In the outskirts of Chicago, the former Horizon, known as the Allstate Arena hosts the 14th annual Hell in a Cell 2022 event, being the first Hell in a Cell show not held in the WWE Thunderdome since the 2019 installment at the Golden1 Center in Sacramento, Calif..
Hell in a Cell this year wasn’t highlighted with a men’s World titles like many of its predecessors, however, a culmination of a long blood feud between Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins since WrestleMania 38, Night One as the main event was a change of pace in a non existent worlds title picture.
After a wonderful show, heading into Money in the Bank, here’s the three count.
Hell In A Cell 2022 Takeaways
1.) What is the overall arching point of the Judgement Day faction?!?
Originally this point was going to be directed at the direction of where this faction is going to go. However, as of the June 6 2022 edition of Monday Night Raw, Damien Preist and Rhea Ripley decided to rid themselves of their leader, Edge while gaining member Finn Balor.
The question that was asked was where does this faction go heading forward? With Rhea in the title picture getting a match against Bianca Belair at Money in the Bank, it seems like she would be involved in the title picture which would help add some intrigue to the group.
Balor taking on the new role as a heel on the main roster would be a newer endeavor for the former Prince Devitt. In his second stint as a member of the NXT Roster, Finn was a heel and a very convincing heel at that as a throwback to his days in New Japan as the leader of the original Bullet Club faction.
Balor historically thrives in groups, and is a proven leader in the aspect of things. Judgment Day with this switch could very well use a kick in the pants as the faction was starting to get a bit stale Post-Hell in a Cell.
2.) That Triple Threat, Wow!!!
You’d expect greatness from these three women but goodness. What a triple threat match between the most skilled women in the world.
High octane action for 19 Minutes, for a match that long on paper, it never seemed to slow down. The excellent work that was showcase by three of the most athletically gifted women on the roster was a rare showcase in which all were able to get over despite a recent returning Asuka taking the pin by the champion.
How’s that possible? Well it’s simple! Belair using Becky Lynch’s strategy against her puts questions in the head of the audience. Can Belair beat Asuka by herself? Was that victory a fluke? What does this mean for Becky since she wasn’t pinned? What does it mean for Asuka because of the way she lost? There’s a lot of questions and it makes for entertaining television for the Raw Women’s Championship.
Kick Out: What a Heroic Performance for Cody Rhodes
It’s already known by the wrestling fan base that Rhodes was entering Hell in a Cell with a torn pectoral muscle heading into the titular main event matchup against Seth Rollins.
However, the fact that Rhodes was able to do what he did despite the severity of the injury which does have a recovery time of 4-6 Months (unless you’re John Cena, also cruel coincidence that a top star heading to a show in Chicago tears their pectoral muscle days before a “premium live event”, see No Mercy 2007)
It was an amazing Hell in a Cell match and it showcased the creativity of both workers and the injury didn’t hold back the match, yet it enhanced the actually stipulation even more.
Another note, a lot of people stated their concerns on Twitter that Seth Rollins was buried after this match due to him not being able to defeat Rhodes who was dealing with injury. First things first, the term “burial” in Wrestling terminology is grossly overused by the fans to showcase displeasure in a booking decision. Second, Seth did the “job” to Cody, that doesn’t mean he is buried. Lastly, Seth Rollins is already solidified as a wrestler in the company, he didn’t need a win at all because he’s already had some of the biggest wins in this company’s history against the likes of Roman Reigns, John Cena, Brock Lesnar. Rollins is already considered in “GOAT” tier as a wrestler in the company.
Read More: Cody Rhodes established himself as ace with Hell In a Cell Performance
3.) What is WWE Going to Do With Two Popular Stars Injured?!?
I hate to give a negative on an above average show despite zero hype.
However, the injuries of Orton and now Cody with a torn pectoral muscle, and a champion not on tv a lot, WWE has back itself in a corner unifying the Worlds titles.
Aside from Drew challenging in Wales at Clash at the Castle, where’s the next challenger?
All there’s left that makes some sense heading to the summer are Riddle, who’s been a thorn in the side of the Bloodline and has a legitimate claim for revenge. Shinsuke Nakamura makes sense as well, they could very well utilize the circumstances of what happened at WrestleMania to push Nakamura into a brief main event program with Roman Reigns. Plus it has a bit of historical sense too with Nakamura winning the Royal Rumble lastly eliminating the “Tribal Chief.”
Another option that could be is Bobby Lashley, however it seems that Lashley may be having a program with Austin Theory for the United States Championship.
Another option to maybe consider is Sami Zayn as well with the glaring annoyance of The Bloodline, could put Sami in a main event storyline briefly as well.
This is unfortunate, heading into the summer months with three major shows, two of them being in stadiums. This isn’t a good spot, however, WWE historically works well with catastrophe, which who can be sure if that’s actually a good thing? Maybe in hindsight? But in execution it shows that when they are backed into a corner they are more urgent with the overall product.
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