HELL IN A CELL - - WWE MAKING IT UP AS THEY GO ALONG

It’s sort of a strange time to have a PPV especially one as huge as “Hell In a Cell”. We’re one week into the “new era” of televised professional wrestling. Next week there will be a WWE “draft” to create a “hard split” between the brands. Sorry for all the quotation marks but this is the WWE. Not only does that lead to some confusion regarding championship matches but, as I write this, there are only four announced matches for the PPV making it feel more like an episode of RAW or SMACKDOWN than a big Sunday event.

No tag championships, mid-card titles nor (and unlikely) a Lesnar defense of that ridiculous end to Kofi’s run (watch him leap into Brock’s arms for the F5) have been announced. I cannot think of anything ever like this and this is the WWE where sense is left at the doorstep. I’m thinking the brand split lasts two months at best.

Well, here’s what we know so far with predictions and “Holy Shit” (💩 ™) expectations. I will update as more is announced.

SETH V. THE FIEND WYATT

I guess I’m in the minority on this. I don’t know how you give the belt to a gimmick like this and sustain it for any period of time. Wyatt has had many opportunities to take it to the next level and generally falls short. This probably won’t be a wrestling match as much as performance art with lots of effects and shit. My gut is there will not be a clean finish here. Seth winning clean sort of puts an end to this nonsense and might send Bray off on reforming the Wyatts or some sort of stable surrounding the Fiend. I’m going with schmoz in a 💩💩 ½  match.

BECKY V. SASHA

This could be match of the night and with all the changes I don’t see Becky dropping the belt. They will want her with the strap on RAW (or SMACKDOWN…she did open the show) for the foreseeable future and expect her to feud with Shaina Baszler pretty soon. 💩💩💩💩 ½

BRYANT/ROMAN V. BLUGBROS REDEUX

Somethin’ ain’t right here and the obvious is Daniel Bryant is setting up the Big Dog for a beatdown but what if….stay with me here…what if Roman makes the turn and factions with Harper and Rowan turning “the new” DB into “the old” DB who goes on a vendetta in the land of the giants DB needs to get through the ex Wyatts to get his shot at the Big Dog….just a thought. Harper and Rowen win this in a 💩💩 match.

BAYLEY V. THE QUEEN

I think it is time to give the belt back to Charlotte and leave Bayley and Sasha to get back into the tag team battle. They are a team that can go against both faces and heels and elevate other teams. Last time these two fought in a PPV it was a disappointment so I’m looking for the two of them to make up for it this time. 💩💩💩 ½

I will update the card as we learn more.

Before I sign off what did we learn from Week 1 of the new era of televised wrestling?

My big takeaway is that you dear fan have a choice between watching sports entertainment (RAW and SMACKDOWN) and professional wrestling (AEW, NXT and NJPW). Right now, the numbers are with sports entertainment although I prefer the later three shows.

AEW presented a solid first show and, in many ways, is a better version of WWE. NXT is, far and away, for me, the jewel of all these shows and I dread Vince looking at the numbers for the first head to head confrontation with AEW and panicking. No good ever comes from that. Stay strong Trips. The call down of Finn Balor and the return of Tommaso Ciampa elevated the first two-hour NXT show. Love to see Asuka and Kairi Sane return to the fold. It’s going to take a few weeks for this all to shake out. Let’s see what the draft looks like and where AEW is in a few months but away we go.