By: Chris Cash @RealityofChris
Two weeks removed from the last WWE pay per view, “Hell in a Cell” is this Sunday. Check out WZ’s new HIAC Live Coverage Center and stay up to speed on anything related to the pay per view. As always, we’ll also have live play-by-play coverage during the three-hour event in case you decide “not” to shell out $50-60 this weekend. If you’re on the fence and can’t decide whether or not to buy WWE “Hell in a Cell”, maybe the following will help make the decision a little easier.
ON PAPER: As of now, the four advertised matches are as follows:
WWE Championship: John Cena (c) vs CM Punk vs Alberto Del Rio
World Heavyweight Championship: Mark Henry (c) vs Randy Orton
Diva’s Championship: Kelly Kelly (c) vs Beth Phoenix
Christian vs Sheamus
With the exception of the WWE Championship main event, the rest are repeat matches that we’ve been seeing recently. Putting three men into a “Hell in a Cell” match was an interesting twist and I think Punk’s presence makes it more sellable. Del Rio has needed help since winning the belt and WWE certainly didn’t do him any favors with taking it off of him in such fashion either.
Mark Henry is one of the best things going on WWE television right now and HIAC is a very appropriate place to showcase his dominance even further. I completely buy him as the WH Champion and I think the majority of the WWE fans do too. If you’re one that does not, maybe this match and another win over Orton will help the cause. However, it might not help convince you to buy the PPV.
Sheamus and Christian is a fun program for me. They have good chemistry and Christian, specifically, has been excellent in telling the story of a former Champion that will do and say anything for that “one more last chance”. The unfortunate part about this match is that there’s really not much at stake for either men, which doesn’t do much to make a fan want to pay for it.
The ongoing feud between Kelly Kelly and Beth Phoenix has been excellent. Kudos to Vince and Co. for surprising everyone and keeping the strap on Kelly Kelly so long. It’s like the roulette table though – when the wheel has hit four blacks in a row, you continue placing your bets on red over and over until it finally hits. And it always hits…eventually. The WWE Universe expects it to hit red now every pay per view and this Sunday will be no different. Will WWE fool them “again” and take their money? We’ll soon find out, but it’s been one of the more interesting things in recent memory as it relates to the Divas division and for once, I may wait to use my mandatory bathroom break on a different match or segment this Sunday.
Unfortunately, a decent Diva’s program and a unique main event twist isn’t enough to sell this pay per view on paper.
THE WRESTLING: HIAC isn’t meant to feature the “wrestling” side of things as much as it is the gimmick itself. Scores are meant to be settled and damage is meant to be done. At least, it is for the couple of main events actually taking place inside the steel structure. Triple-threat matches are hard enough to organize without the cage, so I wouldn’t expect a lot from the WWE Championship match. Henry and Orton should be brutal – nothing more, nothing less. That’s what Mark Henry needs to shine though, so this should be one of his better matches…in theory. Kelly Kelly and Beth Phoenix had an enjoyable match last ppv and I expect this one to be par for the course. Sheamus and Christian will be good. The rumored Air Boom vs Swagger/Ziggler match should be fun as well.
If you’re a fan of cage matches and non-traditional wrestling bouts, the “Hell in a Cell” gimmick probably adds value to this pay per view for you. If you’re not, it’s only two matches and shouldn’t necessarily take anything away from the event either.
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