The most brutal Pay-Per-View on the WWE calendar didn’t end up being all that barbarous when you look back. Everything was going strong until WWE decided that logical booking isn’t their cup of tea and ended a historic match in an ordinary way.
The dull finish, though, didn’t undermine the positives that shone throughout the PPV. Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins put on a classic to remember, Sasha vs. Charlotte lived up to all the hype despite what transpired in the latter stages of the match and most of the outcomes made sense from a long-term booking perspective.
In the end, Hell in a Cell ended up being three hours of hits, misses, botches and iconic frames. Some of which were quite obvious to the eyes of the fans’, while others, were just not glaring enough.
In this slideshow, we take a look at those moments that may have just snuck by unnoticed amidst all the buzz.
#1 CM Punk? Who’s that?
CM Punk...CM Punk...CM Punk! How many times have you heard the fans chant for the rebellious superstar when WWE puts forth a stale product? Umpteen times right? While the ardent fans of the Cult of Personality would sell their kidneys to see the former WWE Champion back, WWE may be content by his absence and reluctance to return.
Apparently, during the Roman Reigns-Rusev match, the Spanish announce team refused to mention CM Punk’s name while they shared a historical fact. When referring to the first time a title changed hands inside the cell, Spanish announcer Marcelo Rodriguez blatantly ignored Punk’s contribution and said, “The first time a title changed hands inside HIAC was at the 2009 PPV Edition when the Undertaker defeated..... a Superstar.... to win the World Heavyweight Championship.”
Point to note from this: The day WWE starts mentioning CM Punk on live television is when we can start preparing our body and minds for the mind-boggling, roof shattering and ear-drum piercing return of CM Punk.
#2 Colemania
It’s dumbfounding why Michael Cole still holds onto his lucrative job. The basic premise of a colour commentator is to call a match accurately and Cole, despite his veteran status, is an ideal example of an announcer you wouldn’t want to be.
No show is complete without customary Cole botches and Hell in a Cell surely was no exception. There was a point when Rusev hit Reigns with a clothesline on the apron, but Cole called it as Reigns hitting himself with a clothesline.
Cole getting the names wrong isn't a rarity, which is a regular slip-up according to his standards, but he took his sloppiness to the next level during the Bayley-Dana Brooke match. The story of the match was Bayley selling her injured right shoulder and Cole misjudged it with the left one on many occasions.
Listening to botch master Cole on Mondays and then being treated to the genius of Mauro Ranallo on Tuesdays makes you yearn for Ranallo to pull off double duty. Imagine the Ranallo-Corey Graves dynamic and the quality that would ensue.
Godlike!
#3 Sin Cara's replacement - Drew Gulak
WWE Cruiserweight Drew Gulak had an appalling outing at Hell in a Cell. One botch is tolerable and two are forgivable, but when everything you do is a gaffe, the favourable impression you intend to have on the WWE top brass takes an alarming hit.
Agreed – a frantic cruiserweight style is prone to screw-ups, but this isn't the indies; it's the biggest wrestling promotion in the world and nothing but near-perfection is expected.
Here is a compilation of all the Gulak blunders from the six-man tag team match from the kick-off show:
#4 TJ Parker or TJ Pickens?
It’s a damn shame that the five time, five time, five time, five time, five time WCW Champion doesn’t even think once before he shares a piece of his spontaneous mind. Booker T has a penchant for letting loose (Hulk Hogan, we coming for you n**g*) and saying things that make as much sense as a waterproof towel.
It’s been a telling factor behind his exclusion from the commentary team but his vibrant presence has always been prevalent on panels, pre-shows and now on RAW’s rip-off of the critically acclaimed Talking Smack.
The WWE Hall Of Famer made a mockery out of TJ Perkins’s name by calling him TJ Parker and TJ Pickens in a matter of 5 minutes. Booker T seems to be hanging out with Cole a little too much!
#5 United States Title defended for the first time inside the Hell in a Cell
WWE’s unwavering faith in Sasha Banks and Charlotte has ensured that Hell in a Cell will go down as a great PPV in the history books. It wasn't just the first time the fairer sex of the WWE headlined a PPV, but also the first time the women competed inside the dreaded steel structure.
But that wasn't the only first for the night. Roman Reigns vs. Rusev was the first time the United States title was put on the line in a Hell in a Cell match. Micahel Cole pointed it out during Roman Reigns’ entrance, but many may not have picked it up because it’s Cole we’re talking about here.
The match wasn’t a classic by any means but a solid way to open the main show proceedings.
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