HEYDORN’S TAKE: Don’t hold me to this – WWE Hell in a Cell 2022

Call me intrigued by this year’s iteration of WWE Hell in Cell. No men’s world championship matches, but a Hell in a Cell match that is tuned up, primed, and ready for the Hell in a Cell stipulation.

Is somebody messing with me?

Look, overall, the card is a bit stung on the surface without a men’s world title match and without Ronda Rousey defending her Smackdown Women’s Championship. The Raw Women’s Championship will be on the when Belair defends against both Becky Lynch and Asuka. Cody Rhodes will take on Seth Rollins inside Hell in a Cell for, presumably, the show’s main event.

I say on the surface for a reason. I can sympathize with the opinion that “oh this card sucks, where is my Roman Reigns title defense?” But I’d push back and say that is an expectation that yes, WWE has coached into us all the last two years as well as years before without Reigns as champion, but the championship being on the line during the events, but an expectation that doesn’t need to be there. Wrestling events existed without world titles on the line and worked out just fine.

This show can too. It’s the Hell in a Cell show and you have a properly timed Hell in a Cell match headlining the show. That makes sense. Gimmick show, gimmick in the main event. Maybe I’m crazy, but I’m glad we didn’t see Roman Reigns vs. Shinsuke Nakamura or Riddle hot-shotted into the Cell just because it needed to be on the card.

I get it. You can’t say it often and it feels weird when you do, but WWE got this right given the circumstances.

Call this a preview, a calm look into the distant future, or a gaze into a wondrous crystal ball; just don’t hold me to anything, ok?

Bianca Belair vs. Becky Lynch vs. Asuka – WWE Raw Women’s Championship

Tough to break this down without acknowledging that plans changed on a dime when Naomi and Sasha Banks walked out of the company. That said, this has been a fine feud, but it’s been more about establishing Bianca Belair’s challengers than establishing her as champion. They can and will fix that with the match itself. Belair will be the feature in this one and retain the championship.

Theory vs. Mustafa Ali – WWE United States Championship

Well, we know how WWE likes to treat stars in their hometowns and Ali is in his for this match. Doesn’t bode well for him. It is what it is in wrestling sometimes and this match is about Theory and really not at all about Ali. Look for the match to play out with that in mind and Theory retains in definitive fashion.

The Judgement Day vs. A.J. Styles & Finn Balor & Liv Morgan

If you consume any of my Torch content, you know I very much dislike The Judgement Day angle. It neutralizes Edge and feels inauthentic and … ok, I’ll stop ranting. Once that is stipulated to, though, this whole thing worked out just fine. Styles, Balor, and Morgan have history with The Judgement Day and the rivalry feels at a bit of a boiling point. Not a main event angle by any means, but a well-built feud for the middle of the card.

Bobby Lashley vs. Omos & MVP

I was a fan of this feud. I really was. WAS a fan, though. We can’t still be going with this right? I guess we are and you can see right through the reason for it. One of two things. First, Lashley can take a pin and be protected since it was 2 on 1. Or, Lashley can beat MVP and get the win without making Omos weak. Here’s the thing, if that type of protection is needed across the board and on either side, just don’t do the match – it’s been done three other times after all. I digress and pick the second way. Lashley pins MVP and maybe moves on to something else.

Madcap Moss vs. Happy Corbin – No Holds Barred

I’ll be in the building and will bet that crowd will simply love Moss destroying Corbin around the Allstate Arena. The feud has been booked to go that way and it’ll deliver. Moss to win.

Kevin Owens vs. Ezekiel

I’m sorry, folks. I know this feud has a bit of a cult following at this point, but what are we doing here? Kevin Owens is doing this? If this match ends with Owens dismantling Ezekiel with a fury of heel heat from the Chicago audience, hey, I was wrong. It’s not going that way, though. Owens gets beat here and the crowd pops for Ezekiel getting the win. A yawner all the way at this point, but I hope I’m wrong.

Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins – Hell In A Cell Match

The best built match on the card and my pick for match of the night. We’re proud of you, WWE. All of us. You remembered that the Hell in a Cell PLE was on the calendar and booked a program in such a way that it deserves that stipulation. Bravo. Rhodes and Rollins have been good throughout the build. Both are in clear lanes and have played the roles well, successfully cultivating a real disdain for the other. A tough outcome to book, but Rhodes is looking like he’s being positioned as “the guy” on Raw. “The guy” wouldn’t do the job in this match and neither will Cody.

CATCH-UP: PPV PRIMER – WWE HELL IN A CELL 2022: Preview and predictions for Seth Rollins vs. Cody Rhodes, more