'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
We are now just a couple of days away from the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view. With about three months left in the year, and two more months until Survivor Series, it is vital for WWE to end on a high note. 2018 has not been the most exciting time for the company, but as the old saying goes: it's not about how you start, it's about how you end.
With Hell in a Cell being the beginning of the end for the calendar year, we're looking at much of the same from the previous eight months: repeats of feuds, head-scratching decisions and key Superstars being left off the card (sorry, Shinsuke).
Some of the matches on this card do look somewhat enticing, but this could prove for a rather forgettable pay-per-view overall. Regardless, let's make some bold predictions, shall we?
#1 Expect some lukewarm Hell in a Cell matches
WWE in the modern era leaves little to no opportunity for true, old-school grisly action. On one hand, that's perfectly fine. It is a new age, and we do not have to regress back to the days of the Attitude Era by putting your employees' health on the line (more so than they are already doing anyway) just to make some bloodthirsty fans happy. On the other hand, matches like Hell in a Cell are virtually obsolete in this modern PG era.
As much as WWE wants to push their line of toys where kids can toss around their favorite Seth Rollins or Daniel Bryan toy on top of a little plastic steel cage, they don't actually want their talent to put their lives at risk in such a manner any more. Instead, they will settle for the occasional toss into the cage wall or the traditional "use cage as a cheese grater on my opponent's face" move.
Right now, we only have two matches that will be competed in one of the most infamous matches in wrestling history, one of which being for the RAW brand's biggest prize. Of those two matches, there is only one where it is almost guaranteed that something ridiculous will happen and that's the Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton match.
Say what you want about Jeff, but this man is willing to sacrifice his soul to the devil just to entertain us. Don't be surprised if the former US Champion does something ridiculous on Sunday.
Other than that, try not to go into the event with any expectations. I know some of you want to see Roman Reigns slammed through the middle of the cell a la Mankind, but don't hold your breath.
#2 Rusev and Aiden English will (sadly) lose on Rusev Day
At one point, I recall saying in a previous article I wrote that breaking up Rusev and Aiden English would be a massive mistake. This is the most over with the crowd either men have ever been, which is saying a lot for Rusev, as he has always been on the fans' good side. Luckily, we get to enjoy one of WWE's most oddly successful pairings just a bit longer, as they now have a shot at the Smackdown Tag Team titles. The bad news is that it is against the now five time tag team champions The New Day.
Easily one of the greatest tag teams of this generation, defending their titles on the big pay-per-view stage is just another day in the office for the trio. With over 600 days total of being champions under their belts (no pun intended), this is a seasoned tag team who can absolutely deliver when it matters most.
As good as Rusev and English are together, they are still a fledgling tag team in comparison to New Day and their lack of experience should show at Hell in a Cell. Expect a very unhappy Rusev Day for these two on Sunday.
#3 Ronda gets rowdy on Alexa and retains her title
Say what you want about her, but this little Ronda Rousey experiment WWE is trying out seems to be working. She gets a positive and consistent reaction from the crowd, her in ring skills are slowly coming together and she's actually showing up to work on a weekly basis (which is more than we can say about another so called "champion" we used to have).
I'd be a liar if I said that I expected Ronda to tear through Alexa like wet toilet paper last month, but in hindsight it does make sense. In reality, it would be a cold day in hell before Alexa Bliss would defeat Ronda Rousey in a fight. Ronda's more athletic, more skilled and actually has more combat experience than Alexa, even if it isn't in the context of professional wrestling. Such a dissecting was sure to occur.
Will we see more of the same this Sunday? Well, yes and no. I think that Alexa will be made to look a little stronger in the beginning of this match than how she looked at SummerSlam.
She will try to get the upper hand somehow, using some kind of underhanded tactic to get Ronda off her game for the first few minutes. Then, when she's caught off her guard or is showboating and gloating too much, Ronda will shut her down and tap her out to retain her championship.
With Evolution coming up, WWE will need a big name draw to headline the event, and Ronda is just the name to put those butts in seats.
#4 Joe becomes the new man of the house
I've said it before and I will say it a thousand more times if I have to: Samoa Joe is one of, if not the best talker in the WWE today. Much like the The Miz, he speaks with conviction. He sounds like he truly believes what he's saying, so it isn't hard to buy into his words. While Miz succeeds in coming off as a pompous egomaniac, Joe succeeds in coming off as a borderline homicidal monster.
These last few weeks have been proof of that, as he has been been successfully messing with the head of the admittedly emotional champion AJ Styles.
Bringing a man's family into a personal matter is easy, to the point where it becomes cheap, but Joe has managed to make it so that you legitimately want to see AJ floor him with an elbow and shut him up for good.However, we will not be getting a fairy tale ending this Sunday.
The mind games are finally going to catch up to AJ, and we are going to see a champion who isn't quite as sharp as he was in the past. Mistakes will be made, emotions will boil over and Samoa Joe will take advantage of these mistakes and ultimately put the champ to sleep (or in his words, "make him go night-night").
Don't get me wrong, AJ has been a fantastic champion, but it's high time that the Samoan Submission Machine achieves what he has been destined to achieve since stepping foot on the main roster last year.
#5 The Shield will stand tall
The Shield is back. Again. After their first reunion was cut short due to Dean Ambrose dealing with an injury, the trio were recently brought back together for one more go-around.
With Roman Reigns as Universal Champion, Seth Rollins as Intercontinental Champion, and Dean Ambrose hot off his return, the Shield are looking to cap off their second reunion tour with a pair of championship victories this Sunday.
First, we have Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins going after Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler's recently acquired Raw Tag Team titles. I'm usually not one to predict title changes so soon in one team's run, but I just do not see Ziggler and McIntyre staying a tag team for very long.
McIntyre has too much potential to continue on as a tag team guy, and Dolph's time as a WWE Superstar should be coming to an end fairly soon. The tag titles just seem a better fit around the Shield's waists.
Now for Braun Strowman vs. Roman Reigns. Personally, I think having a heel wrestler cash in his briefcase fairly the way he did kind of goes against his character. It made sense when Braun was still a face, but it is rather foolish now. All the more reason to question why he was turned in the first place.
As for Roman, he should be set for a long stint with the Universal title as the face of the RAW brand. My expectation is to see the Shield at the very top of Raw while they are together. How long they will stay at the top, however, remains to be seen.
