Following Smackdown Live’s second ever brand exclusive PPV after the draft, it’s now time for the second RAW exclusive PPV. Foley used the opportunity to alter the stipulations in the title match for the WWE Universal Championship between Kevin Oven and Seth Rollins in Hell in a Cell match at the PPV that goes by the same name.
Hell in a Cell is almost three weeks away and as seen on last night’s RAW, the match card for the event is slowly beginning to take shape. In the opening act of last week’s show, Lana challenged Roman Reigns on behalf of her husband Rusev for a match which led to a brawl between the Bulgaria Brute and the Big Dog.
After getting the upper-hand in the altercation, Reigns accepted the challenge but pressed for it to be held inside Hell in a Cell. Later this was made official by the WWE.
Following a couple of weeks of speculation, it was formally announced last night on Monday Night RAW by General Manager Mick Foley that Sasha Banks will defend her newly won RAW Women’s Championship against Charlotte inside Hell in a Cell.
Foley continued that former WWE World champion Seth Rollins will receive his WWE Universal Championship match vs Kevin Owens at Hell in a Cell and that match will also be contested inside the Devil’s playground.
Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter mentioned in the latest episode of the Wrestling Observer Radio that the original plan for the Universal Championship didn’t involve the two participants facing off against each other inside the Cell structure. The change to insert the stipulation made to the title match was a very late one.
Later in the show, Chris Jericho faced The Architect in a match where the stipulation was that if Jericho was successful in defeating Rollins then he would be added to the Universal title Hell in a Cell match, making it a triple threat.
Rollins, however, managed to keep the title bout a one on one match after a victory over Chris Jericho despite interference from the Universal Champion.
This will be the first Hell in a Cell PPV with three matches involving the namesake in seven years and all three will have titles on the line.
The last HIAC to have three Cell matches was the 2009 event where D-Generation X faced the team of Cody Rhodes and Ted Dibiase, John Cena defended his WWE Championship against Randy Orton and Undertaker faced CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship (only two title matches). For the past few years, WWE had maximum of 2 matches inside Hell in a Cell.
Hell in a Cell takes place on October 30th in TD Garden in Boston, Masachussetss. Below is the confirmed card so far for the event with all three bouts inside the demonic structure:
Sasha Banks (c) vs Charlotte – RAW Women’s Championship
Roman Reigns (c) vs Rusev – United States Championship
Kevin Owens (c) vs Seth Rollins – WWE Universal Championship
