WWE Hell in a Cell Honest Review

 I know I have said it before but the Hell in a Cell PPV is without a doubt one of my favourite WWE events of the year taking place in one of my favourite months of the year! Last night the stars of RAW and Smackdown took part in a memorable standout PPV of 2020 where some of the best storylines were on display, must-see matches booked and potential title changes meaning there was no way I was missing out on this event! In today’s blog post we are going to be re-living all the action from last night in my honest review!

 

Perfect Storytelling

Its been five years since the last I Quit Match in the WW took place and last night saw Roman Reigns and Jey Uso make history competing in this exact stipulation contest inside Hell in a Cell! Now, I’ve made it clear that this rivalry has been one of my favourite WWE storylines in a while showcasing the new side of Reigns perfectly and sticking to simple yet extremely effective storytelling. Their previous PPV encounter was stronger than expected and last night the pair upped the anti-kick-starting the show on a massive high! The dialogue exchanged between the two men throughout the action added to the intensity and personal element of this storyline. It was great to see Jey have some early momentum in this match using speed to his advantage but it was several spears delivered by Reigns and the use of a strap that saw his momentum slow down for a bit and the sadistic side of this content increase!

 Now, the fight and determination that was in both men meant it was going to take a lot for either of these men to quite and it was clear the contest meant a great deal to both superstars. The details added to this match were so key here, the personal element, the brutal side of Reigns we got there can be no denying this is the best character work we have seen from him to date and his actions and how he got the victory last night spoke volumes making it clear he is one of the best things in the WWE today and this as was an incredible way to kick start the evening.

The Bathroom Break

Okay, do not get me wrong, I am a huge fan of both Elias and Jeff Hardy, but did I think this match belonged on the Hell in a Cell card? Absolutely not. The random and weak rivalry lacks the standard of every other match and storyline we saw during last nights show and it was clear this could have been saved for the kick-off show or an episode of RAW. There was a lack of chemistry but on the flip side, it was nice to see Elias involved in a PPV. The result saw Hardy get himself disqualified when he hit Elias with a guitar across the back. The action was kept nice and short and we may see at least one more collision between the two but hopefully, Jeff can move onto something new.

 

MITB Briefcase on the Line

There have been tensions between Otis and The Miz for a long time now and so their collision at last nights Hell in a Cell PPV which saw the Money in the Bank briefcase on the line was likely to be their final collision especially considering both men are on different brands now. Of course, these two men are vastly different in image, in-ring style and character and so it made for solid collision however, the match itself did not personally standout for me. Sure, I liked the basic storytelling and build we have seen, the Miz has done so much degrade and make life difficult for Otis and in all honesty this match felt like one of the most unpredictable of the evening. There was a lot of involvement from Morrison at ringside but after he was sent away from ringside the first twist and shock of the evening took place when Tucker turned on Otis hitting him with the briefcase assisting the Miz in the win in a moment that genuinely surprised me!

 

The Match of the Night?

In my opinion, Sasha Banks vs Bayley should of main evented last nights Hell in a Cell PPV. With only three women’s HIAC matches in history Banks is the only woman to have competed in every single one of them however, she was yet to walk out the victor of one of these contests but with the only title she hasn’t won on the line the fight and determination were evident from the Boss. Now, we have seen what these two women can do when they are given time and share the ring and what we saw last night sure can be considered as one of their best collisions to date! The barbaric creativity of both women was on full display but the Boss’ experience inside Hell in a Cell was very much something she had to her advantage. Of course, the chemistry was there, the storytelling was clear, and the action was most likely the best of the entire evening.

 Now, I have been critical of Bayley’s heel run but I must admit that she really impressed me last night and I really enjoyed watching her in action! The character was strong with the moment she turned to the referee and said she was really sweaty asking him to help her (great moment), but it was also her sadistic attack on her former best friend that was just so damn good! Attacking the neck and head of Banks was a smart move but some of the sports performed were just brutal! The fight and determination from Sasha were again a highlight of the type of star she is and there can be no denying this was one of the best Hell in a Cell matches we have seen in a very long time! Neither woman was willing to give in but in the end, it was Sasha Banks who was able to use the steel chair to become the new Smackdown Women’s champion and a grand slam champion!

More Momentum Loss for RETRIBUTION

Last night saw Bobby Lashley defend his United States championship against Retributions Slapjack who made for an interesting pick to be the member who would challenge for this title considering T-Bar would have been the perfect opponent (I’m guessing that’s a match the WWE are holding onto for now). From the get-go, the champion took total control of the action manhandling the smaller opponent. Now, Slapjack previously known as Shane Thorne is a man with a lot of experience and it was great to see him fit in some offence during this short encounter. Of course, this was one of the more predictable matches of the evening with no title change, but its clear things are far from over between the Hurt Business and RETRIBUTION.

 

14 Time Champion

Randy Orton has been on fire delivering some his best work in years throughout 2020 and last night the Viper was given one more shot at the WWE championship inside a structure he knows better than anyone else, Hell in a Cell. These two men have had some brutal collisions over the past month or two and from the get-go, the intensity and brutality were there. It was clear from the start these two men had a strong hatred for each other but after the two previous Cell matches of the evening this one did not quite have the same effect. Saying that however, this was a physical encounter that catered to Orton and his sadistic nature as we saw throughout! Now, the end result of seeing Randy Orton crowned the new WWE champion is something I’m pretty divided about. This is sure to be a strong and entertaining reign for Orton with so many exciting creative options ahead, however, I can't help but feel as though we could have seen a bit more from Drew and his reign.

 

Hell in a Cell 2020 was without a doubt one of my favourite PPV’s of the year so far. From huge title changes to solid opener and main event to a women’s division match we will be talking about for many years to come. Of course, there were a couple of matches that felt as though they didn’t need to be there and I do think it would have been nice to have another women’s match on the card (for example, the tag titles defended) but what I liked about this PPV was the three major matches had a lot of time, we got some brilliant action and storytelling and a few surprises thrown in in between those bigger contests. As always, I would love to know what you guys think so feel free to leave a comment below or tweet me over at @TezangiVicotira.