Ranking and grading every match at Hell in a Cell 2018

WWE Hell In A Cell 2018 recently concluded, with somewhat mixed feelings. While the show was great overall, we got one of the worst endings to a pay-per-view in recent WWE history. Hopefully, the ending does not ruin this show's legacy in the years to come.

There was some fantastic action throughout the night, ranging from brutal to fast-paced, to satisfying. This show might probably be the greatest Hell In A Cell pay-per-view in its decade-long existence. It would have been even greater if it wasn't for the ending.

The show started off great, with a flurry of excellent matches before the inevitable down period during which the matches were not exactly bad. It was a solid night of action with a few matches we will remember for years to come, one that should not be tarnished because of the last five minutes.

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Six decent to good decisions should not be disregarded because of one terrible one. A similar situation hurt WrestleMania this year, as well. The likes of Jeff Hardy and Becky Lynch, among others, had significant moments in their careers at Hell In A Cell.

This is how a WWE pay-per-view should be booked, bar the ending. How does a Hell in a Cell match finish as a No Contest? Besides that, it was pretty much a perfect night. This should be regarded as one of the best pay-per-views of 2018, certainly head-to-head with the big four events this year.

We saw everything, from high Cell spots to great tag team matches to feel-good title victories and finally, a shocking return nobody saw coming that damaged the show. Hell In A Cell 2018 was quite the eventful night.

As difficult as it is, here are all seven matches on the Hell In A Cell main show ranked from worst to best.

#7 Braun Strowman vs Roman Reigns (Universal Championship)

Result: No Result after Brock Lesnar interfered and laid out both competitors

What good is Hell in a Cell when a match can be called off just like that? This ending was ridiculous, as it basically nullified the entire build and hatred between Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman and their respective teams.

Brock Lesnar appeared, kicked the Cell door off and F5ed both Reigns and Strowman before the referee ended the match. This match was fine, just what you would expect from a clash between two heavyweights inside the Cell. We saw every basic foreign object trope and both men hit all their big moves.

After Strowman kicked out of a Spear through a table, both men just laid there for around ten minutes. We got a fun brawl between the two teams from the earlier Raw Tag Team Championship match, as Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre fought Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose up to the top of the structure.

It was quite a visual. Ziggler and Rollins would both fall in a similar way to how Rollins and Ambrose fell at the same event in 2014. However, everybody will mainly remember the ending when Brock Lesnar returned and invaded the Cell. This was one of the worst pay-per-view endings in the Network Era. Oh, and Mick Foley got pepper sprayed.

Grade: C

#6 Maryse and The Miz vs Brie Bella and Daniel Bryan

Result: The Miz and Maryse win via roll-up after Maryse pinned Brie Bella

This match came after a stretch of four great matches in a row, practically becoming the cooldown match by default. It was an effective continuation of the story between Daniel Bryan and The Miz, with the addition of their respective wives to the mix. The addition provided some fun moments on both Smackdown, and Hell in a Cell.

The story of the match was Maryse avoiding to wrestle Brie Bella, as it concluded with Mrs Mizanin picking up the victory for her team. Despite it being the cooldown match, the crowd was pretty hot for Brie Bella and Daniel Bryan. They were into this match, especially towards the end.

There was some sloppy wrestling from the women, while Bryan and Miz were predictably great as always. When it looked like Brie would win the match for her team, Maryse reversed her pinning attempt to steal the victory from them.

There are loads of storytelling possibilities going forward, regarding The Miz and Daniel Bryan. They will face each other in three weeks at Super Showdown, in a Number One Contender's match. The pressure will be on Daniel Bryan to win in Australia after being on the losing side twice against The Miz.

Grade: B-

#5 Alexa Bliss vs Ronda Rousey (RAW Women's Championship)

This was a surprisingly competitive match.

Result: Ronda Rousey wins by submission

A much better match than anybody expected, Ronda Rousey vs Alexa Bliss was also far more competitive. After the mauling Bliss received at SummerSlam, she was given a bulk of the offence in this championship match.

The Goddess was focusing on the injured ribs of Rousey, a smart way to keep the match realistic and competitive at the same time. There were a few shenanigans on the outside involving Alicia Fox, Mickie James and Natalya. It was entertaining enough for our liking.

One of the best parts of Ronda Rousey's matches is the fact that she is always willing to sell brilliantly for her opponents. Her selling against Bliss was top notch, she gets it. Rousey is continuing her ascent to become one of the greatest female wrestlers in WWE history. She has taken to wrestling, like a duck to water.

The match went on for 12 minutes, more than double of the likely scenario. It certainly was enjoyable, but it is time to move on. Ronda Rousey is set to face Nikki Bella at Evolution and the build to that could begin in the coming weeks. But for now, it has been a job well done for the Baddest Woman on the Planet.

Grade: B

#4 Becky Lynch vs Charlotte Flair (SmackDown Women's Championship)

Result: Becky Lynch wins after countering an attempted Spear

Finally! Finally, after almost two years of being massively overlooked and mis-utilized on SmackDown, Becky Lynch is back where she belongs. At SummerSlam, she permanently stepped out of Charlotte Flair's shadow and took matters into her own hands, turning "heel" in the process.

However, the fans adore her. They cheer her at every turn while booing Charlotte at all times. The alignments have been somewhat blurred over the course of this rivalry. WWE seems to have given us, the fans, the liberty of choosing who to support.

The video package to this match was excellent, perfectly depicting the frustration Becky has had. The match was good as both women matched up, counter-for-counter. Becky and Charlotte know each other and their arsenals too well, as was shown during the match.

However, one would get the feeling that they were holding back just a little bit. Perhaps they are saving it for future instalments of this feud, at both Super Showdown and Evolution. The moment, though, of Becky earning the victory and the title will live long in the memories of her fans.

Grade: B+

#3 Samoa Joe vs AJ Styles (WWE Championship)

With or without the Cell, this match was a slugfest.

Result: AJ Styles wins after rolling through the Coquina Clutch

WWE missed a step in not putting this match in the Cell, they even had an in-ring finish even if it was not definitive. This kind of personal feud is what the steel structure was made for. The video package perfectly painted Samoa Joe as a creepy man with calculated intentions. It started a little slow but got better as the match progressed. Joe's diverse move set is always a treat to watch, but it looks much better when he is facing a masterful seller like AJ Styles.

They have probably never had a bad match against each other. Rightly described as a dangerous technician, Joe hit AJ with a crushing Lariat which busted the Champ's mouth wide open.

The match just kept on getting better and better. Probably as good, if not better than the match at SummerSlam. The ending came when Joe countered a Phenomenal Forearm with the Coquina Clutch, only for Styles to roll through and get the sneaky pinfall. He had won the match and retained his championship, but it was controversial.

On second viewing, it turned out that AJ actually submitted to the Clutch before the 3-count. This feud will be settled in some type of stipulation match at Super Showdown. It will do well to meet the high standards these two have reached so far.

Grade: A-

#2 Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre vs Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose (RAW Tag Team Championship)

Result: Ziggler and McIntyre win after McIntyre hit a Claymore Kick on Rollins

Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre are four extremely hard workers and will strive for nothing less than absolute perfection in their work. They pretty much achieved it. There was hardly a thing wrong with this match. Like the WWE Championship bout, the match started in slow fashion.

We got the standard periods of dominance on both Ambrose and Rollins, while the heel tandem got huge heat after a legal tag from Rollins to Ambrose was not seen by the official due to Ziggler distracting him. It was good, but the best was yet to come. When Seth Rollins and Dolph Ziggler came in for their respective teams, the action just got a lot faster. Everyone involved started working at a fantastic pace, with bodies flying everywhere.

Multiple suicide dives, along with a bucketload of nailbiting near-falls turned this match from good to show-stealing. The biggest near-fall came when Rollins hit a Frog Splash to McIntyre's back. It was mental.

The end of the match was really innovative and well done. Rollins was about to hit the Falcon Arrow after his Superplex to Ziggler, but the Scottish Psychopath hit the Claymore Kick from outta nowhere to gift the Showoff the pinfall and victory in this barnburner of a match.

This match took us back to a year ago when Rollins and Ambrose were having classics with The Bar on a semi-regular basis. Hopefully, this is the beginning of something special for the Raw Tag Team Championship after being thrown to the gutter in the past six months.

Grade: A

#1 Randy Orton vs Jeff Hardy (Hell in a Cell Match)

Randy Orton was at his sadistic worst here.

Result: Randy Orton wins after Jeff Hardy crashed through a table from the Cell ceiling

Before the show, many people would have predicted Strowman vs Reigns to be the better Hell in a Cell match and Orton vs Hardy to delve into utter chaos. While it did get chaotic, at least the action remained inside the Cell. This was one of the most brutal matches of its kind in the PG Era, it probably is the most brutal one.

There were so many weapon-heavy spots. Some of them include Jeff Hardy hitting a chair-assisted Poetry In Motion into the Cell wall and Randy Orton hitting Hardy with his own belt. However, one spot mid-match stands out above other happenings. The Viper took a screwdriver and put it through Hardy's earhole, twisting it until he felt sick looking at it. This is prime Randy Orton, at his most disgusting and sadistic, making us all cringe.

He would end up bleeding pretty heavily, both on his back and his left thigh. There was a terrible gash on his left thigh. This match certainly left its mark on both superstars, in a major way. After Orton kicked out of a Swanton Bomb onto a chair, the Charismatic Enigma went crazy. He set the Viper up on the table, before using ladders to climb to the ceiling of the structure.

The image of him hanging on the ceiling is chilling, but it is even more so when he crashed through the table from that height after Orton moved out of the way. The Cell was raised and medical personnel were being called to check on Hardy, but the match was not over. Randy Orton covered Hardy after forcing the referee to count the pinfall. A sadistic end to a sadistic match. This truly was the best match on a jam-packed show.

Grade: A