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WWE Hell in a Cell is set to take place this Sunday, with three matches scheduled to happen inside the cage. Fortunately, all three matches are deserving of the Hell in a Cell stipulation. The issue with having gimmick-based pay-per-views is that WWE has to ensure that there are enough angles intense enough to warrant the stipulation in question.
The company has generally done a good job at building storylines so they peak in October, in time for Hell in a Cell. However, this has not always been the case. Over the years, WWE has given multiple feuds the Cell gimmick, despite it not organically fitting with the story. As a result, the ensuing matches felt forced.
Meanwhile, there have been several rivalries in September of previous years that were strong enough to feature inside Hell in a Cell at the namesake pay-per-view. WWE could have done with these organic Cell matches for the fall event, but they weren't to be.
Some of these matches happened at Hell in a Cell without the stipulation, had other Superstars added in the mix, or were simply scrapped from the show entirely. Here are four recent WWE feuds that deserved a Hell in a Cell match, and four that did not.
#8 AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe deserved a Cell match at WWE Hell in a Cell 2018
The WWE Championship rivalry between AJ Styles and Samoa Joe was spread across three pay-per-views, with the second one being Hell in a Cell. By then, they had reached an intensity in their program that warranted the Cell stipulation. Their SummerSlam match, while great, ended inconclusively when the Phenomenal One snapped at Joe, who cut a vicious mid-match promo on Styles' wife, Wendy.
This seemed to be the perfect set-up for a Hell in a Cell match between the pair. However, WWE opted to keep their hostilities out of the satanic structure. Styles and Joe still did well, although their match would have been even better with the Cell and some weapons being involved. The finish saw Styles pin his challenger and tap out at the same time, which would have still worked inside Hell in a Cell.
Perhaps, WWE was saving much of the brutality for their No DQ Match at Super ShowDown in Australia, but the Cell should have been used as a vehicle to get AJ Styles and Samoa Joe to that point, if not end the feud entirely.
#7 Roman Reigns vs. Rusev did not deserve a Cell match at WWE Hell in a Cell 2016
The summer of 2016 saw Roman Reigns take a brief break from the main event scene, as he went after Rusev and the United States Championship. The feud was decent, but did not set RAW alight. Reigns won the US Title from the Bulgarian in a solid match at Clash of Champions and a rematch was set for Hell in a Cell.
This was one of three Hell in a Cell matches on offer, but the stipulation did not feel necessary. WWE probably only booked Reigns and Rusev to have a Cell match just to advertise a "triple main event" for the pay-per-view. This feud was built more on the Big Dog having fun at Rusev's expense, rather than a personal issue between them.
While their match inside Hell in a Cell match was decent, it contributed to a slight over-saturation on the night. WWE should have limited the Cell to just Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins and Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte Flair, both of which were worthy of the cage.
#6 The Shield vs. The Rhodes Brothers deserved a Cell match at WWE Hell in a Cell 2013
While his match with Rusev did not need Hell in a Cell, Roman Reigns probably should have made his Cell debut a few years earlier. Before breaking out as a bonafide babyface star, he was part of The Shield. One of their most compelling feuds during their heel run came against Cody Rhodes and Goldust.
Reigns and Seth Rollins put over the Rhodes brothers in an emotionally charged tag team match at Battleground, with the babyfaces' careers on the line. Soon after, Cody and Goldust defeated them to win the WWE Tag Team Championship on RAW. This title change could have had a much bigger impact had it taken place inside Hell in a Cell, which was the next pay-per-view.
Instead, the Rhodes brothers defended the Tag Team Titles against The Shield and The Usos in a triple threat match at Hell in a Cell. While it still was a really fun match, an intense tag team match inside the Cell would have packed a larger punch.
#5 Mark Henry vs. Randy Orton did not deserve a Cell match at WWE Hell in a Cell 2011
Mark Henry went on the run of his career in 2011, going on a tear and winning the World Heavyweight Championship. He defeated Randy Orton clean at Night of Champions, in what was a great moment. However, their feud was not the most thrilling or intense heading into Hell in a Cell, especially after Orton's epic rivalry with Christian having just come to an end.
The only reason Henry and Orton had a Hell in a Cell match against each other was that it was a world title match in October. There wasn't enough heat to warrant a Cell match between the pair. What resulted was one of the tamest matches in Hell in a Cell history.
This match is the embodiment of most problems surrounding gimmick pay-per-views in WWE today. For every hot Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso feud, there is usually a cold Mark Henry vs. Randy Orton that happens inside Hell in a Cell.
#4 CM Punk vs. John Cena deserved a Cell match at WWE Hell in a Cell 2012
In the fall of 2012, WWE seemed to have the perfect headliner for Hell in a Cell. CM Punk and John Cena had recently resumed their legendary feud and their match at Night of Champions ended in a draw. A Hell in a Cell match between Punk and Cena would have likely come close to their classic at Money in the Bank 2011, but it wasn't to be.
Cena had an elbow surgery between the two pay-per-views, which ended up being more extensive than expected. This cast serious doubts over his in-ring availability for Hell in a Cell. The situation was "touch-and-go" and WWE needed to decide on Cena's involvement alongside Punk at Hell in a Cell weeks beforehand.
The 16-time WWE World Champion was eventually ruled out and instead appeared on the Kickoff Show, with the company going in a different direction for the main event of Hell in a Cell 2012. It's a shame that CM Punk and John Cena did not fight inside Hell in a Cell, considering the quality of their matches against each other.
#3 Randy Orton vs. Sheamus did not deserve a Cell match at WWE Hell in a Cell 2010
Similar to Randy Orton's feud with Mark Henry in 2011, the Viper's WWE Championship program with Sheamus a year earlier culminated inside Hell in a Cell. The stipulation was not needed at all, with a simple No Disqualification Match being more appropriate for the occasion.
The events leading up to Hell in a Cell 2010 weren't even that intense. Sheamus got disqualified during their SummerSlam match for simply touching the referee, while Orton won the WWE title from the Celtic Warrior in a 6-pack Challenge at Night of Champions. Their Cell match was decent but unnecessary.
What makes this match so baffling is that WWE had a way more intense feud on RAW at the time, one which deserved a Hell in a Cell match much more than Orton vs. Sheamus.
#2 John Cena vs. Wade Barrett deserved a Cell match at WWE Hell in a Cell 2010
The fact that WWE put Randy Orton and Sheamus inside Hell in a Cell, while booking John Cena vs. Wade Barrett in a standard singles match at the pay-per-view, was ridiculous. The issue between Cena and the Nexus had reached a point where something had to give. The stakes of their match were high, as Cena had to join the group had he lost.
There was even a stipulation that if the Nexus got involved, the group would be forced to disband. This is the kind of thing that Hell in a Cell is supposed to be for. Cena and Barrett could have had an insane brawl inside the Cell, possibly even cementing the latter as a main event star in WWE.
The finish may be why this didn't happen inside Hell in a Cell, with Husky Harris costing Cena the match. However, WWE could have gotten to that point even with the Cell, with the Nexus attacking the production crew and raising the Cell for the interference to happen.
This made so much more sense as a Hell in a Cell match than Orton vs. Sheamus ever would have. Wade Barrett would have been much better off had he defeated John Cena inside the Cell.
#1 Seth Rollins vs. "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt did not deserve a Cell match at WWE Hell in a Cell 2019
The most recent match on this list, Seth Rollins' Universal Championship defense against Bray Wyatt at Hell in a Cell actually seemed like an interesting concept. The build was questionable at best, but something about The Fiend winning the world title inside Hell in a Cell in the month of Halloween felt organic, but WWE completely botched it.
If Wyatt wasn't going to win the Universal title, he never should have been put in this match. A match that needs to have a clear and definitive winner. This was the very definition of WWE booking themselves into a corner and what they came up with to get themselves out blew up in their faces.
With the red light present for this match, Rollins destroyed The Fiend. He hit Stomp after Stomp and weapon after weapon, but Wyatt kicked out of everything. The match was called off after Rollins hit his opponent with a sledgehammer. This was something out of a horror movie and could have worked in the right setting, but this was not the right setting.
The Fiend's invincibility did not matter, despite kicking out of everything, as this Hell in a Cell match ended in a No Contest. That was the worst part of the match. It may have worked in a standard No DQ Match without the Cell, but even that may be a stretch.
As a result of this atrocious booking decision, Seth Rollins' babyface run was dead in the water. WWE had no choice but to put the Universal Championship on Bray Wyatt in their next match. Hopefully, this year's Hell in a Cell matches successfully removes the stench that last year's main event left.
One of Samoa Joe's colleagues had harsh words for him HERE
