‘WWE Hell in a Cell 2022’ PPV Review
Time for another in the WWE’s calendar of pay per views, this time it’s the viciously monikered Hell in a Cell – which was the subject of numerous rumours over the past week, including Cody Rhodes being too injured to wrestle in the main event, Bray Wyatt returning to the company at the PPV and more! Which, if any, were right. Let’s find out…
Match #1: Bianca Belair def. Asuka and Becky Lynch
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Starting off WWE Hell in a Cell with a bang, Bianca Belair battled Becky Lynch and Asuka with Belair’s Raw Women’s Championship on the line. The ring shone brightly with the stardom that the three women brought, ensuring the opening match was special. Chicago let Belair know quickly they were in her corner, with raucous chants of “EST” echoing throughout the arena. Asuka and Belair quickly worked together to level the playing field, sending Lynch to the outside, much to the delight of the WWE Universe. This set off a spectacular face-off between the two, before Lynch entered back into the equation. Belair showed off her strength early, tossing Lynch from the top rope onto the canvas below. Belair went for the KOD on Asuka, before The Empress turned it around, executing a painful armbar on the champion. Lynch soon took advantage, delivering a top-rope leg drop on Belair before Asuka saved the match with a monumental sliding kick. Lynch and Asuka then traded blows with each other with frenetic kicks from Asuka to put down Big Time Becks. Belair nearly capitalized with a KOD on Lynch, who got out only to be put down with an awe-inspiring suplex. Lynch tried her best to quell The EST’s momentum by pulling the champion’s hair, however Belair got out of it and subsequently delivered a backspring moonsault onto both challengers. The action was stupendous with many “blink and you’ll miss it” moments including a double knee facebuster from Asuka to Lynch which nearly gave The Empress of Tomorrow the victory. Asuka then performed an excruciating double ankle lock onto Belair and Lynch, stunning the crowd with her impressive feat. Lynch then locked on the Dis-Arm-Her onto Belair, who had to fight with every fiber in her being to not submit. Asuka twice saved the match for Belair, who it seemed Lynch had beat after a Man-handle Slam and a vicious kick from Asuka left the champion reeling. The three women left everything they had in the ring, trading signature moves left and right, back and forth. Just when it looked as if Lynch was about to overcome Asuka with the Man-handle Slam, Bianca suddenly threw her out of the ring and pinned The Empress herself, beating Big Time Becks at her own game.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #2: 2-on-1 Handicap Match – Bobby Lashley def. Omos & MVP
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The third part in this epic clash of the titans did not disappoint as The All Mighty had to overcome a herculean task in taking down Omos and MVP in a show-stopping Handicap Match. Bobby Lashley’s malignant former manager MVP made a show of starting the match against Lashley, however quickly tagged in the colossal Omos. A test of strength led to Lashley outsmarting Omos, but Lashley’s momentum was soon stopped by Omos’ raw power. Dangerous duo MVP and Omos took over with the numbers game, tagging each other in and out to take out The All Mighty. Lashley attempted many power moves but these were to no avail as The Nigerian Giant lived up to his moniker, delivering gigantic clubbing blows to Lashley. When Lashley was taken to the outside, Omos sprinted with frightening speed to brutally force Lashley through the barricade. Despite this, Lashley kept coming back, valiantly taking the fight to MVP and his client. Surprise interference by former cohort Cedric Alexander led to a colossal spear to Omos. Lashley quickly capitalized and snapped The Hurt Lock onto MVP, securing the submission victory. In the end it was The All Mighty who stood tall, vanquishing his malignant former manager and monstrous new client, proving Lashley is the true titan of the Raw brand.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #3: Kevin Owens def. Ezekiel
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
For weeks, Ezekiel has drawn the ire of Kevin Owens, who insisted that Ezekiel is really just Elias, not Elias’ brother. Even with a lie detector test proving Ezekiel is who he says he is, KO has made it his life goal to expose Ezekiel as an imposter, leading to this frenetic showdown. Chicago gave Ezekiel the support he needed, with a “Zeke” chant leading him to a lightning fast knee strike that stunned KO. A top-rope elbow drop by Ezekiel nearly spelled the end for KO. The animosity between the two led to a painful Irish Whip to the ring post outside by Owens. Owens repeatedly aggravated Ezekiel and the crowd, proclaiming again and again that Ezekiel is Elias. Owens kept up this vitriol with Ezekiel, with the two exchanging blows and Tornado DDTs. The tide turned for Ezekiel when he thwarted an attempted Senton Bomb by lifting his knees. The two gave it all they had, with Owens and Ezekiel kicking out of a thunderous spinebuster and a Pop-up Powerbomb, respectively. Owens couldn’t let go of his anger toward Ezekiel and delivered an awesome sequence of moves that included two superkicks, a cannonball and a Stunner to put down Ezekiel. With KO’s arm raised, he again repeated that Ezekiel is Elias, surely feeling vindicated.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #4: The Judgment Day def. Finn Bálor, AJ Styles & Liv Morgan
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Order completely broke down in the opening moments of Finn Bálor, AJ Styles & Liv Morgan’s Six-Man Tag Team Match against The Judgment Day, with all three competitors engaging in an all-out brawl. An assisted hurricanrana from Liv Morgan onto Rhea Ripley, however, quickly sent a message that her team would not be intimidated by their dark adversaries. Ripley however took control by deploying a dominating headbutt onto Morgan, promptly followed by a Delayed Vertical Suplex. Morgan took the brunt of the beginning moments before tagging in The Phenomenal One, who faced off against Damian Priest. Quick tags from Morgan’s team gave them an advantage, but The Judgment Day responded with devious tactics of their own. Edge goaded the crowd as he took apart The Prince with merciless blows. As Bálor was inches away from tagging in Styles, Edge dropped The Prince with a bone-shattering facebuster. The Judgment Day focused on Bálor extensively, preventing him from getting a much needed reprieve from his teammates. Styles finally got his hands on Edge, calling for a Phenomenal Forearm and connecting with it beautifully for the first time since before WrestleMania. The diabolical Priest broke up the pinfall attempt, saving The Judgment Day from defeat. All six Superstars showed up and showed out, with Ripley displaying outrageous power and Morgan displaying unbelievable tenacity. Morgan, Styles and Bálor ignited the crowd with all three delivering diving attacks to the outside onto The Judgment Day. Ripley twice stopped Bálor from delivering a Coup de Grace, the second time leading to a spine-tingling Spear executed by Edge onto Bálor, who then pinned the former Universal Champion to gain the win for The Judgment Day.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #5: No Holds Barred Match – Madcap Moss def. Happy Corbin
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
After being taken out of action for three weeks due a brutal assault at the hands of Happy Corbin with the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal trophy, Madcap Moss was ready for vengeance in the form of a hellacious No Holds Barred Match. The two went to the outside of the confines of the ring with no hesitation, total barbaric destruction on the mind of each competitor. Moss and Corbin brawled extensively with Moss at one point throwing a desk chair into the face of his former employer. Corbin attempted to go for the carousel of objects under the ring before deciding against it, drawing ire from the WWE Universe in Chicago. The unforgiving steel chair eventually entered into the equation with Corbin using it to devastating effect. The Lone Wolf once again wrapped the chair around the neck of Moss and threw him into the announce table, a gruesome reminder of what he did to his former protégé weeks prior. However, with the stakes high, it was Moss who wiped the smile off Happy’s face after he ruthlessly dropped the ring steps onto Corbin who had a steel chair wrapped around his head. With that crushing drop, Moss covered his former friend, earning a resounding win. Moss reveled in his victory as Corbin was lifted onto a stretcher after the match.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #6: United States Championship – Theory def. Mustafa Ali
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Despite Theory being the United States Champion, it was Mustafa Ali who was arguably the favorite as he had the hometown advantage, being a native of The Second City. With Ali’s wife and children in attendance, he had something to prove, and moved quickly, sending Theory to the outside to start the match. Theory gained the upper hand, taunting the crowd by dropping Ali with a ferocious fallaway slam. Ali seemed to have hurt his knee in the middle stages of the match, buckling after awkwardly landing a backflip. Theory capitalized on this, performing an eye-opening modified Spanish Fly from the top-rope. With the support of Chi-Town behind him, Ali slapped on a STF hoping to humble Theory by submission. It wasn’t to be, as All Day managed to inch his way to the ropes to save his championship. Ali could see the United States Championship in his sight, perched above the ring, looking to drop on Theory with a 450. However, The United States Champion targeted Ali’s leg, rolling out of the way of a 450 splash to cut down Ali with a chop block and an A-Town Down to secure the 1-2-3.. Despite a valiant effort by Ali, it was Theory who retained the U.S. Title, and of course, took a stupendous selfie to further goad his fallen competitor.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #7: Cody Rhodes def. Seth “Freakin” Rollins
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Seth “Freakin” Rollins came into the Hell in a Cell Match with supreme confidence, having been in four previous encounters, whereas it was Cody Rhodes’ first time competing in the unforgiving steel enclosure. Making matters worse for Rhodes, it was announced on Hell in a Cell Kickoff that his right pectoral tendon had completely torn off the bone while weight training. Rollins started the mind games before the bell even rang, having the temerity to wear black and yellow polka dot gear, an obvious reference to Rhodes’ father, The American Dream Dusty Rhodes. The moment Rhodes removed his jacket, the bruising on his pectoral muscle was apparent. Rhodes’ chest was a dark purple, shocking the Chicago crowd into silence. Rhodes’ injury was like a brightly colored target, with The Visionary wasting no time aggravating the area, poking a Kendo stick into his opponent’s chest. The mind games continued for Rollins, as he donned his opponent’s signature jacket and used a polka dot patterned weight belt to hit Rhodes again and again. With each blow Rollins landed on Rhodes, the torture The American Nightmare endured became more intense. A vast assortment of objects entered the fray, including a table that Rollins crashed through, and a bull rope with a cowbell that Rhodes used against his sadistic foe. Toward the end of the match, The American Nightmare and The Visionary each delivered his own version of the Cross Rhodes. With Cody’s injury becoming progressively darker and redder, The American Nightmare fought through the undeniable pain, completing three Cross Rhodes and hit a barbaric sledgehammer blast to put down Rollins. Rhodes received a post-match standing ovation for his efforts, as he showed the WWE Universe an incredible level of tenacity and heart inside Hell in a Cell.
My Score: 4.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 4/5
You have to hand it to the WWE, when they put on a good show they put on a GOOD show! This was a remarkable feat for a company who, on TV, feel like they’ve been treading water for weeks. I get the company wants to save the good stuff for pay per views but having the odd couple of matches like this every week would certainly bolster the perception of the company in a lot of fans eyes. Myself included. I often feel like it’s not worth watching regular weekly programming (but I still watch) and that’s even more evident when you get storytelling in the PPV that hasn’t really been built too that much on television OR doesn’t need a build-up and the performers can tell their story in the ring… One major note about this year’s Hell in a Cell. Yes, the main event was an absolute classic, but… was it really wise to let Cody Rhodes wrestle injured? That bruising looked like a torn pec – something that put HHH out for a while a few years ago – and I’m not sure a doctor should have, or would have, sanctioned that. But hey, Cody has to prove his decision making was the right one. Right?
