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Heading into WWE Hell In A Cell 2020, the three Cell matches were the focus. With a five match card heading into the show, the headline matches would have to deliver on a high level. All things considered, the six performers in the Hell In A Cell matches all performed superbly and delivered unique encounters that were all different from one another as well as filled with memorable moments.
Besides the three titular contests, we had Jeff Hardy facing Elias in a continuation of their feud that started when the two men were drafted to Raw two weeks ago. We would also witness the blowoff of the Otis vs. The Miz rivalry with the Money In The Bank briefcase on the line. There would also be a member of The Hurt Business against a member of Retribution after a challenge made by Mustafa Ali on the Hell In A Cell kickoff show.
This was very much a PPV filled of highs and lows. The highs were extremely well done, while the lows stood out in their own way as well. In this article, we will give star ratings for every match at WWE Hell In A Cell 2020.
WWE Hell In A Cell 2020 Kickoff Show: R-Truth vs. Drew Gulak for the WWE 24/7 Championship
Our Hell In A Cell Kickoff show contest was a 24/7 Championship match with R-Truth defending against Drew Gulak. There was minor buildup to this with the two men trading the 24/7 Title on Monday Night RAW. There was contrasting styles at play with Gulak being a technical, submission based competitor and Truth using his experience and speed to his advantage.
This Hell In A Cell Kickoff match was mostly dominated by Gulak using his technical ability to take control of about 85% of this contest. In the end though, Truth would win an exchange of pinning combinations to get the victory and successfully defend his 24/7 Championship.
This was a mostly inoffensive match, but nothing to write home about at all. At the end of WWE Hell In A Cell 2020, this was the encounter you would have most likely had forgotten by the end of the night.
Star Rating: *
WWE Hell In A Cell 2020: Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso in an "I Quit" Hell In A Cell Match for the WWE Universal Championship
Following their fantastic match at WWE Clash of Champions: Gold Rush, Roman Reigns and Jey Uso set themselves apart as one of the most enthralling and emotional WWE feuds of 2020. Coming into this PPV, the heat between these two cousins had been coiled to a fever pitch ahead of their "I Quit" Hell In A Cell encounter for the WWE Universal Championship.
With extreme consequences of Jey and his brother having to take orders from "The Tribal Chief" or be disowned by the family, the WWE Universe had to feel a sense of both men wanting to claim victory by any means necessary. Even with the bar set at the previous PPV, no one could have expected for the absolute immaculate level of the work by Roman Reigns and Jey Uso in this Hell In A Cell bout.
In particular, Roman put on one of the all-time great heel performances. The intense range of emotion displayed by the WWE Universal Champion was something to behold. He went from anger to frustration to disappointment to sadness to desperation in instances. His trash talk during this match elevated every action that took place inside Hell In A Cell. To his credit, Jey Uso met the high quality of his cousin with an astonishing babyface comeback, utilizing engaging facial expressions and body language that made you sympathize for him.
After Roman escalated the violence against his cousin with intensity, the referee threatening to throw the match out and officials as well as Jimmy Uso coming into the Hell In A Cell, Roman Reigns shed tears in his frustration with going to a place he did not want to go against his family. His words of "I don't even know who I am anymore" made this beautiful theater. He even lulled Jimmy, who was there to protect his brother, into a false sense of security. Reigns locked on his guillotine choke submission and would not let go until Jey screamed "I Quit".
This was spectacular storytelling from all three men in this encounter. The camera work even took this to a level of Shakespeare-like work. The finish especially kept you invested in all the characters and interested into the next chapter of this engaging story. After this near thirty minute battle, The Wild Samoans of Afa and Sika coming down and crown Roman with the lei as "The Tribal Chief" was a pitch perfect touch. This set the bar extremely high for the rest of the night at Hell In A Cell.
Star Rating: ****3/4
WWE Hell In A Cell 2020: Jeff Hardy vs. Elias
The rivalry between Elias and Jeff Hardy stems from an incident that transpired on SmackDown earlier this year, when Sheamus framed Hardy as a drunken driver who ran down Elias. During his return on the WWE Draft 2020 edition of RAW, Elias returned and attacked Hardy by hitting with a guitar. At WWE Hell In A Cell 2020, these two men finally met one on one.
Following the previous Hell In A Cell encounter, it was tough for these competitors to match the tremendous work in the opener. This was decent match - until we got to the finish. In the conclusion to this contest, Elias looked to use his guitar once again. However, Jeff Hardy blocked his opponent's attack and used the guitar against Elias to cause the disqualification.
Elias vs. Jeff Hardy was more or less just the start of their feud. The non finish helped to move along this ongoing story and set things up for the next chapter. Having to follow the Hell In A Cell opener was a daunting task, but this wound up being nothing more than a buffer match.
Star Rating: **
WWE Hell In A Cell 2020: Otis vs. The Miz for the Money In The Bank briefcase
Ever since Otis won the Money In The Bank briefcase, he has been in an ongoing feud with The Miz and John Morrison. Over the past few months, The Miz has made Otis' life a living hell. Miz was the man responsible for Otis' girlfriend Mandy Rose moving over to RAW, as well as Tucker being drafted to Monday nights. On the Friday Night SmackDown ahead of WWE Hell In A Cell 2020, Otis was taken to court by The Miz on a list of charges.
On the "Law and Otis" segments, JBL looked like he was going to rule in favor of the big man. However, after a bribe from The Miz, JBL made this match at WWE Hell In A Cell 2020 for the Money In The Bank briefcase. This contest was mostly dominated by the Blue Collar Strong member of Heavy Machinery. It looked like Otis was on his way to victory when John Morrison was removed from ringside, but a betrayal was on the horizon.
With the referee distracted, Otis' long time partner and best friend Tucker used the Money In The Bank briefcase to blast him across the head with. This allowed Miz to get the pin and leave WWE Hell In A Cell 2020 with the guaranteed title opportunity. In the post match, Tucker explained that he was sick of living in Otis' shadow, shortly before Otis caught up with his former partner and attacked him.
This was just a standard match until Tucker's shocking betrayal. It is not too certain what this leads to, though, with Otis on SmackDown and Tucker on RAW currently.
Star Rating: *3/4
WWE Hell In A Cell 2020: Bayley vs. Sasha Banks in a Hell In A Cell Match for the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship
The most anticipated of all the Hell In A Cell matches on this night had to be Bayley defending the Smackdown Women's Title against her former best friend, Sasha Banks. After years of buildup before this encounter, this felt like a feud worthy of the steel structure and would give this story a fitting end. The WWE Universe was treated to a truly awe inspiring effort from both women here.
If the "I Quit" Hell In A Cell opener was defined by Academy Award Winning storytelling, this Cell match will be remembered for innovation and stirring creativity. The offense that these two ladies put forth was different from Cell matches of the past. With 23 years of history behind this match type, that says a lot. The unique spots such as Sasha Banks' table walk Meteora or Bayley dropping Banks neck first on kendo sticks between the steel steps and the cage were brutal and elevated the violence with every passing minute.
We saw tables, ladders, and steel chairs involved in this Hell In A Cell match. However, it was the signature chair that symbolized the disillusion of the Golden Role Models that would be the deciding factor. Just when Bayley looked to use her steel chair for a Bayley To Belly, Sasha Banks reversed and locked on the Banks Statement with Bayley's head wedged in the chair. Sasha stomped down on the chair with the submission still locked on to get the victory and win the Smackdown Women's Championship to end Bayley's historic 380-day reign. The facial expressions both during and after the bout took the level of storytelling and almost matched our opener on the night.
This was the greatest women's Hell In A Cell match in history and arguably the best women's main roster match of all-time. This had a long form buildup, excellent in-ring and character work from Sasha and Bayley and a physical, intense and violent conclusion fitting of the Cell. For many years, the WWE Universe wondered if these two women could match their industry changing battle at NXT TakeOver Brooklyn, and they certainly did hit those heights in this contest.
Star Rating: ****3/4
WWE Hell In A Cell 2020: Bobby Lashley vs. Slapjack for the WWE United States Championship
Retribution has been an often highly criticized stable since their inception. The group's inconsistent booking has been a subject of contention among the WWE Universe. This continued here at WWE Hell In A Cell 2020. Mustafa Ali's challenge on the Kickoff Show was answered by MVP saying that Bobby Lashley would represent The Hurt Business and defend the WWE United States Championship against Slapjack of Retribution.
This was a contest where Slapjack was able to get some offense against the larger Lashley to show himself as capable. However, the United States Champion got a convincing submission win with the "Hurt Lock" to continue the decline of Retribution. After the match here at WWE Hell In A Cell 2020, the members of Retribution came in to attack Lashley with a three on one beatdown, but Lashley simply fought them off on his own. Mustafa Ali came in, but he petered off after the rest of The Hurt Business came down to the ring. The post-match angle teased that this rivalry will continue at WWE Survivor Series next month.
This furthered the unbalanced treatment of Retribution. The group is not getting over due to how WWE has treated them over the past few weeks and they seem dead in the water. Otherwise, this was another forgettable, filler match on the WWE Hell In A Cell 2020 PPV.
Star Rating: *1/2
WWE Hell In A Cell 2020: Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton in a Hell In A Cell Match for the WWE Championship
Our main event of the evening was Drew McIntyre defending the WWE Championship against Randy Orton in a Hell In A Cell Match. After three months of these two men going head to head, this was yet another feud that felt fitting of the Cell stipulation. With two other Match of the Year quality titular matches earlier in the night, McIntyre and Orton were met with a daunting task to close the show.
This Hell In A Cell match featured more brawling outside of the cage than the previous two contests. We witnessed brawling before the match began as well as Orton escaping the Cell, leading to the two men fighting on top of the steel structure. The camera work on top of the Cell looked great and allowed this encounter to feel different from the earlier two Cell matches. The huge bump from the side of the cage by McIntyre was a memorable spot.
In the end, we witnessed a marvelous callback to their SummerSlam match with the backslide by Drew McIntyre. He followed with a Claymore Kick and then looked for one more, but Randy ducked and hit the RKO to win and claim his fourteenth world championship of his career. This Hell In A Cell match did not meet the splendid in ring and storytelling work of the two previous encounters, but it gave us something unique that took better advantage of the Cell and environment around the ring. This was a fine main event and title change for Orton to end this PPV.
Star Rating: ***1/4
