Hell in a Cell React!

 So, another WWE PPV is in the books and there is no change in the competition with Jim and Tom.

Clearly, with only Survivor Series & TLC left, Tom has a more significant uphill climb to potentially even tie this competition.

Throwing out the Langston/Axel match because it didn’t happen, there were seven predictions made, and neither of us had a particularly good night!  We each went 3-4, with our differing picks being Jim correctly picking AJ Lee, and Tom correctly picking Randy Orton.  So that brings the totals on the year to Jim at 55-20 to Tom’s 45-30, still that 10 match lead with 2 shows to go!  Let’s take a look at our thoughts on the show!

TOM’S REACT

I caught the majority of the Hell in a Cell PPV on Sunday night and I was less than impressed.

I do like most of the storylines right now, but the in-ring on Sunday just did not click for me.  From what I read, the Tag Title Match was the best of the card…and I was able to begin the show JUST after that match, so perhaps I would have had a different opinion of the show if I had seen that match.

One big take away I have is why in the WORLD does WWE continue to put un-advertised matches on the PPVs?  Do they think that is an added value?  My belief is that it is taking away from the main matches having more time and opportunity to deliver.  That is why people are buying the shows, so why not reward them with the “true” main event billings instead of “throw-away” matches like Fandango & Summer Rae vs. Khali & Natalya (and I know it was carried over from what happened on Smackdown, but who really cares?)

I did enjoy Big E. Langston-Dean Ambrose.  These two are part of the future of WWE and they give their all, as evidenced by their collision that resulted in cuts in the facial region for both guys.  I hope that there is more to come from these two.

WWE certainly changed direction on the CM Punk-Paul Heyman issue, including Ryback.  Ryback means virtually nothing now in my eyes and I would have to believe other people see that as well.  CM Punk seemed to quickly transition to another program (with The Wyatt Family), but I have to wonder when (and how, especially since Paul E. was taken out on top of the Cell) Punk-Lesnar II comes about.

I enjoyed Los Matadores and see WWE continuing to build and push them, and as a plus they should be able to sell plenty of merchandise as well.

Cena-Del Rio was pretty paint by numbers to me.  I was more surprised that Sandow didn’t go for the cash in, even if as we saw on Monday with that he was going to cash in and lose.  It could have potentially meant more to occur on PPV, as well as allow Del Rio to get more heat on Cena and allow them to continue a program beyond Hell in a Cell (and maybe they still do) but again, providing a pay off and storyline continuation for those who are loyal and purchase the PPVs.

AJ Lee-Brie Bella was what it was.  The ending made sense and I have to wonder when Tamina “snaps” and challenges Lee.

I fully expected Randy Orton to come out of the Hell in a Cell Main Event as the champion, but I really had no idea on how they would get to that point.  As we saw, it was a Shawn Michaels superkick to Daniel Bryan after some other shenanigans to get to that point.  I don’t like it, I don’t think it makes sense and I don’t even like the follow-up that occurred on Monday.  They could have accomplished the exact same end result and made the transition to The Big Show in the title picture (as they were clearly planning) and kept HBK “clean.”  I hope Daniel Bryan does not lose the luster here has or being as over as he is.  He seems to be heading towards mixing with The Wyatts as well, so we shall see. 

In the end, if I haven’t conveyed it…I am rather ho hum on the whole event and looking towards Survivor Series I hope there is something really good coming down the pike!

JIM’S REACT

I didn’t get a chance to catch the show, but read up on it and have seen the important moments, so my thoughts may be a bit more brief.  I agree with Tom completely on his thoughts as well.  Not excited in the least that Bryan never really got one over on Triple H.  Sure, he hit the knee on him, but in the end, HHH still won, his guy got the title and he’s the one smiling on Raw the next night.  So, to those in WWE who would say that Bryan got his revenge, that’s total BS in my eyes. 

Ryback certainly has fallen in the eyes of WWE lately, and it will be interesting to see what (if anything) they do with him moving forward.  I think we could be seeing him as a free agent before another 5-6 months passes by.  They have clearly lost all faith in him. 

The tag division is certainly heating up, which is always a good thing.  Rhodes and Goldust have been great as a team thus far, and if they are going to hold the titles for a while, I’m ok with that.  I do hope the Usos eventually get the belts, as they are more than worthy of a shot at being “the guys” in the division. 

Brie’s gotta win that title some day right?  I mean…some day?  Even though I picked AJ Lee, I do think Bella needs to win it soon, but I don’t have a lot of hope that they will. 

With the reset button pressed on Monday night, clearly moving Bryan away from HHH and Orton into an issue with the Wyatts (along with CM Punk also moving into an issue with the Wyatts as well, which could lead to some damn good tag matches), and Big Show/HHH/Orton being the top storyline going forward, this felt like the end of the road PPV for a lot of the stories they had going.  Will be interesting to watch things develop moving forward. 

Also, I also need to comment on Sandow cashing in and losing.  The guy beats the hell out of Cena with a briefcase, and still can’t get the job done.  I mean…you’ve all heard me complain about Super Cena, but seriously, yet again they feed a young up and comer to him and prove that Sandow means nothing in the hierarchy of WWE.  It’s my firm belief that at least for the next 5-10 years, Wrestlemania is going to have to continue to be a nostalgia type show, with guys like Lesnar, Rock, Undertaker, HHH, etc at the top, because they have done so freaking little to truly build guys to the top level where they could main event at Wrestlemania and be believable.  They build them up just to tear them back down again (or put a briefcase on a guy and have him win like 2 matches since that point, against R-Truth and Justin Gabriel type level guys) and then say “well, they didn’t get over”.  Yes, it is somewhat on the wrestler to get over, but hey, here’s a funny idea, book them in a way so they have a chance ok?  It’s getting frustrating as hell to see them continue to do this to guy after guy.  They’re also doing a great job of diluting what Money in the Bank means as well when you have Ziggler win it and then win the belt and lose it so fast as you shove him back down the card, and now Sandow.  Maybe they will rescue Sandow, but I have my doubts.  UGH! 

All roads lead to Survivor Series now, where I’m predicting either HHH or Orton takes on Show, Bryan and Punk vs. the Wyatts, and The Shield (maybe) vs. The Rhodes Boys.  Oh yeah, and after teasing dissension in The Shield on Monday, please don’t do that WWE.  Keep them together a while longer, there’s a lot more to do with them as a group!