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We must admit that when we first watched Hell in a Cell, live on the WWE Network, we were quite entertained. However, with the benefit of hindsight, one tends to look back and nitpick at certain aspects of the big pay-per-view.
And when one does so, certain thoughts come to mind. As good as the show was, it was far from perfect, really. The show had its moments but it also had its many disappointments. For your benefit, we shall list five of them down below.
Please understand that this list is just an opinion piece. There is no right or wrong when one looks at a subject as subjective as sports entertainment.
Let's begin with a man who has been described as the opposite of King Midas by certain wrestling fans.
#5 Baron Corbin becomes the United States Champion
The United States Championship seemed like it would be elevated under the reign of AJ Styles, who brought back the US Open Challenge to SmackDown Live. While the program began in the right manner, with some explosive matches, unfortunately, it devolved into a program with Baron Corbin.
Corbin looks like he has all the tools to become the US Champion. He has the size, the physique and a sneer that could make young kids cry. However, his inexperience is reflected in his matches, and unlike another big man named Braun Strowman, Corbin has not improved by leaps and bounds.
Now that Corbin is the United States Champion, we really wonder if he will elevate anyone who works with him. Yes, it does free AJ Styles up for bigger and better things, but as for the mid-card championship, has WWE taken a step back?
He's not been able to have good matches with AJ Styles, Nakamura and even Sami Zayn, who are three of the best in-ring workers in the world. Unless he improves dramatically, he will always be a step behind the rest of the SmackDown Live roster. Let's hope he steps up his game and shows us his pizzazz.
#4 Hot potatoing of the Tag title belts
Think of your favourite meal and imagine having it in a significant quantity every single day of your life. The charm wears out after a while, doesn't it?
The Usos and The New Day have put on matches that have set the ring on fire and how! They have put the SmackDown Live tag team division on the map, yet again. This is after the titles were left out from WrestleMania 33, and were not defended on the show.
Some believe that these teams are interchanging titles in this manner so that they break the record for most Tag Team Championship reigns someday.
However, the two teams have been feuding for a good four months now, and it may be time for both to move on to new feuds. Teams such as Breezango and The Hype Bros could really freshen up the picture in the said division.
#3 Rusev loses yet another match
This could have been the ideal stage for Rusev to pick up a big win and get his career back on track, once again. Unfortunately, it was not to be, as Randy Orton left Rusev lying in the middle of the ring.
Randy Orton is a guaranteed WWE Hall of Famer and did not need this win as much as Rusev did, to regain his momentum. We wonder where Orton even goes from here, considering we don't see him entering the title picture once more. Maybe the US Title Picture with Baron Corbin next?
As for Rusev, he is slowly slipping down the mid-card, to the lowest divisions. For all the potential that we all believed he once had, the man is only a shadow of the man he once was.
While this could have been attributed to poor booking, the next decision was just lazy.
#2 Ziggler's grand entrance was a dud
Dolph Ziggler made a promise he did not keep, at Hell in a Cell. He promised to make the grandest entrance ever, and then came out to nothing. No pomp, no show and no music. We repeat, he came out to absolutely nothing.
The only thing remotely interesting about Ziggler's current gimmick is the fact that he gets to parody other superstars, calling them out on their bluff. Without any kind of heat going into the match, there was no heat from the audience for his match against 'Glorious' Bobby Roode.
The 'CM Punk' chants during the match reminded us that the IWC wants to see Ziggler come out as CM Punk. Even if that were not the same, some kind of creativity would have been welcome.
#1 Killing all of The Artist's momentum
Much like Bayley, Tyler Breeze, and The Ascension proved, being a top guy in NXT does not necessarily translate into being the top guy on the main roster. Shinsuke Nakamura found this out the hard way, at Hell in a Cell.
Yes, while The Singh Brothers did interfere during the match, Mahal pretty much picked up a big win on his own. Nobody has kicked out of his finisher yet. Even the F5 isn't as protected as the 'Khallas' is.
It would have been great to have Nakamura win the WWE Championship, just to shake things up. In due course of time, Mahal could have won the championship, ahead of WWE's India tour.
This was our complaint list from WWE Hell in a Cell. Agree? Disagree? Let us know in the comments, down below.
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