boo Bayley and they don’t want to cheer Charlotte. It was perfectly fine in the ring, but both women are miscast here. The match was structured weird too, as both women got a heat segment. It was just odd. I felt sorry for Bayley losing, and that shouldn’t happen with a heel unless they’re turning.

Bray Wyatt vs. Seth Rollins (c) – WWE Universal Championship

Before the match, Baron Corbin attacked Chad Gable backstage, so this feud must continue.

The lights remained red for the match, so the crowd must not have been able to see much with the red cage. Rollins hit Wyatt with a kendo stick, but he no sold it. Rollins jumped off the middle rope, but Bray caught him in a uranage. Rollins and Bray brawled around ringside, and Rollins brought a table out into the ring. Rollins hit two dives to the floor on Bray and sent him into the stairs.

The fear that Seth showed leading into this match was not seen here, so that doesn’t make sense. Suddenly Rollins isn’t afraid of Bray? Bray caught Seth on a dive and hit Sister Abigail into the cage and sent Rollins back into the ring before trying to put Seth through the table. Seth fought out and superkicked Bray onto the table. Rollins climbed the top rope and hit a frog splash through the table.

Rollins hit a curb stomp, but Bray stood up and hit a Sister Abigail, but Rollins kicked out. Bray sent Rollins to the floor. Bray grabbed a cartoonishly huge hammer and drove Seth into the cage with it. Rollins fought back and hit a curb stomp onto the hammer on Bray. Rollins hit a springboard flying knee and followed with a second one, and then a superkick, and a second one. Rollins hit another curb stomp, and then another one, and a third. The crowd started booing.

Wyatt stood up, so Rollins hit a Pedigree and another curb stomp, but Wyatt kicked out at one! Rollins hit another superkick, another stomp, and one more, and another, but Wyatt keeps getting up. Rollins hit another, and one more, and then collapsed in the ropes. Rollins got an evil look in his eye, rolled to the outside, and grabbed a chair.

Wyatt stirred in the ring as Seth stood over him with a chair. Rollins smashed Bray in the head with the chair, but Bray kicked out at one. Seth grabbed a ladder and put a chair on Bray’s face. Rollin’s drove the ladder into the chair and Wyatt kicked out at 2. Rollins grabbed a toolbox and put the ladder on Bray’s face with the chair. Seth grabbed the toolbox and started smashing it into the ladder and chair.

Rollins put the toolbox on the ladder, which was on the chair, which was on Bray. Rollins decided to not grab a chair, but he grabbed a sledgehammer. Seth has the ultimate weapon because of HUNT-TOR (Triple H) and threatened to smash it into the pile of crap. The ref tried to stop him. It’s no DQ, so why? Rollins did it and the referee DQ’d Seth.

Result: Bray Wyatt via DQ

Rating -*** (-3 star)

Screw this company. HOW IS THERE A DISQUALIFICATION IN A HELL IN A CELL MATCH. This sucked. This sucked so badly. Wyatt got up and locked on the mandible claw after the match and then hit Sister Abigail on the floor. The crowd chanted “AEW!” and then “Restart the Match!” As Bray hit Sister Abigail on the floor again, the crowd chanted “AEW!” Bray locked on the mandible claw again and Seth bled from the mouth as the camera did a bunch of weird cuts.

Overall rating: -2 stars (-2 stars)

This show was clearly just thrown together with no preparation beforehand. Nonsensical, insulting booking that assumes you, the fan, are dumb. Don’t watch this show. Don’t support this company. They clearly hate their audience. The only two things that were good here were Becky/Sasha and Bryan/Roman vs. Harper & Rowan.

I was going to give this show -5 stars for insulting the viewers with such a horrible ending, but the amazing Becky/Sasha match raised the rating by 3 stars. This company sucks. Stop watching WWE.

Ah, screw it. It’s -5 stars now.

Would be -6, but Becky vs. Sasha was so good, it saved a star.

Overall rating: -5 stars