The ultimate pay-per-view occasion of the WWE’s Thunderdome period is upon us. The digital fan expertise began contained in the Amway Heart in Orlando, Florida, in August 2023, moved to Tropicana Discipline in Tampa and finally landed on the Yuengling Heart in Tampa as soon as the MLB season began. The digital fan expertise carried WWE by the final yr, however there’s a light-weight on the finish of the tunnel. By mid-July, WWE will return to its seemingly countless touring schedule, touring all through america with full arenas of followers in attendance.
However first, there’s the matter of Hell in a Cell.
Nobody would blame you for trying previous Hell in a Cell and on in the direction of the countless potential and intrigue of Cash within the Financial institution, in a packed area no much less. Or additional on, in the direction of SummerSlam at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas in August.
However there’s rather a lot to love about Sunday’s card, although WWE threw a wrench by saying, then transferring, a Hell in a Cell match. Initially scheduled for the Hell in a Cell card, Roman Reigns confronted Rey Mysterio on SmackDown as an alternative of the pay-per-view — a little bit of a head-scratcher, contemplating the father-son dynamic of the story, and Sunday being Father’s Day in america. It was a recent and intriguing match, as Mysterio and Reigns had by no means gone one-on-one on any stage, and Mysterio in a world title match is rarely too dangerous of an concept.
But it surely did come collectively at a blisteringly fast tempo, and certain an excessive amount of so. Reigns had attacked Mysterio’s son Dominik twice, together with a powerbomb that despatched the youthful Mysterio flying out of the ring, however irrespective of how sturdy the familial bonds, a Hell in a Cell world title match based mostly off a pair weeks of battle looks like blowing issues out of proportion. It was an excellent match, albeit one with little doubt as to the end result. Significantly extra time was devoted to the battle bouncing Jey Uso between his brother Jimmy and Reigns than the match within the leadup to Hell in a Cell.
A fast look on the six matches at present introduced for the cardboard would possibly make you are feeling like there received’t be many vital penalties tied to the outcomes at Hell in a Cell. For essentially the most half, you’d in all probability be proper — nevertheless it’s the place you’d be fallacious that makes Hell in a Cell greater than just a little bit intriguing.
Hell in a Cell match for the WWE championship: Bobby Lashley (c) vs. Drew McIntyre
One yr out from their first conflict in WWE, Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley are set to settle the rating, as soon as and for all, inside the Hell in a Cell cage. And in contrast to some matches that really feel shoehorned into the match sort that’s marketed because the pay-per-view identify, a brutally bodily blowoff to this rivalry feels effectively earned.
What’s working: Lengthy-term storytelling hasn’t been WWE’s forte of late, however this rivalry has been proper on the cash. One yr in the past this week, then-WWE champion McIntyre efficiently defended the WWE championship towards Lashley at Backlash. There was a tag-team match the next evening with the title on the road, however the battle was then left to simmer on the again burner.
Lashley wrested the WWE title from McIntyre through The Miz cashing within the Cash within the Financial institution briefcase. At WrestleMania 37, Lashley’s credibility as a champion was cemented as he defeated McIntyre decisively. The beforehand unflappable McIntyre has grown an increasing number of determined by the week, by disqualifications and detours, and the stress solely grew in Might in an amazing triple risk title match between Lashley, McIntyre and the now launched Braun Strowman.
Now he will get his ultimate likelihood at Lashley’s title. The Hell in a Cell is the proper setting. The final title shot stipulation really feel earned. And now we wait to see the way it performs out.
What an announcement!@DMcIntyreWWE has pinned the #WWEChampion on the ultimate #WWERaw earlier than #HIAC this Sunday! pic.twitter.com/gsCUTY8XSi
— WWE (@WWE) June 17, 2023
What’s not working: The most important mistake surrounding this story doesn’t straight tie to Lashley or McIntyre in any respect. The mind-numbingly short-sighted dissolution of The Harm Enterprise is the one actual stain upon this story. For the third or fourth time in his WWE profession, Cedric Alexander began to get appreciable momentum constructed up behind him, and teaming with Shelton Benjamin did wonders for each of them. MVP gave all 4 members of The Harm Enterprise gravitas, and their work collectively was a giant purpose why Lashley had the credibility to turn into an important WWE champion in a brief window.
However in a matter of a pair weeks, the quartet of The Harm Enterprise was dissolved, Alexander and Benjamin misplaced the Uncooked tag crew championships within the midst of pre-WrestleMania after which the tag crew itself imploded. For an organization that struggles mightily to organically elevate new, younger expertise, it was extremely disappointing.
Whereas it was a damaging resolution within the long-term, within the short-term, it might have benefitted this specific story by portray Lashley as a champion caught up within the trappings of being “the man” and dropping concentrate on what received him to the highest.
The way it performs out: It’s too near name, which is nice information if you’re speaking a couple of centerpiece match on a card. Lashley might efficiently defend his title, carry his reign into SummerSlam and past, and proceed to raise himself. McIntyre must begin from sq. one, and digging deeper into his desperation might reveal some intriguing layers.
McIntyre might additionally reap the benefits of Lashley’s complacency, regain the WWE championship as soon as extra, and maintain onto that title for an prolonged stretch. That may probably embody yet another match with Lashley past Hell in a Cell. If the previous is any indication, that might solely imply good issues.
Pressured to a call, I imagine McIntyre regains the title following the perfect match to this point involving him and Lashley.
Uncooked ladies’s championship: Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Charlotte Aptitude
Talking of matches that may’ve been match for Hell in a Cell, look no additional than Rhea Ripley’s Uncooked ladies’s championship protection towards Charlotte Aptitude.
What’s working: It’s been a protracted, sluggish burn between Ripley and Aptitude. They didn’t get the massive blowoff match in entrance of a large crowd at WrestleMania 36, and have been pressured to accept the scaled down Efficiency Heart showcase.
Contemplating the stress between the 2, it’s wild to think about that the aforementioned match continues to be the one time they’ve gone one-on-one. The three triple risk matches they’ve been in collectively — in November 2019 (with Sasha Banks), June 2023 (with Io Shirai) and final month at WrestleMania Backlash (with Asuka) — have all been wildly entertaining.
And whereas many of the storytelling within the ladies’s division on Uncooked has been a muddled mess, the massive matches are working.
What’s not working: Aptitude’s string of losses heading into this match is puzzling. If she loses once more, to Ripley, it looks like it subtracts from the worth Ripley would acquire from such a victory. If she wins and takes Ripley’s title, how does that make Ripley look?
Involving Nikki Cross and making an attempt to raise her within the course of is nice in concept, nevertheless it hasn’t actually helped anybody concerned very a lot in apply.
The way it performs out: Ripley will get her large win and her revenge towards Aptitude. Maybe it occurs in such a approach that Aptitude lashes out and extends the rivalry into the summer season.
Hell in a CellSmackDown ladies’s championship: Bianca Belair (c) vs. Bayley
Following the post-WrestleMania disappearance of Sasha Banks, Bayley has stepped up as the primary challenger to Belair’s SmackDown ladies’s championship.
What’s working: Bayley feels locked in proper now, each out and in of the ring. One in every of WWE’s greatest struggles in recent times has been determining how one can organically interweave totally different storylines and push everybody ahead, whereas not falling into overused tropes. Bayley’s “Ding Dong, Whats up!” speak present has been a wonderful machine for doing so, benefitting each this storyline and others — most just lately between Cesaro and Seth Rollins.
It’s ramped up the stress between Belair and Bayley, giving Bayley a platform to unfold her wings and dig deep into her character. It’s allowed Belair to lean into what she does greatest proper now — sturdy, assured and requiring just a few phrases to get her level throughout, whereas sitting below the educational tree with some of the polished performers within the business.
Belair can have a platform to point out precisely the place she stands within the WWE hierarchy inside Hell in a Cell, and simply as Banks was an important dance companion at WrestleMania, it’s onerous to think about a a lot better foil than Bayley for a match of this magnitude.
What’s not working: Was shifting this match into the Hell in a Cell construction a bit abrupt, just some days out from the present? Most likely. However usually talking, there’s not rather a lot to dislike right here. SmackDown usually is on a pleasant run, and the construct to this match has been constant and entertaining. Anticipation for an important match at Hell in a Cell can be excessive.
The way it performs out: Belair will get a win and strengthens her grip on the SmackDown ladies’s championship. Bayley places on a stellar efficiency and reminds everybody how good she is. With Banks’ potential return hanging on the horizon, and an infusion of recent potential challengers forward at Cash within the Financial institution, issues are trying brilliant.
Alexa Bliss vs. Shayna Baszler
What do flickering lights, damaged mirrors and a demonic doll named Lilly need to do with professional wrestling? Greater than you’d assume!
What’s working: Any purpose to separate Shayna Baszler from Nia Jax and get her again on a path to a run at a singles title is nice sufficient. Even when it has to contain the supernatural. And although Baszler seems like a personality that’s far too critical for a narrative like this, critical characters usually show to be satisfying foils.
What’s not working: Simply as Bray Wyatt’s “Fiend” persona struggled to gel with the remainder of the WWE ecosystem for lengthy stretches when pressured exterior of his bubble of enjoyable and creativity, Bliss’ flip contained in the funhouse looks like it has a shelf life. The segments are enjoyable and totally different, and supply Bliss an opportunity to sink her enamel into one thing new, nevertheless it’s onerous to venture the place she might go transferring ahead.
The way it performs out: Count on some particular results, and a few soar scares. Bliss hits a DDT and will get the pinfall, however the final result of the match is secondary.
Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn
Like Batman and The Joker, Owens and Zayn are seemingly destined to be in one another’s lives till the tip of time, as their preventing is the one fixed in entrance of a continuously shifting panorama.
What’s working: Have you ever ever actually seen a foul match between Owens and Zayn? They’ve been wrestling one another for twenty years, and the one complaints sometimes stem from matches being too quick, or evaluating latest matches to the insanely excessive bar set by their earlier matches. One other pay-per-view match can solely result in good issues.
What’s not working: Their WrestleMania 37 match was solely beginning to get cooking when it resulted in below 10 minutes. Owens has been making an attempt to beat some sense into Zayn ever since, they usually’ve seemingly been on a collision course in the direction of powerful love resulting in Zayn spiraling and hitting all-time low, adopted by reconciliation and partnership. If that’s not the vacation spot, the previous couple of months have been a variety of wheel spinning with out precise progress.
The way it performs out: Precisely as deliberate — Owens wins once more, Zayn utterly crumbles, and finally reaches out to his outdated pal with nowhere else to show.
Seth Rollins vs. Cesaro
In two matches, totaling simply over 24 minutes, Cesaro and Seth Rollins showcased what every of them does so effectively contained in the ring. It immediately elevated Cesaro right into a worthy title challenger, and led to greater than a month of huge moments that felt overdue for some of the gifted in-ring performers within the business.
What’s working: Cesaro and Rollins are magical within the ring collectively, and it’s onerous for them to have a foul match. They’ve reignited tensions over the past couple of weeks, and anticipation for this match is excessive.
What’s not working: Cesaro being sidelined for a month in a shoulder sling following his loss to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania Backlash was powerful to swallow, due to the momentum Cesaro was carrying into that match, and his efficiency towards Reigns. It appears unlikely that Rollins will lose three straight matches to Cesaro as effectively, so Cesaro is more likely to take one other dip. Hopefully the standard of the match will at the very least partially steadiness that out.
The way it performs out: Rollins will get off his dropping streak, and certain cheats to take action. It wouldn’t be shocking to see each of those guys within the Cash within the Financial institution ladder match, and Cesaro could be a really fascinating darkish horse to carry the briefcase.
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