It’s almost time for WWE’s annual pay-per-view that sees its superstars trapped inside the most dangerous structure the company has to offer. This year, Hell in a Cell will see three separate matches inside the eponymous cage, including the first ever women’s Hell in a Cell match.
Here are 5 booking decisions that WWE should definitely avoid next Sunday at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view.
#5 Cesaro & Sheamus winning the RAW Tag Team titles
The New Day will be making their next title defence at Hell in a Cell, taking on the dysfunctional duo of Cesaro and Sheamus. The team was put together by Mick Foley after the men failed to conclude their best of 7 series with a winner.
Come PPV time, New Day will only be 45 days short of Demolition’s record 478-day title reign, and I have a feeling that WWE may want to have them break that record.
At the same time, WWE also loves to do the classic “wacky tag team partners that hate each other” routine, so that may be the direction they are headed with Cesaro and Sheamus, and it may happen as soon as Hell in a Cell. If that is the plan, it’s a bad idea.
The New Day deserves more respect after their nearly record-breaking reign as champions than losing the titles to a team that can’t get along. Whatever does happen, I hope New Day doesn’t break up after they do eventually lose the titles at some point.
#4 Brian Kendrick winning the Cruiserweight title
I expect that TJ Perkins vs. Brian Kendrick will be a better match at Hell in a Cell than their underwhelming contest at Night of Champions. This time they have a very clear good guy and bad guy, so the dynamic will be different.
It appears that they are setting up Kendrick to win the title in order to have TJP chase him to win it back, but that would be the wrong way to go. The Cruiserweight Division needs a strong champion to lead them, and the way to do it is to keep Perkins as the babyface champion who is at the helm of the new era of the cruiserweights.
Kendrick is great and if he intends to stick around for a while he is certainly deserving of a title reign in 2017, but 2016 should be the year of TJP.
#3 Chris Jericho interfering in the Owens - Rollins Match
Obviously, there have been a number of occasions that have seen the competitors inside Hell in a Cell leave the cage. With Chris Jericho failing to earn his way into the title match, tension has started growing between him and Universal Champion Kevin Owens.
Jericho has interfered on Owens’ behalf in numerous matches, but between being left out of the HIAC match and taking beatdowns with no help from his so-called “best friend”, the seeds have been planted for the interference to go the other way in the near future.
It may be imminent at this point that Jericho will attempt to do something to distract Owens. Maybe he will do something and claim that it was accidental. The crowd is very ready to start cheering Jericho again, as he has been very entertaining and is becoming a sympathetic character.
One of the worst next steps to take would be having him cost Owens a match inside Hell in a Cell -- I would stretch it out to Survivor Series and have them come to blows during the 5-on-5 RAW vs. SmackDown Live match.
#2 Roman Reigns losing the US championship
Hell in a Cell is a show that needs to see all of the RAW champions hold on to their belts leading into Survivor Series. When it comes to Reigns, this is important because it could help him become the silent destructive machine that he needs to be. His Hell in a Cell match can be a turning point for his character.
The motto “gotta keep Roman strong” rings true here. After a gruelling match, Reigns’ second trip to Hell changes him. He no longer smirks and makes jokes like a low-rent John Cena. That’s one thing that is so troubling about the HIAC matches over the years.
One thing that is always stressed is that nobody walks out of that structure the same man as when he walked in. It will change a man.
If Reigns has to reach his breaking point in an intense match with Rusev, then he can begin to edge closer to his true potential. Wisecracking isn’t for him. This match is the perfect opportunity to garner the change his character needs.
#1 Triple H returning again
Triple H has only appeared one time since he screwed over Seth Rollins and handed the title to Kevin Owens. It was a very brief appearance, simply showing up in a limousine to pick his wife up from the arena. Outside of that, there has been zero sign of him, and this pay-per-view is not the right time.
Similar to an interference from Chris Jericho, Triple H gaining entry into the Cell is not the way to go. Let Owens and Rollins battle it out the right way, and give Owens some solid footing leading up to his feud with Jericho.
It could pose a problem for Seth Rollins, who has begun a fresh babyface run, but there is plenty of time between now and WrestleMania (where he is likely to take on Triple H) for him to get himself back up to the level he needs to obtain to take on The Game.
This is another instance that can see a wrestler actually live up to “being changed”, which is what is supposed to happen when you finally make it out of the devil’s playground. Rollins can become tougher and more resolute, and have more fire inside of him. A loss slows his momentum, but not enough to ruin it in the long term.
