Hell in a Cell is approaching quickly, and in order for it to go down in history as a memorable show, it’ll need its fair share of surprise.
WWE Hell In A Cell 2016 is only a few short days away. There’s a lot of anticipation for what’s going to happen at this historic event. There’s been plenty of talk over the matches that’ll take place, and hopefully, they’ll be complemented by some nice surprises.
To say that WWE is predictable would be a massive understatement. Over the past few years, their creative output has taken a nosedive, with a plethora of recycled storylines and repetitive matches. Nothing feels innovative, and the weekly programs are no longer ‘must-see TV’.
Worse yet, the internet is filled with spoilers and speculation, rendering possible surprises moot. Small wonder, then, that most WWE programs are drawing in a fraction of the viewers of yesteryear.
But all hope is not lost. Despite all the cynicism leveled towards WWE, there’s that small sliver of hope that they’ll actually do something shocking and exciting that’ll have people talking for more than 24 hours. Considering that most decisions in WWE can be telegraphed a mile away, the best decisions they make are those that no one expects.
Hell in a Cell will be an event to remember, for more reasons than one. It will help build up for the upcoming Survivor Series PPV. Two prominent rivalries in Rusev/Reigns and Banks/Charlotte will reach their zenith. The interesting chemistry between Jericho & Owens will be put to the test. And last but not least, Rollins will have a chance to prove he can be a top babyface as much as he can be a top heel.
HIAC 2016 has a lot of people locked in on who they think will win, but there need to be some surprises as well. These include…
Source: WWE.com
3. A Big Win For Gallows & Anderson
It’s a sad thing to say when Gallows & Anderson winning is wishful thinking instead of reality. WWE took an excellent tag team that was a big deal in Japan and turned them into buffoons. Over the past few months, G&A have been stricken with Bray Wyatt Syndrome: lots of ridiculous talk, but they still lose (it hurts even more to even consider the idea that Bray Wyatt Syndrome is actually a thing, but it is).
This was a team that was once feared by all of New Japan, from the curtain-jerkers to the main-eventers. Now, each one of them gets demolished by the comedy duo of Enzo & Cass in less than five minutes. If WWE’s goal was to strip them of any upward momentum that had gained in NJPW, they’ve succeeded.
But if WWE plans on entrenching them as critical players in the tag team division, G&A absolutely need to win on Sunday.
Enzo & Cass are a ridiculously popular tag team who could lose for three months straight and still get cheered wildly. Gallows & Anderson cannot afford such a luxury. Their reputation with the fans is on such thin ice that losing any more big matches could forever entrench them in the lower card, without any hope of escape.
By having Gallows & Anderson win at HIAC 2016, WWE is showing how they have some degree of faith in G&A as a team, which would help them survive in the shark-infested water that is the RAW roster.
WWE.com
2. A Triple H Appearance
So far, the storyline between Seth Rollins and Triple H has been filled with plot holes and unanswered questions. While HHH’s interference in that Universal Championship match was indeed exciting, the follow-up was not. Hunter left abruptly, and the only follow-up has been from Stephanie herself.
As for the man himself, he’s been working in NXT and the Cruiserweight Classic, acting as the hero who put it together. While it’s blatantly obvious that the on-screen HHH and the backstage producer HHH are supposed to be two different people, things like this do far more harm than good.
That problem can be rectified by having HHH appear at Hell In A Cell in some capacity. Seth has spoken at length about Steph and HHH being in cahoots, how they’re working together to derail his babyface rise to the top. Recently, he has focused much of his vitriol towards Steph herself, seemingly because WWE expects us to forget that HHH was the one who screwed Rollins.
That sort of sleight-of-hand replacement of Stephanie for Triple H suggests she’s the evil mastermind, but she’s not the one that brings in the ratings. That honor belongs to her husband.
Having HHH appear would accomplish many goals. It would pop a rating for the show, as there are many people who’d be happy to simply see him on TV. It would add an additional layer of intrigue for the HIAC match between Rollins and Kevin Owens, especially since that match has been more of a secondary issue in relation to the greater rivalry between Rollins and the Authority. Finally, it would act as a progression point for the story that culminates in Rollins vs. Triple H at WrestleMania.
Simply put, it would be more of a shock for HHH to be absent from HIAC than for him to appear.
Source: WWE.com
1. A Clean, Decisive Win in the First Ever Women’s Hell in a Cell Match
The first-ever HIAC match between two women has been built up masterfully. It carries the weight of history on its shoulders, and is likely to go down as one of the biggest ‘can’t-miss moments’ of modern WWE history. In a way, it shares many similarities with the original HIAC match from Badd Blood 1997.
But unlike that first match, which ended with interference, this one should have a clean, decisive win.
WWE’s writers seem to have an obsession with run-ins, disqualifications, and other dirty finishes. These ‘dusty finishes’ perpetuate the idea that wrestlers are idiots, especially when they get distracted so easily from another wrestler’s music playing. It’s especially bad at a PPV event, where matches are supposed to mean more than regular TV matches.
As a result, Charlotte vs. Sasha shouldn’t have any screwy components to it. No interference from Dana Brooke. No fast counts or biased officiating from the referee. No monsters debuting and smashing the bigger babyface to bits. This match needs to end as cleanly as possible, with one woman standing tall over her vanquished opponent.
Doing so would give greater weight to this historic match, and would do much more in establishing the victorious wrestler as one capable of winning in such a dangerous match on her own, without external forces playing an unnecessary role.
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