SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE’s Hell in a Cell 2022 will be held at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois on June 5, 2022. Cody Rhodes will face Seth Rollins in the eponymous Hell in a Cell match. Bianca Belair defends the WWE Raw Women’s Championship in a Triple Threat match against a returning Asuka and Belair’s rival, Becky Lynch. New-look Madcap Moss seek revenge on Happy Corbin in a No-Holds-Barred match. Natalya gets a shot at gold when she challenges Ronda Rousey for the WWE Smackdown Women’s championship. All that and more on a card that finally kinda-sorta came together at the last minute.
Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins – Hell in a Cell Match
Story in a nutshell: Seth Rollins, obsessed with losing twice to Cody Rhodes, gets one last shot to redeem himself inside a Hell in a Cell match.
After defeating Seth Rollins at WrestleMania and WrestleMania Backlash, Cody Rhodes was ready to move on to new challenges. Rollins was not. Rollins interfered in Cody’s Match when Cody got a shot at the United States Championship. Cody agreed to one last match inside Hell in a Cell.
Prediction and analysis: This is one of those situations where it would be booking malfeasance if Cody doesn’t win. Cody is the top star on Raw and is being protected right now. Rollins can easily bounce back from this, especially if he wins the Money in the Bank.
Bianca Belair (c) vs. Asuka vs. Becky Lynch – WWE Raw Women’s Championship Triple Threat Match
Story in a nutshell: Asuka won the right to challenge Bianca Belair for the WWE Raw Women’s Championship for Hell in a Cell by beating Becky Lynch who in turn beat Asuka in a second attempt to get added to this match.
A Six Pack Challenge to determine the number one contender for Bianca Belair’s WWE Raw Women’s Championship became a one-on-one match between Asuka and Becky Lynch when two of the participants in the match bailed on the company. Asuka won the match. Asuka had made her return to the WWE after lengthy absence and immediately had gotten into Becky’s face. This led to friction between the two and Becky complaining to management. Eventually management caved and gave Becky a second chance to get into the championship match. Becky beat Asuka so now this match is a triple threat.
Prediction and analysis: Because of behind-the-scenes drama, Belair hasn’t really factored into much of the story leading into this match, instead being folded into the story between Asuka and Becky. Belair wins this and moves on to another opponent while Asuka and Becky continue going a bit longer.
Bobby Lashley vs. Omos & MVP – Handicap Match
Story in a nutshell: After defeating Omos twice previously, Bobby Lashley needs to do it on more time only MVP joins Omos in a handicap match.
The feud between Omos and Bobby Lashley escalated into a steel cage match designed to keep Omos’s manager, MVP, from interfering. Lashley won the match on a technicality when the side of the cage he was thrown into collapsed, facilitating his victory by escaping from the cage. MVP claimed that Lashley’s victory didn’t count and Lashley accepted another match under the condition that he got MVP in the ring first. MVP agreed on the condition that the winner chooses the stipulation for the match. MVP won and now the match is a handicap match.
Prediction and analysis: Ideally this blows off the feud, so I hope Lashley wins since he is the better of the two.
Kevin Owens vs. Ezekiel
Story in a nutshell: Kevin Owen’s ludicrously claims that newcomer Ezekiel is actually Elias and wants to beat up Ezekiel.
Ezekiel, Elias’s brother, had his WWE debut spoiled by a conspiracy-minded Kevin Owens when Kevin Owens preposterously claimed that the Elias and Ezekiel were one and the same person. Despite photographic evidence and Ezekiel passing a lie detector test, Kevin Owens refuses to accept reality. Ezekiel, tired of the persecution now faces his tormentor.
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Kevin Owens vs. “Ezekiel”
Story in a nutshell: Elias is pretending to be a different person named Ezekiel, but Kevin Owens sees through the gaslighting and is going to beat the “Ezekiel” out of Elias.
Elias returned to the WWE after a lengthy absence, rebranded as a character named “Ezekiel”. Kevin Owens rightly recognized that “Ezekiel” is Elias with his beard shaved and new ring gear. Stymied on all attempts to reveal the truth once and for all, Kevin Owens has now decided to settle things in the ring once and for all.
Prediction and analysis: I don’t care who wins. It’s been a fun entertaining storyline. Personally, I hope they can find someone who looks just like Elias they can disguise to help Ezekiel win.
Theory (c) vs. Mustafa Ali – WWE United States Championship Match
Story in a nutshell: Mustafa Ali earned a shot at Theory’s WWE United States Championship title when he defeated Ciampa by disqualification.
After making his return to the ring after a length hiatus, Miz used his talk show “Miz TV” to belittle Mustafa Ali and how he comported himself during his hiatus. This was all to set up Ali for Theory who teased him with a title shot. Theory and Miz stacked the deck against Ali to wear him down. Theory agreed to give Ali a shot at his title if Ali could beat Ciampa. This was just a pretense so that Theory and Ciampa could beat Ali down, leading to Ciampa’s disqualification. Theory then immediately granted Ali the match and beat him in two minutes. Vince McMahon, via proxy, told Theory that he liked his moxie but wanted to see the two in a fair fight, so this match was made.
Prediction and analysis: Theory retains. An interesting idea would be that McMahon lost interest in Theory and is now backing Ali. I doubt that though. Instead, Ali will be a steppingstone for building up Theory.
Madcap Moss vs. Happy Corbin – No Holds Barred Match
Story in a nutshell: A repackaged Madcap Moss seeks revenge on Happy Corbin for almost ending Moss’s career.
Things broke down between these two after WrestleMania. Happy Corbin lost to Madcap Moss at WrestleMania Backlash. Unable to stomach the loss, Corbin brutally attacked Moss and tried to break Moss’s neck. After missing sone time returned with a changed look and demeanor having dropped the suspenders and the “jokes”.
Prediction and analysis: Moss should trounce Corbin in this. You need to build stars. If this feud continues and they go fifty-fifty, you just end up kneecapping any potential Moss might have. Corbin, on the other hand, is talented enough to bounce back from anything.
Finn Balor & AJ Styles & Liv Morgan vs. Edge, Damian Priest & Rhea Ripley – Mixed Tag Team Match
Story in a nutshell: After Edge added Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley into his group, “The Judgement Day”, AJ Styles found allies in Finn Balor and Liv Morgan.
Leading into WrestleMania Backlash, Rhea Ripley turned on Liv Morgan. Ripley joined Edge’s group, The Judgement Day at WrestleMania Backlash by helping Edge beat AJ Styles. Liv Morgan joined with AJ Styles and Finn Balor in order to get at Ripley.
Prediction and analysis: With Edge teasing more new members joining The Judgement Day, I wouldn’t be surprised yet another new recruit costs the babyfaces the match. Maybe Styles, Finn, and Morgan can be proactive and have someone prepared to counter. As a far-off possibility, Bray Wyatt has been stirring things up on social media and The Judgement Day is rather culty…
Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Natalya, WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship Match
Story in a nutshell: WWE realized going into the final Smackdown before Hell in a Cell that there were zero announce matches with Smackdown talent.
The women of Smackdown, led by Shotzi, made their displeasure known when Raquel Rodriguez got a second shat and Ronda Rousey. To placate them, a six-pack challenge match was held to determine the number one contender for the WWE Smackdown Women’s championship. Natalya came out on top.
Prediction and analysis: A match added at the eleventh hour, there is no drama here. Rousey retains.
CATCH-UP: Monday Night Raw viewership drops on holiday week, key demo rating increases
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