Once again, Hell in a Cell PPV is positioned close to the post-WrestleMania chapter, before Money In The Bank and, of course, SummerSlam. Hell in A Cell has long represented one of the most brutal match types in all of WWE since its debut in 1998, and it has remained so. Women wrestlers have proved in the last 5 years they can be as brutal and imaginative as their male counterparts.
The card of this PPV could be the card of any PPV. With only one Hell in a Cell match, we can say the title doesn’t fit the content. With the recent unification of both the World Championships and World Tag Team Championships, WWE shuffled the cards a bit too early. As a result, 4 titles won’t be defended at Hell in a Cell. It was confirmed that Roman Reigns will work a lighter schedule.
Randy Orton is, reportedly, injured, which means a rematch against the Usos is impossible for the moment. Also, Ronda Rousey is not defending on PPV when she did it via Open Challenges. Until yesterday night, the PPV card was “bright Red” as there was no SmackDown-related match. Moss and Corbin will fill up the blank. Now, we can only expect Money In The Bank will be a bit more appealing than this PPV. We’ll see that next month.
Note: Predictions are simply that, predictions. None of us has heard anything ahead of time, we promise. The card may be incomplete but we chose not to make you wait too long…
No Holds Barred Match
Madcap Moss vs Happy Corbin
The jokes are over, and this time it’s serious. What was once a merry partnership has dissolved into a ferocious rivalry that can only be settled in a vicious No Holds Barred Match at WWE Hell in a Cell. When Madcap Moss stepped out from under Happy Corbin’s shadow by winning the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, no one would have known that the venom between the two Superstars would become this potent.
Since turning on each other, Happy Corbin’s show “Happy Talk” has turned into “Angry Talk” with trophies being stolen and sneak attacks becoming the norm. This led to a showdown at WrestleMania Backlash, where Madcap Moss prevailed by defeating Corbin with a sunset flip. Enraged with his loss, Corbin then gruesomely attacked Moss on the May 13 edition of SmackDown. With Moss’s head trapped in a steel chair, Corbin used the André the Giant Battle Royal Trophy to devastating effect, throwing the trophy down on Moss’s neck, thus sending Moss to the hospital with a cervical contusion.
When Moss returned to the Blue brand from injury, he made it clear he is out for payback against his former partner. Moss and Corbin faced off in a rematch, where little time passed before Moss got to a steel chair, delivering brutal repeated blows to the back. When WWE Officials came down to quickly de-escalate the situation, Moss was livid, even striking a few of them. With the vitriol and animosity this palpable, it was no surprise WWE Official Adam Pearce then sanctioned a No Holds Barred Match between the two for WWE Hell in a Cell. Will Moss be able to deliver justice to his former friend, or will the nefarious Corbin finally notch a win against his former partner?
Danny Cause’s Prediction: Madcap Moss
Steph Franchomme’s Prediction: Happy Corbin, this storyline has to end…
Ezekiel vs Kevin Owens
The up-and-coming Ezekiel, “younger brother of Elias,” will go one-one against Kevin Owens. Since the moment Ezekiel set foot in WWE, continuous accusations have only matched his enormous potential that he is not the younger brother of Elias as he claims, particularly from Owens. After lie detectors, DNA testing and everything else he could think of, KO finally had enough and challenged his adversary to a showdown at WWE Hell in a Cell.
Owens has been a joy to watch as he rages about to prove that Ezekiel is just Elias without the egregious beard. Owens has been on a bender to expose Ezekiel with little show for his efforts, from absurd DNA testing and lie detector tests to teaming up with Alpha Academy. It feels like Owens hasn’t had a big win in ages, but few stars are as good as KO as he can stand toe-to-toe with anyone in the business. And yet, nothing would infuriate Owens more than to take another loss to Ezekiel.
Danny Cause’s Prediction: Ezekiel
Steph Franchomme’s Prediction: Kevin Owens
Bobby Lashley vs Omos & MVP
Bobby Lashley may have won the steel cage rubber match against Omos, but The All-Mighty is far from done with The Nigerian Giant or MVP. At WWE Hell in a Cell, The All-Mighty will take on Omos and MVP in a Handicap Match. Lashley toppled the giant on The Grandest Stage of Them All, but his double-crossing manager MVP switched sides and helped his newest client claim victory in the rematch at WrestleMania Backlash with a clubbing blow from his cane to The All-Mighty. Omos and Lashley continued to butt heads as The Nigerian Giant launched the former WWE Champion into the side of a steel cage, breaking the cage open and giving Lashley the victory on Monday Night Raw.
Not content with his accidental victory, Lashley was still hellbent on dispatching Omos and, striking at the heart of his former friend turned bitter rival MVP. In the May 23 edition of RAW, The All-Mighty challenged MVP to a match with the winner choosing the stipulation for his June 5 Premium Live Event against Omos. When Lashley got in an altercation with The Nigerian Giant outside the ring, the referee didn’t see Omos put his hands on his foe and, as a result, counted out The All-Mighty from the match. As a result, MVP announced on Raw Talk that he and Omos would battle Lashley in a Handicap Match. Can Lashley put Omos and the treacherous MVP down for good?
Danny Cause’s Prediction: Bobby Lashley
Steph Franchomme’s Prediction: Bobby Lashley
AJ Styles, Finn Balor & Liv Morgan vs The Judgment Day (Edge, Damian Priest & Rhea Ripley)
When Edge returned in 2020, against all odds, who could’ve expected the way he’d have been used since. Anybody could’ve been forgiven for expecting a version of Edge in a similar vein to Brock Lesnar and Goldberg. A nostalgic version that made sporadic appearances, presumably in the World title picture. After all, with Edge’s history of injuries, it wouldn’t have been realistic to expect him to wrestle on RAW and house shows every week. What nobody could’ve expected was for Edge to completely rebrand himself. To part with the hugely popular Metalingus theme and replace it with new entrance music. Finished off with short hair, a sinister throne and a new stable. There aren’t many professionals in this industry who’d have the guts to reinvent themselves at 48 years old.
In Damien Priest and Rhea Ripley, Edge has found the perfect stars to complete this new group. They have the right look and they’re the sort of talents that will seriously benefit from the time under Edge’s learning tree. And let’s be honest, by Edge’s own admission he doesn’t have many years left in the industry. So what’s important now is that when Edge does come to retire for good, Ripley and Priest are bigger stars because of the time they’ve spent with him. The only downside is that this storyline would seem to be the reason for the premature split of Ripley’s tag team with Liv Morgan, especially at a time when they were exactly what the Women’s tag division needed. And, considering the recent events in that decision, it seems that Morgan and Ripley were the wiser choices to leave Mania with the titles. Alas, that ship has sailed.
On the other side of the ring is AJ Styles, the Phenomenal One who has been incredible in WWE, just as he has in every other promotion he has worked. We were finally treated to a dream match between Edge and AJ at WrestleMania, although it wasn’t the fairest of encounters when Priest came to Edge’s aid. Styles got his rematch at WrestleMania Backlash, with Priest banned from ringside, but that only opened the door for Ripley to help Edge. At every turn, AJ Styles is outnumbered, so it seems that he needs some friends. Thankfully, Styles has never been a man who has struggled to make friends, including the likes of Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson and Omos. But none of them is available this time around.
This is where it has finally become the ideal opportunity to pair AJ Styles with Finn Balor. These two are no strangers to each other, having worked together in New Japan where they were a part of the Bullet Club together. However, the two have rarely had much to do with each other in WWE, as they’ve been on separate brands for most of the time. But now, the first-ever Universal Champion is back on RAW with unfinished business and reuniting with an old friend seems to be the first order of business. In this instance, Balor and Styles have called upon the assistance of their spiritual little sister, the one person who wants revenge over Rhea Ripley more than anybody else; Liv Morgan. But only one trio can be successful on Sunday night.
Danny Cause’s Prediction: AJ Styles, Finn Balor and Liv Morgan – The Judgment may find it’s not as easy as they expected when the odds are evened.
Steph Franchomme’s Prediction: The Judgment Day.
Hell in a Cell Match
Cody Rhodes vs Seth Rollins
One of the earliest PPV meetings between Rhodes and Rollins was back at Hell in a Cell in 2013. This was once upon a time when Rollins was still a part of the Shield (mostly teaming with Roman Reigns) while Cody was in a tag team with his older brother Goldust. The match that night was a triple threat tag team match, Cody and Goldust were the Champions defending against the Shield and the Usos. A lot changes in nine years, least of all the fact that Roman is now aligned with the Usos (their familial connection wasn’t really referenced back in 2013). But let’s just focus on Cody and Seth and where the last nine years have taken them in order to get to this point.
Cody, at that point, was a multiple-time Tag Team Champion and a former two-time Intercontinental Champion. Little could anybody know that Rhodes was about to be saddled with the Stardust gimmick. A polarising character that ultimately made Cody miserable and led to him requesting his release in 2016. With a chip on his shoulder, Cody then proved himself on the independent circuit, picking up Championships in multiple promotions, including ROH, New Japan and NWA. But he is perhaps best known, in recent years, as one of the founders of AEW, where he was an EVP and the inaugural TNT Champion. Nobody would’ve blamed Cody if he’d opted to spend the rest of his career in AEW, but it turns out there was unfinished business, something biting at Cody. The WWE Championship.
On the other hand, there’s Rollins, the man who would single-handedly destroy the Shield in 2014, and of course, we all know the story of the Architect since then. A four-time World Champion, two-time Intercontinental Champion, United States Champion, 6-time Tag-Team Champion, Money in the Bank winner and 2019 Royal Rumble winner. In the time that Cody’s been away, Rollins has made himself one of the biggest stars in the business by staying where he was. And it wouldn’t be difficult to imagine that it possibly irks Rhodes, especially the fact that Rollins has had multiple reigns with the one title that Cody craves above all else. Two very different paths, but both men took the path that was right for them and it looks as though the juice was worth the squeeze. To think that two of the men who were opening the show in 2013 are now two of the biggest stars in the company, potentially about to main-event this show, inside the Devil’s Playground.
Then there comes the stipulation itself. Perhaps the most dangerous stipulation in WWE, known to shorten careers, and those that come out of it have rarely been the same again. Rollins may believe he has the upper hand, having previously competed in four Cell matches, all singles contests, with a 1-2-1 record. It’s worth noting that Rollins has also competed in the Cell for big stakes, on two occasions with a World Championship on the line. Whereas Rhodes has previously only had one match inside the Cell, a losing effort, back in 2009 when he teamed up with Ted DiBiase against DX. Rhodes will have to shake off those demons if he wants to conquer Rollins, once and for all, so he can finally focus on the reason he came back to WWE. Rollins, meanwhile, is 0-2 against Rhodes since his return at WrestleMania. The same Rollins who himself has been without a Championship for some time. Is he able to move on without a victory over Rhodes? The Visionary will desperately be hoping he can finally wake up from the American Nightmare.
Danny Cause’s Prediction: Cody Rhodes
Steph Franchomme’s Prediction: Cody Rhodes
Three-Way Match for the RAW Women’s Championship
Bianca Belair (c) vs Asuka vs Becky Lynch
The EST of WWE owns the present on the red brand, but The Empress of Tomorrow and Big Time Becks are both out to usher in a new era at WWE Hell in a Cell in a RAW Women’s Title Triple Threat Match. Originally, Bianca Belair was set to defend her title against Asuka, a former champion in her own right. Belair reclaimed the gold at WrestleMania 38 with a showstopping win over Lynch.
Lynch has been obsessed with getting her hands back on the gold but was derailed by the reemergence of The Empress of Tomorrow. A green mist attack helped Asuka overcome Big Time Becks to earn her title opportunity and move one step closer to realizing her own championship redemption. However, after The Empress of Tomorrow countered Becky’s underhanded tactics by blinding her with green mist, Lynch was granted a high-stakes rematch with an opportunity to join the title showdown on the line and emerged victorious. Will Belair be able to hold her place atop the red brand in a Triple Threat Match?
Belair and Lynch put on arguably the best match of the weekend at WrestleMania 38, so it’s no surprise WWE will see how much more juice it can squeeze from the duo. Belair’s two-month reign now faces a rematch with Lynch and an added variable in two-time RAW Women’s champion Asuka. Asuka’s return has added life to the Women’s slate, and while she makes for a worthy champ, this feels a bit premature for The Empress of Tomorrow. Tomorrow could likely be SummerSlam for Asuka, with enough time for a feud to build with Belair to create real stakes by the end of July.
Danny Cause’s Prediction: Bianca Belair
Steph Franchomme’s Prediction: Asuka
United States Championship Match
Theory (c) vs Mustafa Ali
With comparisons to John Cena, it seems that Vince McMahon may have found his next boy. Even if he does have to overcome the handicap of losing his first name, like Cesaro, Rusev and Riddle (to name but a few) before him. That said, Austin is such a synonymous name with somebody else in WWE, that it was always going to be a tough ask for Theory to be able to use it too, even if it is his real-life first name. At only 24 years old, Theory has already had an incredible run in WWE. To think that he has worked at two WrestleMania’s, including this year where he interacted with both Vince McMahon and Stone Cold Steve Austin. Right now Theory is the product of a recipe that WWE fans only get to see once every so often. He’s cocky, handsome, and he has incredible in-ring talent. Factor in the fact that he’s also the current United States Champion and it feels like this is just the first of many, many Championships he will hold in WWE before all is said and done.
Theory may be expecting an easy match on Sunday, but let’s not forget that this year’s Hell in a Cell comes from Chicago, the hometown of his opponent, Mustafa Ali. The WWE Universe knows all about Mustafa Ali. Formerly the Heart of 205 Live, briefly the SmackDown Hacker and the leader of Retribution. For all his undeniable talent, Ali hasn’t really had the chance to set the world on fire in WWE. His real-life discontent was aired in January of this year when Ali publicly requested his release. Obviously, that release wasn’t granted and Ali made his return to RAW in late April, where he has since been a thorn in the side of the Miz and Ciampa as well as Theory. There’s no doubt that Mustafa Ali is certainly resolute, but does he have what it takes to finally capture his first Championship in WWE?
Danny Cause’s Prediction: Theory – not only is Vince high on Theory, but he also loves it when people lose in their hometown.
Steph Franchomme’s Prediction: Theory
WWE Hell In a Cell is streaming this Sunday at 8 PM EST (1 AM BST) on the WWE Network. The Kickoff Show begins at 7 PM EST (midnight BST) on WWE Network and WWE social platforms.
All pics and videos courtesy of WWE