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This Sunday, live on the WWE Network and pay-per-view providers, the company will present its first big event since the conclusion of the 2020 draft, Hell in a Cell. As of this writing, there are only five matches scheduled for the show but we are sure more matches will be announced as the event draws closer on Sunday evening.
Right now, we are looking at the matches and stories heading into this weekend's special event. With this year's draft in the rearview mirror, WWE must end a good bit of stories on Sunday and present us with some new ones going forward as the WWE Universe ventures slowly but surely into WrestleMania season, which will kick off at the 2021 Royal Rumble.
In this article, we will cover three current stories that WWE absolutely needs to end this weekend, as well as two that need to continue. Because quite simply, there is still a good amount of story that can be told from them. So let's get started.
#5 WWE needs to end: The Elias and Jeff Hardy storyline
Back in June WWE used the current Jeff Hardy storyline to help write Elias off of television due to injury. At the time, Elias was a babyface. Throughout the course of the summer, Jeff Hardy proved he definitely wasn't the man driving the vehicle that put Elias out on the shelf, yet here we are.
While it's always great when WWE acknowledges their past storylines, it's also important when doing so that they actually make sense. Elias should know that Hardy wasn't the one who ran him over. If anything, he should be looking at Sheamus for answers more than anyone else.
Instead, Elias, who has a brand new album dropping on Tuesday called Universal Truth, will step into the ring on Sunday against one of the most beloved Superstars on the WWE roster. Honestly, this was a terrible idea.
Wouldn't it have made more sense to bring him back as a babyface when he has an album to sell? Don't you think he would have sold a lot more copies if the WWE Universe currently loved him? This feels like a big miss all around, it's great that Elias is back but let's make sure this match is a one and done and the story ends on Sunday.
#4 WWE needs to continue: "The bloodline" Roman Reigns' Tribal Chief storyline
Roman Reigns has been must-see TV since he rejoined the WWE roster at SummerSlam, and it didn't take long for him to reclaim the Universal Championship. While some people groaned, there were a lot of other fans that were thrilled that we were finally getting to see the Reigns that the majority of the WWE Universe has been clamoring for several years.
However, his first feud as champion is a surprising one. No one could have predicted that Jey Uso would be thrust into the spotlight to go one on one with the Tribal Chief for the biggest prize on Friday Night SmackDown. The best thing about it all? Uso has risen to the occasion. He has shined just as brightly as the champion throughout the course of this story, proving once and for all that he is much more than just a tag team wrestler.
The stakes are high this Sunday at Hell in a Cell. Regardless of what goes down in the match, the after-effects should be felt on the blue brand for months to come. Will Uso win the Universal Championship for the first time and force Reigns to relinquish the moniker of the Tribal Chief?
Or will Reigns retain and The Usos will be forced to either join the champion at his side on SmackDown or be out of the family? Either way, this has the potential for some great storytelling going forward.
#3 WWE needs to end: The rivalry between Otis and the Miz over the Money in the Bank briefcase
Make no mistake about it, this story has been abysmal from the start. When everyone who was involved in this storyline got separated from Otis and moved to RAW the WWE Universe let out a collective sigh of relief. It was finally over, or so we thought.
On Friday Night SmackDown, Law & Otis finally took place. With special guest stars appearing throughout like Ron Simmons, Teddy Long, and JBL, who presided over everything as the judge for the court case. It ended as Miz paid off JBL to win the case. As a resulted, WWE granted him a match with Otis on Sunday at Hell in a Cell with the Money in the Bank contract on the line. How JBL is now able to make WWE matches official is a whole other matter entirely.
So here we are, just weeks removed from the WWE Draft and there is already a brand crossover match on Sunday. You know they are going to do more of the same at Survivor Series so it begs to question of why anyone should take any future drafts WWE holds seriously going forward.
Regardless, if WWE really wanted to continue this story they should have just moved Otis to RAW with everyone else. This was a chance to give him a fresh start on his own at SmackDown and this anchor of a storyline continues to hold him down. Let's just hope regardless of the outcome on Sunday, that we never have to visit this feud again.
#2 WWE needs to continue: The Sasha Banks and Bayley storyline
Let's just pretend that the match between these two women never occurred on the WWE Draft edition of SmackDown. Because in the eyes of the WWE Universe, the series of matches in the feud between Sasha Banks and SmackDown Women's Champion, Bayley starts this Sunday at Hell in a Cell.
In a match that has been rumored to close the show, the spotlight is once again on the WWE women's division. A position that these two absolutely deserve after the story they have masterfully told over the course of 2020. The Boss 'N' Hug Connection was without a doubt the biggest highlight of the Performance Center era of television this year.
Back in the day, feuds and stories such as this were settled inside of Hell in a Cell. Regardless who walks out of the demonic structure on Sunday with the SmackDown Women's Championship around their waist, everyone knows this story is far from over.
At this point no one knows for sure how long this feud will last, some suggest it could go all the way to WrestleMania 37. While that may be a bit of a stretch, a series of matches going into the Royal Rumble certainly shouldn't be out of the question. These two women could steal the show on Sunday and no one should be surprised when they do.
#1 WWE needs to end: The Drew McIntyre and Randy Orton storyline
Randy Orton and the WWE Champion Drew McIntyre had an excellent feud over the summer that epically concluded at Clash of Champions as all the legends Orton put out over the course of the year like Big Show, Christian, and Shawn Michaels came back to haunt him. The trio helped McIntyre retain his title over the Legend Killer for the second straight time by using his own punt against him and shoving him an ambulance as "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair drove it away after the match.
It was poetic justice for all of Orton's stories this year (except for Edge) all got tied together and came to a definite conclusion. It was time for McIntyre to move on and find a new challenger heading into Hell in a Cell, at least that's what we thought.
Instead, WWE had Orton attack all the same legends again and put him right back into the title picture for the third straight pay-per-view in a row for no good reason. If they had to do the third match it would have made more sense for Orton to win the title at Clash of Champions and drop it back to McIntyre at Hell in a Cell. Especially in a match where the Scottish Psychopath wouldn't have to be pinned or submitted.
Now on Sunday, the WWE Champion is in a must-win situation. He must retain his title or else this feud will continue. Of all the stories that need to end on Sunday, nothing needs its conclusion more than this rivalry.
One of Samoa Joe's colleagues had harsh words for him HERE
