WWE Hell in a Cell 2013

American Airlines Arena

Miami, FL

I think it’s pretty clear after 2 PPV debacles; WWE needs to deliver with Hell in a Cell. The WWE Championship has been vacated for over a month, and each day that continues the Title loses credibility. The last thing WWE needs is their top championship losing credibility. But Hell in a Cell is a career defining match, where legends are born & legacies are made. This year, 6 men enter The Cell in 2 separate matches, 2 of them for their first time. Before we get to The Cell, let’s take a look back at how I did predicting Battleground.

Battleground Picks- 4 for 6

Curtis Axel (c) vs. Big E Langston

I like the idea of putting two young stars on the Kickoff as a way to build interest & get young talent experience in front of a big crowd. But Axel’s push has floundered & Langston is less than a year into his time on the main roster. Neither superstar should be challenging for the Intercontinental Title, at least, not unless the Title is devalued into nothingness. Axel will likely keep the Title, so expect him to win, but look for Langston to dominate this match. Paul Heyman’s interference will likely help Axel get the victory.

AJ Lee (c) vs. Brie Bella

Ok. Enough. This match wasn’t great the first time, and we really didn’t need a repeat. The Bellas face turn was as sudden as a migraine. You didn’t see it coming, it didn’t make sense, and you kinda wish it would just stop. Neither Bella twin appears comfortable in their new role, and I’m not a huge fan of putting Brie & Daniel Bryan together on WWE TV. It feels forced and unnecessary, just like this Title match. AJ is clearly the superior diva in a rather weak division. Eventually, Brie Bella will capture the Title. Hopefully, that doesn’t happen at Hell in a Cell.

The Usos vs. The Rhodes Brothers (c) vs. The Shield

The Tag Team Championship win of Cody Rhodes & Goldust was a nice surprise, but with Big Show’s interference felt hollow. Not to mention how the Rhodes’ skipped past the original #1 contenders, The Usos, to get the Title shot & subsequent win. None of which was explained. Then, the #1 Contenders match on Raw ends in a no decision thanks to the Tag Champs getting punked at ringside by a member of The Shield not in the match, but that somehow causes all 3 teams to engage in a melee? I like the idea of a Triple Threat Tag match, but execution is going to be the key. Will it be one member from each team in the ring at the same time? Or the contrived two men in the ring, with one full team left on the apron hoping to catch a blind tag to get in the match? Since The Usos have been continually on the short end of this feud since The Rhodes’ involvement, I expect they will get their just due here with a big victory.

Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. John Cena

The Champ is… back? Already? I guess he really is Superman. I’m not going into a long-winded spiel about how annoying the Cena hype on TV has been. Nor will I point out the fact Cena is challenging for the World Title, not the WWE Title. I will instead point out Cena’s best days are behind him as he is 10+ years in the company. He is reaching a point where injuries are mounting and time off for Cena could be a regular occurrence going forward to keep him healthy for the big matches at WrestleMania. Of course, none of that is actually going to happen. Vince McMahon will ride Cena like a race horse from here til the next injury, with little time for recovery. As for this match, does a World Title win do anything for Cena? Not really. The World Title has lost much of its credibility, thanks to having 2 “top” Champions for the last 10 years. Cena winning the World Title at this point would be akin to the Yankees winning another World Series. Yeah, there will be fans cheering, but all you’ll be doing is changing the number next to “World Championships.” It has very little impact. But what if Del Rio defeated Cena? That opens more options for booking going forward, and it gives Del Rio a much needed legitimate victory to build on. I know it’s wishful thinking, but I have to go with Del Rio here.

CM Punk vs. Ryback & Paul Heyman

This is clearly the end of the Punk/Heyman feud. And there is no more fitting place to end it than Hell in a Cell. Punk & Heyman’s continued greatness on the microphone & in the ring have made this an enjoyable feud to watch. Heyman’s promo on the go-home Raw was particularly great, showing the great range of character Heyman has displayed during the attacks on his “prodigal son.” Punk’s promos have furthered his aggressive desire to eradicate Heyman from existence. The Ryback part of this equation is to give Punk a big bodyguard to go through to get to Heyman. It should be noted, this is the 2nd time Punk & Ryback will meet inside Hell in a Cell. The circumstances are much different here. No matter what, Punk has to win this match. WWE’s continued bad booking over the previous two PPVs means they absolutely have to deliver here. So expect CM Punk to win, get his hands on Heyman, and beat him from pillar to post inside The Cell.

Special Guest Referee- Shawn Michaels

Not that I’m one to put myself over, but I did predict a no finish main event at Battleground. I will grant you at the time of that post, I was still sour on WWE’s mishandling of Daniel Bryan. Wait. That hasn’t changed. For some reason, the WWE Title picture features Orton, Bryan, Big Show, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, & Stephanie McMahon. If you’re keeping score, only 2 of them have a shot at winning the vacant WWE Championship inside Hell in a Cell. The final scene of Raw on Monday was Bryan celebrating with Big Show, who had driven the cab of a tractor trailer into the arena for reasons still unclear. I guess it was “Big man, Big truck.” Hell, trying to make sense of WWE booking is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle and realizing half way through you are missing pieces. Orton has the clear edge in terms of Cell matches, as this is Bryan’s 1st foray into the Cell. The question mark hanging over this match is the special referee, Shawn Michaels. HBK has a history with both competitors. A feud with Orton in 2007 (which included a match with Orton at Judgment Day. The end of which featured a fantastic call by Jim Ross of Orton’s postmatch RKO—“Oh you no good bastard!” That call is the only reason I picked up that DVD.) HBK also gets credit for training Daniel Bryan. But don’t forget the specter of Triple H hanging over this match. HBK & HHH have played up their friendship throughout the build to this match. With all that in mind, I’m picking Bryan to win the Title. This match cannot fail. There’s too much riding on it. Plus, too many bad decisions by the booking crew have lead to feelings of mistrust between the fans & WWE. This match is the way to appease the fans, and a clear winner is necessary.

This PPV needs to deliver. You can’t ask people to spend $55 on a product and not give them what they expect. The no finish at Battleground, the next day Title abeyance controversy of Night of Champions, & the general dominance of “The Authority” have killed any momentum there may have been after a shocking ending to Summer Slam in August. With CM Punk’s 6 month feud with Paul Heyman ending, expect him to enter the WWE Title picture soon. And a fresh face in the Title scene would be a nice change of pace. Orton & Bryan need a break, and the fans need a break from it. Hopefully, their feud ends in The Cell as it was designed to do.

I’d also like to thank everyone who has stuck with me for these previews. It’s been one year since I started this and I enjoy putting together these previews, both as a writer & as a chance to blow off some steam towards the WWE product. I thank you once again, and I’ll see you next month for Suvivor Series. If you need me, I’ll be busy with WWE 2K14, but you can find me @PaulHcle.

Copyright 2013- All rights reserved

Photo Credit- Wikipedia & WWE.com