Step into the Ring

Wednesday 30 October 2013

SOMBER THOUGHTS AND HOLIDAY BLUES



This was meant to be your ‘Money in the Bank Anthology’ edition of Review Corner, but instead I would like to take a moment to talk you person to person, not Wrestling God to person if you catch my drift. The ‘WWE Straight to the Top: Money in the Bank Ladder Match Anthology’ Review Corner will be ready for you on Monday November 11th, the day of the release because I need to get something off of my chest. Something important to me, though it won’t be to anyone reading this I imagine.

We’ve been together for nearly two years now, since WrestleMania 28 and I have done my very best to bring you the best insight I could on the wrestling world. Most people have liked what I have had to say, other have taken issue with it but then I subscribe to the theory that you can’t please all of the people all of the time. The door has always been open for you to walk out of it at any time and for those just discovering our little world here to enter of their own free will. Apart from the wrestling world and my views of it, I realised recently that you don’t know a lot about me as a person. You know I’m a writer and actor who is looking for his big break but that’s about it. Whilst I don’t want to give too much away because I believe it ruins the mystique about the person writing this, I would just like to take this moment to ask you all for help.

I like to think that I have given you everything I have during our time together, that I have helped some people get through hard times in their lives, added to their wrestling knowledge here and there and if it’s you that I’m talking about then you have been most welcome. Right now, I need your guidance and advice on not one but two issues I have going on in my life – don’t worry, the wrestling part of this blog follows below. The last time we talked properly I was going on holiday and it was a very good one. But something happened whilst I was there. Something that very rarely happens to your WG. The holiday camp I was staying on had a clubhouse with entertainers there. I’ve been before and never paid one of them much attention, but this time was different.

One of the entertainers at the camp I was staying at caught my eye in such a way that she’s brought out feelings in me that I’ve only ever had one before in my life. I won’t go as far as to say I fell in love with her on first sight but I certainly fell for her the first time I saw her. Her name was Rosie and she was so beautiful that it hurts just to think about her. After I saw her, the rest of the holiday became immaterial. It didn’t matter because I knew that I’d found someone special even though then, she didn’t know I existed. I tried to talk to her throughout the week but couldn’t bring myself to do so thanks to a crippling fear of rejection. You see this, the wrestling ring, writing and acting is my world and love is something that I’m a novice at. Short of walking up to her, putting her in a headlock and telling her how I felt – that never happened – I was stuck.

I have a fear of being embarrassed in front of women I like. It stops me talking to them and telling them things that may lead to something better. Its part of the reason why I’m still single, the other part is because I’ve concentrated so heavily on my career. I want it to be different this time though. I can’t tell you how much I want to be with her because she’s such a beautiful human being and not just on the outside. Rosie struck me as the type of woman who when you’re with her, everything in the world, no matter how stressful and horrible, is perfectly fine. The type of person you want to be with all day, every day and your Wrestling God just can’t get her off of his mind. I was genuinely saddened when my time there was over because I fear now that I’ll never see her again, but what can I do? I never even got to talk to her. The most I got out of her was a smile to die for and an enthusiastic wave.

You can see my problem right? I know her full name, I know she’s on Facebook but I don’t know what type of reaction I’d get from her if I just message her out of the blue. Hell, I don’t even know if she currently is in a relationship. The distance between us is too far currently for me to go back in person and tell her, but her home town isn’t that far from mine once her job there has finished. I would gladly find the finances to go to her as much as I could if I knew that there was the slightest chance of her saying yes.

My mind works in weird ways, you see. Even though Rosie didn’t look at me the way other women have in that ‘Go away loser’ type of way, my mind has convinced me that was because she was paid not to and that if I approached her on Facebook out of the blue she would laugh at me and tell me to get lost. But on the other hand the thought of not trying and losing her forever if I ever got a chance with her is too much to bear. Then my mind convinces me that as an unemployed actor and writer I have nothing to offer her. I’ve done this once before. There has only ever been one other woman your Wrestling God has felt like this about and I didn’t act on it. By the time I gathered up the courage it was too late and I lost her. Okay, time passed and wounds healed but is life really too short to allow that to happen again? Certainly, women like her – if she is single – don’t stay that way for too long.

I don’t know if I’m in love with her because I don’t know if you can be in love with someone you don’t really know. But I do know that this feeling is one that I never want to go away and she’s someone I desperately want in my life. Sadly, Rosie isn’t the only problem facing your Wrestling God at the moment. Apart from Rosie, there was another reason I didn’t want to leave the camp. You see I love it there. A lot of people who go look at it and think ‘what a shit hole’, but actually, when you look past how small it is to what happens in the club house with the entertainers then that’s the life I want right now. Don’t get me wrong, I know my future lies in front and behind the camera making television shows but being an entertainer at that camp for six – seven months is something that I would love to do.

It looks tremendous fun apart from the small pay. Getting up in the morning, doing activities with the guests until around half three when you return to your chalet for dinner and to prepare for the evening. Then going back to the club ready to entertain in the evening with music, dancing, team shows. I love the thought of doing that and it’s something I would love to do. So imagine my surprise when I find out that camp is holding auditions in January for next season’s holidays. The problem is those auditions usually involve a dance or song number as part of the audition and I can’t really do either of those, however I can provide comedy in the form of stand-up and I can dance if given enough time to learn the steps.

So the second part of the help I need from you is deciding whether or not to go to the audition. There’s a chance that I may get the job but there’s also the chance I could embarrass myself beyond recognition. If I was to attend and come out the other side successful then I may have to put this blog on ice for six months if not more. There certainly wouldn’t be time to do both. Though if I was to be successful I would like to think you all would understand and give me your best wishes. It’s just so confusing at the moment. On the one hand if I took both chances on Rosie and the job then I’d have everything I wanted out of life so far, but at the same time with that job I would lose a lot as well. I’ve worked so hard for so long without reward; I think I’m owed a little something back. I think I deserve something nice for once and I want her so bad.

Leaving the wrestling alone for a moment I would like to hear from you. All of you, any of you who have gone through the same thing in life where women or a partner or love is concerned. Whether you took the kind of chance I want to but am too afraid to take or whether you jumped in and decided it was better to chance it than wonder for the rest of your life. If it worked out for you, if it didn’t, if you didn’t bother and then regretted it afterwards. Please write and tell me, because this is unchartered territory for me. The comment box is open for any and all of your thoughts on both matters. Should I at least try and see what she thinks or should I just leave it as something special and forever wonder ‘what if’?

I would rather have thirty minutes of something beautiful than a lifetime of nothing special.

Discworld

After that little outcry for help, let us move on to the reason we all came here. In 2013, WWE’s DVD and Blu-ray output has been very good, barring a few little niggles here and there. By far, as of the end of October 2013 WWE’s worst outputs have been ‘The Attitude Era’, ‘Top 25 Rivalries’ and ‘Goldberg: The Ultimate Collection’. You will probably have your own to add to that list but they are by far two of the worst the company have put out in 2013.

Now, looking into 2014, WWE have been sending out surveys to members of WWE.Com in order to grasp what titles we would like to see in the forthcoming year. The question I would ask would be why just WWE.Com subscribers - fans who are usually marks for the talent and don’t know bad from good – and not the whole world? Doesn’t the opinion of those who aren’t members count all of sudden? Do we just have to put up with what others decide they would like to see and still be expected to shell out money on it upon its release? WWE should have opened up the survey to everyone who visits WWE.Com in order to grasp a wider range of opinions.

For those that haven’t heard already, WWE will be producing yet another release on Shawn Michaels in the new year which will be released in the UK around March time, chronicling ever one of his WrestleMania matches. The rest of the suggestions in the survey were as follows:
  • A documentary on Paul Heyman
  • Where Are They Now?
  • The Best of WCCW (hosted by Michael Hayes)
  • A documentary on Bruno Sammartino
  • A Nexus DVD
  • Best of Sting
  • International wrestling matches from around the world
  • Top 50 OMG! WCW moments
  • Best of Ultimate Warrior
  • Best of John Cena
  • Best of WrestleMania
  • A "Big Man" DVD on Andre the Giant, Big John Studd, etc. 
  • Best of WWE PPV
  • A dark matches DVD 

A lot of those releases such as the Bruno Sammartino and Paul Heyman documentary, the dark matches, where are they now, international wrestling matches, best of Sting, Ultimate Warrior and WCCW sound like good choices. The rest though, not so much. Hands up anyone who wants to see yet another release dedicated to John Cena or WrestleMania. A whole nine hour output on WWE’s big men who were mostly poor wrestlers no one wanted to watch or the Nexus who were famously destroyed by John Cena in an amazing display of selfishness? Whoever thinks up these releases needs a reality check. In case anyone was wondering these are the releases WWE really should be putting out:


  • ‘Everybody Has A Price: The Life and Times of The Million Dollar Man Ted Dibiase’ (Documentary and matches)
  • 'Rule Britannia: The Best of The British Bulldog' (Documentary and matches)
  • 'The Best of WCW's Cruiserweights' (Match compilation) 
  • 'The King of Harts: The Life and Death of Owen Hart' (Documentary and matches - though thanks to Owen Hart's widow's sour relationship with WWE this is unlikely to happen)
  • Jake 'The Snake' Roberts (Documentary and matches: a better one that the last offering)
  • Scott Hall Documentary and matches
  • Kevin Nash Documentary and matches
  • Jerry Lawler Documentary and matches
  • Lex Luger Documentary and matches
  • Vader Documentary and matches

Those titles, done right, could be a huge smash for WWE. Much better than yet another release detailing the best John Cena or WrestleMania matches. Everyone listed above has done enough in the wrestling industry to warrant a release and now Hall and Roberts are clean, WWE have no more excuses as to why they haven’t got those titles in the works, let alone why they’re not both in the WWE Hall of Fame. WWE need to prioritise what they have and haven’t already released in the past in order to get the most out of that extensive video library.

More repetitive releases will see a downturn in profit for the company. It’s time to put personal feelings behind them and do what’s best for business.

Onwards and upwards...


Monday 28 October 2013

REVIEW CORNER: WWE SUMMERSLAM 2013 DVD AND BLU-RAY



 

 A – Excellent


 B – Good


 C – Mediocre


 D – Avoid








Release Date: October 28th 2013

Available From: www.wwedvd.co.uk

Price:
DVD £ 12.99
Blu-ray £ 13.99
(Prices from www.wwedvd.co.uk: high street prices will vary)

Format Reviewed: DVD
(Also Available on Blu-ray)

What It’s About:

WWE’s 26th annual SummerSlam event held on August 18th from the Staples Centre in Los Angeles, California. Featuring ‘The Best’ vs ‘The Beast’ pitting C.M Punk vs Brock Lesnar and the WWE Championship Match which sees John Cena defend against Daniel Bryan. The event also includes the much talked about Randy Orton and Triple H heel turn.

Strengths:

Beginning with the best match on the card, C.M Punk vs Brock Lesnar is a stunning bout which is by far WWE’s best match of the year so far, surpassing C.M Punk vs The Undertaker (WrestleMania 29) and Triple H vs Brock Lesnar (Extreme Rules 2013). This match, unlike most this year has that big match atmosphere and big fight feel before it even begins, even more so than Daniel Bryan vs John Cena. The beginning of the match is hard hitting and totally gripping, the fact that it never lets the audience go and wrings every last drop of emotion out of the watching crowd is a credit to both men. Brock Lesnar plays the part of the monster to perfection, showcasing his sheer power over Punk, by throwing ‘The Second City Saviour’ around ringside including an impressive haul over the announce table which Punk almost clears without touching. When Punk finally gains control, Lesnar once again asserts his dominance with a great looking shoulder block into the steps and Punk. Punk’s flying clothesline off of the announce desk is very fine and everything Brock Lesnar does, gets a reaction from the partisan Punk crowd. What the brawl generates into is a tense and very believable fight, which Lesnar dominates not just with hardcore strikes but also some distinguished belly to belly suplex’s – which on the outside of the ring look immense. I fear that C.M Punk’s selling is getting worse as he almost leaps up from the belly to belly to pepper Lesnar with kicks and the final F5 isn’t sold for nearly long enough – but we’re getting ahead of ourselves. From what has been described so far, you may think this is just a hardcore brawl but you’d be wrong. After the weapons and aggression have taken their toll, to their credit, Punk and Lesnar turn the match into a high stakes technical brawl before the final flurry of hardcore action, boasting reversals galore. Lesnar reverses a running knee into an F5 attempt in a great looking exchange and a GTS attempt into a seamless Kimura Lock which brings a wholly gripping submission endeavour. Punk reverses the Kimura Lock into a Triangle Choke hold or Hell’s Gate if you’re an Undertaker fan, which brings Brock Lesnar’s selling powers into play as he teases a tap out in one of the best moments of the entire match. By this time the “This is Awesome” chants the crowd are bestowing on the pair are richly deserved. At ringside, Paul Heyman is the marvel he usually is and when he interjects himself in the match it adds another layer of emotional depth to the affray. Lesnar and Punk sell amicably for each other and the nail-biting near falls towards the end are simply sublime. The last five minutes of the match are completely faultless, as Punk reverses an F5 into a DDT in the best move of the match – and it has a lot of competition – and Lesnar’s sickening chair shots in the vein of Austin on The Rock at WrestleMania 17 are a wonderful star builder as they basically tell the audience that Lesnar could only beat Punk by battering him into a semi-unconscious state. A first class match which has to be match of the year. Punk and Lesnar do more for each other here than anyone has done for them in a very long time.

A wonderful surprise for second best match on the card is the WWE Championship Match between John Cena and Daniel Bryan. Just a short note before we get into the match. The video package shown before the bout compiles Vince McMahon criticising Daniel Bryan for his look and that he doesn’t want Bryan to be WWE Champion for various reasons. When WWE wrote this angle for Raw, they really should have thought about what lasting effect it would have on the World Heavyweight Championship. McMahon makes the WWE Championship sound like the only important top tier title in the company – which it is to him but he doesn’t have to let us know it – when you realise that McMahon had no problem with allowing Bryan to hold the World Heavyweight Championship, but he does the WWE Championship. Thankfully though, that is a distant memory once the bell rings and yes my friends, I credit John Cena here for putting on a hell of a show. His selling and wrestling skills still are iffy but for once, it doesn’t matter. John Cena knows this is the beginning of something huge for Daniel Bryan and he acts and wrestles accordingly. For that, John Cena deserves all the credit in the world. It’s clear by the end of the match that John Cena can do it when he wants to and this is the Cena we want to see more of in the ring. The leader of the Cenation hits a lovely and striking bridge hop which is only usually done by luchadores and his suplex off of the steel steps is top class all the way. The “You still suck chants” afterwards are very funny. On top of that, Cena nails Bryan with an accomplished sit down Powerbomb which is faultless. There are no childish smirks here, it’s all business. Though not all of Cena’s offence is good, the big moves which matter are done to perfection. Daniel Bryan – the WWE Champion elect just goes and goes and goes without any sign of tiring. This is a man WWE want to keep on top; his main event output is simply unmatched. Bryan is technically brilliant here and you won’t find anything out of place or executed wrong. Reversing an Attitude Adjustment into a Yes Lock is brilliantly done and if wrestling moves were chocolate; his spider suplex from the top rope would melt in the mouth. As both men sell the others offence which is believable, Cena counters a suicide dive with a shoulder block from the floor to the apron in another good move and nails his flying leg drop on target. The only slip Cena has in the match is when he nearly breaks Daniel Bryan’s neck countering a hurricanrana. When Cena has him held upside down he drops to his feet from the top and Bryan lands on his head in a cringe worthy moment. This match is everything it should have been and both men deserve every praise. Cena fans can be proud of this one. The ending, portraying Cena as the never say die Champion and Bryan as the determined challenger who had worked his whole life for this one night is perfectly gotten over. Neither will quit and the audience recognise that this is something special. The final running knee which finishes off Cena is perfectly timed and sold by the Champion and the ending is a good old fashioned, clean finish which furthers Bryan’s career. Yes, you heard it here first. John Cena actually helped make someone. The handshake at the end of the match is a nice touch and Randy Orton’s last minute crashing of the party gets a massive reaction as it looks like the show will end on Daniel Bryan’s victory. Triple H’s heel turn on Bryan is superbly done and Orton’s WWE Championship victory garners another approval from the crowd. Excellent.

Alberto Del Rio vs Christian for the World Heavyweight Championship is yet another great effort by both men, though it can’t match Del Rio’s matches with Dolph Ziggler for emotion. At the beginning of the match, Michael Cole comments on Alberto Del Rio’s black eye, crediting Christian with the assist. This isn’t true. Alberto Del Rio was beaten up in a bar days before SummerSlam and after the pre-SummerSlam Smackdown taping (which is done on a Tuesday) – some swelling is still visible on his face – whilst intoxicated, like Shawn Michaels was in the 90’s. However Shawn Michaels managed to fight off his attackers in the 90’s. Alberto Del Rio took a beating. The first notable piece of action in this is a running inzaguri on Christian who is sitting on the top rope with his back to the ring. That gets the crowd hot and they never die away. Del Rio cements his World Heavyweight Championship reign with a great outing here, including a double stomp from the top rope whilst Christian is leaning across the middle rope. Christian nails an exciting cross body block from the top rope to the outside which is added to by Del Rio when he nails a backstabber out of Christian’s sun set flip in what proves to be one of the best moves of the match. Christian does manage to finally hit the move from the top rope and his performance here is also brilliant, building into a wonderful finale. If this is Christian’s last shot at the gold as the announcers wanted us to believe then he put on a hell of show.

Dolph Ziggler and Kaitlyn vs A.J Lee and Big E. Langston is another surprisingly good match. Ziggler – who gets a thunderous ovation - was included here purely to get the best out of the stiff Langston and that he does. Because for the first time in his career, Langston looks like a star and cements this with some very good moves, executed to perfection. A.J and Kaitlyn share some great moves and reversals and its clear that A.J has come into her own as a singles performer. The star of this match though is clearly Dolph Ziggler who sells for Langston and then hits his stride with some superb moves, including a pitch perfect dropkick. The end of the match sees Kaitlyn hit a forceful spear on A.J at ringside whilst Ziggler reverses a powerslam into the Zig Zag for the victory. Very good indeed.

The Miz – who is the official SummerSlam host, yes, that’s the best they can find for him – provides the laughs with Fandango throughout the show. Beginning at the opening of SummerSlam, Miz is interrupted by Fandango and Summer Rae on the stage who dance in front of him. The skit then goes backstage and Fandango and his gorgeous dance partner interrupt The Miz who is trying to interview Maria Menounos – who doesn’t get the jeers she would have surely expected after the Hall of Fame 2013 ceremony. The segment ends with Miz trying to one-up Fandango and dancing with Menounos. The final segment in their little story comes when Miz nails Fandango to much applause from the audience. Each segment is short, but provides some much needed comic relief.

Jo-Jo sings a perfect rendition of ‘America the Beautiful’ which is a relief. Those with long enough memories will remember we have had some disasters of that song in the past. Kim Kardashian at WrestleMania comes to mind. What a mess that was. Thankfully though Jo-Jo nails it and it only adds to the spectacle.

The SummerSlam entrance video is reminiscent of an 80’s American cop show. It’s very well put together and credit goes to whoever complied it.

Weaknesses:

Kane vs Bray Wyatt in the Ring of Fire Match is a tedious affair. Basically an Inferno Match without the stipulation of having to set your opponent on fire to gain the victory, Kane and Wyatt plod through some boring exchanges which do not live up the hype with which WWE pushed the Wyatt Family before their WWE debut. The trio get a massive ovation when their eerie entrance video proclaims “We’re here” and their entrance is genuinely unsettling. Sadly, that is the best part of the match and the flames get a bigger reaction than the wrestlers. The flames which surround the ring limit what both can do with the time allocated to them. It’s standard at best. Fans chant for Undertaker when Luke and Rowan find a way to interject in the match – if only he was there. The absolute worst of the absurdity here is when Wyatt has pinned Kane and Luke and Rowan drag Kane up the aisle and lay him on the awaiting steps, proceeding to supposedly smash him in the head with the smaller portion of the stairs. The problem with this is that the pair uses the ‘V’ section of the stairs on Kane and it clearly doesn’t get anywhere near Kane’s head. As the Wyatt’s are dragging Kane away the announcers proclaim “Where are they taking him?” The answer to that is to the set of See No Evil 2. Even more bizarre, of all the friends Kane must have in the locker room – not one comes to his rescue.

Damien Sandow vs Cody Rhodes is yet another disappointing effort for two men who should be putting on main event level matches. There are some good moments in the second match of the night. Damien Sandow executes an imposing leg sweep on the apron and then applies an unspoiled reverse Sharpshooter which looks great and Cody Rhodes pulls out the Muscle Buster – how WWE have been sued for gimmick infringement by TNA by now is anyone’s guess – and an awe inspiring springboard dropkick. But that is the limit of excitement here and it’s such a let down when we know both men are capable of much more. When the match ends, you’re still waiting for it to warm up to the main event calibre effort everyone is waiting for. It’s worrying that Damien Sandow is beaten far too easily for someone who is holding a Money in the Bank Contract and isn’t permitted to kick out of one finishing move.

Natalya vs Brie Bella is a dreary slog through the usual Bella routine, so much so that the audience amuse themselves chanting the names of JBL, Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler who lap up the attention. When the fans have done with them they chant “We want Ryder, Woooo –Woooo – Woooo!” That’s how little they cared about what was happening in the ring. Natalya looks dragged down by the inability of Brie Bella who applies the same submission hold three times even though it bored the fans the first time around and the woman who is supposedly engaged to Daniel Bryan is so slow between moves its painful to watch. WWE really do need to think again when pushing the Bella’s as in ring talent.

WWE should have stopped Shawn Michaels appearing on the SummerSlam panel with that beard. It’s horrendous. It also contradicts everything WWE had done with Daniel Bryan and criticising his appearance in the weeks leading up to SummerSlam. WWE really shot themselves in the foot with this one.

The one and only DVD extra is the Pre-Show Match between Rob Van Dam and Dean Ambrose. On the night, the match was a very good effort form the pair and deserved to be on the main show. However, for whatever reason, WWE have cut the 13 minute match down to just five minutes on the release which isn’t good enough. The only time we get to see these matches are either on the internet and if your connection isn’t that good then you have to wait until the DVD or Blu-ray is released. It’s no good cutting the match by more than half when you do include it on a release. Entering the match with only 5 minutes left to go, Van Dam and Ambrose still put on a good show, but it’s unforgivable that WWE would only include a small portion of it.

DVD and Blu-ray Special Features:

Pre-Show Match
WWE United States Championship Match
Dean Ambrose vs Rob Van Dam

Blu-ray Exclusive Extras:

Monday Night Raw – August 12th 2013
Daniel Bryan vs Wade Barrett
Randy Orton vs Damien Sandow
Mr. McMahon Picks a Special Referee for SummerSlam
Miz TV with John Cena and Daniel Bryan
C.M Punk vs Paul Heyman

Smackdown – August 16th 2013
Bray Wyatt Tells a Story About Kane
Daniel Bryan vs Wade Barrett – No Disqualification Match

Conclusion:

Whilst many called SummerSlam 2013 the best SummerSlam of all time, there are arguments that state it falls short of that claim. But like everything else in this industry, it depends on your taste and opinion. Everyone’s is different. There is no denying that this is an essential purchase for die hard fans just to see Daniel Bryan vs John Cena and C.M Punk vs Brock Lesnar, however the casual buyer of WWE releases may want to wait until this is knocked down to £5.99 as only Alberto Del Rio vs Christian is the other match worth witnessing.

There’s a special feeling about purchasing a WWE pay-per view on DVD or Blu-ray. It makes you feel like you’re part of history. And speaking as someone who owns every WWE pay-per view and release from 2000 onwards as well as the previously released ‘Tagged Classics’ from former WWE licensee Silvervision, which means I own almost every WWE event from 1985 onwards, I know how important these releases are to a collection and the WWE Universe.

If you’re a completionist who simply must have every event in your collection then what are you waiting for? If you’re someone who prefers to wait to spend their money on a pay-per view which is strong at both bottom at top or just want the better matches alone then you can wait until the ‘Best PPV Matches of 2013’ which will surely have both matches included amongst its running order. In the end, there are better pay-per views than SummerSlam 2013 but there are also worse.

Rating: B

Next Time in Review Corner: WWE Straight to the Top – The Money in the Bank Ladder Match Anthology DVD and Blu-ray

Onwards and upwards...



Friday 25 October 2013

HELL IN A CELL 2013 - THE DEVIL'S MISTAKES




Since it’s inception in 1997, the Hell in a Cell Match has been one of the highlights of WWE’s product. Originally only used to end a major feud, the match in recent years has been devalued thanks to the company wheeling it out whenever they needed a decent pay-per view buy rate and the Hell in a Cell themed pay-per view events have added to that with meaningless matches which are usually predictable in their results.

2013’s offering looks to be the best yet, with a strong storyline running through the centre of the show and the return of John Cena after his return from injury – early – Hell in a Cell 2013 could be the defining event of the year if WWE get it right on the night.

On October 27th from the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida, this is WWE Hell in a Cell 2013.

WWE Championship Match
Hell in a Cell Match
Special Guest Referee: Shawn Michaels
Randy Orton vs Daniel Bryan

I’ve heard many people complain about the ending to the vacant WWE Championship Match at Battleground on October 6th. The problem WWE had is that if Daniel Bryan defeated Randy Orton on the night, as he did at Night of Champions, then it would all but ended Randy Orton’s heat for the continuation of the feud. The face knocking off the heel two pay-per views in a row would zap our interest totally in the feud. Who could believe Randy Orton would go on to defeat Daniel Bryan again if he was pinned or submitted to the ‘Yes’ lock? In the same vein, had Randy Orton pinned Daniel Bryan on the show it in some people’s eyes it could have had an adverse effect on Daniel Bryan’s challenge for the main event spot.

Which left Vince with a problem. Did he unnecessarily end a feud which still had months in it or did he risk upsetting the fans for one night in order to keep a profitably programme between two talented men going for the foreseeable future? It’s the same as do you shoot one man to save a thousand or let them all die? For me, Vince made the right choice. I would rather see one dissatisfying ending and have the feud continue rather than WWE practically end it so soon into its run and have the returning John Cena take Daniel Bryan’s place. If that had happened then the whole feud would have been bereft of surprises. There would have only been one winner.

Could WWE have gone about this a different way? Yes. The perfect answer would have been to scrap Battleground altogether, but not for the reason you think I’m getting at. In 2013, WWE followed TNA and cut their pay-per view output. Instead of holding Extreme Rules and WrestleMania in the same month the company opted to push Extreme Rules back to May and they should have done the same with Hell in a Cell and Battleground. I would have much preferred to see one pay-per view in October and have WWE give themselves time to build up a new take on the Daniel Bryan vs The Corporation. This could have been done with a one night tournament in the vein of Survivor Series 1998.

Of course Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton would have advanced to the final to clash for the vacant gold – had WWE made the Championship vacant at Night of Champions, remember Battleground would have been cut from this scenario – but along the way the pair could have included some lower card talent in their feud and leant a helping hand in the furthering of talent who need the help. Had Randy Orton and Daniel Bray just scraped through matches with the likes of Antonio Cesaro, Kofi Kingston, Bray Wyatt and Curtis Axel then it would have had a huge impact on the mid-card and lower card, to the point where all four men would have had the aura of nearly defeating two men WWE hold in such esteem going into Hell in a Cell. If the company wanted to do something different in order to give a fresh flavour to the Orton vs Bryan main event matches then what better way to have a Fatal Four Way Hell in a Cell Match for the WWE Championship?

The point of all this is to point out how easy it would have been for WWE to do something different with Randy Orton and Daniel Bryan. Sooner rather than later the WWE Universe are going to tire of seeing Orton and Bryan in the main event month after month and WWE is going to have to do something drastic to swathe our calls for change. Hell in a Cell could be the beginning of that change and with Shawn Michaels as Special Guest Referee I smell yet another heel turn on its way. More on that in a moment, but what better time to shed new light on the feud than have one man – Randy Orton in order to keep the feud going – take the WWE Championship and then have Orton and Bryan lead their own Survivor Series teams against each other in November. It would be a great distraction and one WWE need to implement seeing as the plan is obviously to have the pair square off in a TLC Match in December.

I feel that in the past two months, I have said everything I can on the Randy Orton vs Daniel Bryan matches on pay-per view. I’ve voiced my opinions, expressed my thoughts and right now, for the second pay-per view in three weeks I do not know what else I can add. Thankfully WWE have seen sense and added a wild card to Hell in a Cell in the Special Guest Referee, Shawn Michaels. You will have read above that I suspect something is afoot with the choice to have Triple H’s best friend as the referee in this match and should he turn on the man he trained, Daniel Bryan, then it would lend a great deal of heat to the feud as well and another angle to explore. Shawn Michaels is never going to wrestle again, but he could play a vital part in the proceedings as we head into 2014. By siding with Triple H and appearing here and there on television, WWE could build a story of revenge of torn loyalties to run simultaneously with the Randy Orton and Corporation vs Daniel Bryan affray.

Gradually, as we enter Royal Rumble and WrestleMania XXX, Triple H and Shawn Michael’s fractured friendship would deteriorate on screen as ‘The Game’ gave Shawn Michaels task to complete – which would involve costing Daniel Bryan the WWE Championship – until he finally had enough. Michaels could then begin to botch tasks given to him before WrestleMania XXX comes around. Now at this point everything I’m about to say is dependent on WWE booking Randy Orton and Daniel Bryan in the main event of the show and not ruining it all by throwing John Cena in there.

Should WWE book the finale to the feud at WrestleMania XXX then it should go down like this; after botching tasks at Royal Rumble to allow Daniel Bryan to win the 30 man match, Shawn Michaels would join Triple H, Vince McMahon and Stephanie McMahon in the ring at the conclusion of the Randy Orton vs Daniel Bryan WWE Championship Match on the card. As Triple H and his family beat down Bryan in front of Michaels, Triple H would hold up a weary Daniel Bryan and order Shawn Michaels to hit him with the Sweet Chin Music. After a moment of contemplation Shawn Michaels would wind up for the move but at the last moment change direction and nail Triple H with the move, taking out Stephanie and Vince too, allowing Daniel Bryan to pin Randy Orton for the Championship victory. That would be the perfect ending to a great feud and WrestleMania XXX. It could be explained later that Shawn Michaels had changed his mind about costing Bryan everything he worked for and his actions in botching tasks were a deliberate attempt to allow Bryan to move on and become champion.

I think everyone will agree that would be the perfect ending to the feud as long as Shawn Michaels didn’t touch Randy Orton and allowed Daniel Bryan to do the work against his opponent. That way no one can say that Shawn Michaels won the match for Daniel Bryan. Shawn Michaels would have his revenge on Triple H and the McMahon Family and Daniel Bryan would finally get the victory he has been waiting for and stand tall – ready to take the WWE by storm in 2014.

Hell in a Cell will be the continuation of the feud between Orton and Bryan and this time there has to be a winner. WWE cannot continue this feud without a WWE Champion and to keep this feud alive and kicking, let’s just hope its Randy Orton who is standing tall at the end of the night. If not, then who knows where WWE can take this feud next.

Winners Prediction: Randy Orton

World Heavyweight Championship Match
(c) Alberto Del Rio vs John Cena

Too much, too soon, is the thought that went through my mind when it was announced that John Cena would return to action at Hell in a Cell, after the company announced Rob Van Dam would be taking some time off – just four months after returning to the company. As well as being a huge pointer that WWE have no other talent ready to step up, it’s a risky choice the company have made to bring back a man who only two months ago had surgery on his arm and was predicted to be out of action for 4-6 months. It’s not the first time WWE and John Cena have done this of course, the company man has retuned from injury too early before and suffered for it.

Just think of everything WWE could have done with 6 months of Cena-free programming. They could have built new stars, they could have cemented their intentions to strengthen each division and more importantly they could have shown us how serious they are about making things better instead of papering over the cracks by sending John Cena back to wrestling school. No one can say that John Cena wouldn’t have been ready to step back in the ring and learn to clean up his act because two months after surgery, here he is. Had WWE resisted temptation then they could have put Cena back through his paces for four months. Imagine how much better Cena would have been after all of that. In fact it should have been John Cena who suggested WWE take this course of action. We’d have respected him more for it. And before the Cena faithful bombard me with messages about his fine performance at SummerSlam, one great match doesn’t erase all those horrendous ones.

It’s a come down of sorts for Alberto Del Rio. Not in stature. John Cena is maybe the biggest name Del Rio could face at this moment in time. But for what it means. Those with long term memories will remember all of the times on pay-per view the pair have done battle before and it doesn’t end well for the Mexican. Let’s hope this time is different, because Alberto Del Rio has been a tour de force as World Heavyweight Champion and it would be a crying shame if it was all undone by WWE having such an inferiority complex that they thought they couldn’t possibly continue without Championship gold around John Cena’s waist.

WWE need to ask themselves if they’re prepared to cut such a great heel reign short just to feed Cena and his fans egos. If they are then I would then question the judgment of those people who answered yes to that question. It’s a well documented fact that John Cena has cut enough careers short because if his slapdash nature in the ring and Alberto Del Rio has suffered at the hands of WWE and its start/stop booking in the past few years. If WWE begin to repeat that process just because their top star is back then I’m not sure Del Rio’s career could take another hit. Surely its common sense that Alberto Del Rio would defeat John Cena at Hell in a Cell then captain a team against Cena’s at Survivor Series in order to protect the Champion.

At this point in time John Cena does not need protecting. He could lose every match for one whole year and still be a main event star in WWE and the fans eyes. John Cena losing matches of this calibre to get his opponent over and ensure they go into another feud or the rest of the year strong is only going to enhance Cena in the long run as someone who has the future of the company as his priority. That would be a different side to Cena and one we only see on rare occasions. John Cena could compete in this feud without having to win it and WWE should be concentrating on furthering Alberto Del Rio instead if feeding Cena fans what they want all the time.

Anyone who thinks I’m wrong, consider this. This is the second time in two consecutive years John Cena has had problems with his arm / elbow. In 2012 he was out for a month plus change because of his injured elbow and this year Cena was out for two months plus an operation because of the same arm / elbow. What happens next time? There will undoubtedly be one. Cena’s schedule is so packed that he’s bound to injure the arm again. But what if it’s more serious? What if John Cena tears more tendons or even breaks his arm and is out for six months or more? Suddenly WWE are going to feel the wrath of their own gluttonous pig headedness. If WWE sacrifice Alberto Del Rio to John Cena again after doing so much good with the faux millionaire, then who replaces John Cena at the top of WWE’s mountain should something more serious go awry? 

And that’s what it’s all about. Long term planning. It has to be the top of the priority list for a company like WWE and all possible outcomes have to be covered. WWE have to have options to take Cena’s place in case something goes wrong and he can’t perform. WWE have to have cover for every position on the card because they’ve failed to do so before and this time, there’ll be no excuse for them to give. If Alberto Del Rio loses to John Cena at Hell in a Cell then everything will have been for nothing and WWE will be back at square one.

Yes its a good idea to put Cena in this situation to keep him away from the Randy Orton vs Daniel Bryan feud but only if the company are going to do the right thing. Should Cena prevail then it not only tells us where WWE’s priority lies but the company will also be sending the message that John Cena is more important than talent such as Dolph Ziggler, Christian and Rob Van Dam – all of which have failed to defeat Del Rio for the gold, some numerous times. The effect that will have will be disastrous.

At Hell in a Cell 2013, Alberto Del Rio should finally be allowed to put old demons to rest. The match may just scrape past the post or it may be the surprise of the night. But when that final bell rings the World Heavyweight Championship must still be around the waist of Alberto Del Rio – done so by a clean pinfall. It’s the only way to show that John Cena isn’t the be all and end all and that WWE are capable of thinking of other talent that will be able to carry the company into the future.

Winners Prediction: Alberto Del Rio

Hell in a Cell Match
2 on 1 Handicap Match
C.M Punk vs Ryback and Paul Heyman

Not only is this a rematch from Battleground but this is also a rematch from one year ago at Hell in a Cell 2012 – barring the active inclusion of Paul Heyman. For those who remember last year’s rather disappointing effort, Punk defended the WWE Championship against the upcoming Ryback in the shortest Hell in a Cell Match in WWE history. The match was the first time Ryback had been pinned or lost in the business when Brad Maddox – the special guest referee – hit Ryback with a low blow as he was ready to delivery the match winning Shell Shocked, allowing C.M Punk to roll up the challenger for the victory. That was one year ago. It’s amazing how much difference three hundred and sixty five days can make.

One year on, both men are lower down the card than they were this time last year. Instead of being WWE Champion, a mantle Punk fitted into perfectly, ‘The Straight Edged Saviour’ hasn’t had even the smallest sniff at the WWE Championship since Elimination Chamber and is now feuding with the man who managed him to victory in the latter part of 2012, Paul Heyman. For Ryback, Hell in a Cell can be seen as the moment Ryback’s main event career all but ended. Going into his 2012 Hell in a Cell Match against Punk, Ryback wasn’t nearly as popular as needed to be to have him defeated that early on in his career and WWE did more harm than good by booking the match to take place inside the steel structure. In 2013, Ryback has had WWE Championship opportunities but none of really believed that he would take the gold away from John Cena. Apart from that, the rest of 2013 has been a disaster for the Goldberg wannabe.

In all truth, this should have been the feud which put Ryback on the map again. The one which made people sit up and say, ‘okay, maybe he’s had a rocky start, but he actually does something’. Everything that’s come before from Ryback would have been forgiven, if not forgotten, had he really put everything he had into this rehashed feud with Punk. Ryback didn’t have to be the greatest wrestler in the world, there are ways and means around the in ring work if he’d have just shown one ounce of enthusiasm or charisma. But he hasn’t. Once again the man with more muscles than brains has snarled and flexed his way through the programme yielding very little result.

Questions are beginning to arise now of whether Ryback was the right choice to add to Paul Heyman’s stable of Brock Lesnar and Curtis Axel. Surely there are other more deserving young talent out there who would have benefited from the exposure of both being aligned with Paul Heyman, not to mention running a programme with C.M Punk had it been their first venture into the business. NXT has a thriving scene of young guys who look better than Ryback – less jacked up – and who can wrestle ten times better than Ryback, who could have given C.M Punk a great match and a great feud. Just think how big it would have been for someone new, if they had made their debut at Night of Champions and attacked C.M Punk in the vein of The Shield at Survivor Series 2012. It could have sky rocketed someone new to stardom.

As head of new development, Triple H should have insisted on this happening. I can’t be the only one who can see that it would have cut out years of build up and burials when the company inevitably got bored of their new protégé who will now debut to no fanfare and lose to anyone and everyone before receiving a push should the company still be keen on them. Ryback is a dead end and everyone can see it but Vince McMahon and his stooges who tell him everything’s fine and there’s nothing wrong with the product. The most worrying thing is where Ryback’s push is going to end.

For anyone who was privy to the early WrestleMania XXX plans in early October, they make for worrying reading. Depending on what happens with The Rock and whether he wants to have one last match with Brock Lesnar, The Undertaker will be left with Ryback. A plan WWE seems keen on and depending on which source you read, then WWE have actually voiced the option of Ryback being the one to end ‘The Streak’. Not only is that a ridiculous statement but if The Undertaker is ever going to lose at WrestleMania (which I doubt he ever will), then it should be to someone who has prospects and a future in this business and someone who needs that kind of heat. Not Ryback. According to all sources, the storyline will be centred around Paul Heyman pushing Ryback to do what C.M Punk couldn’t.

There is always the other option which WWE did in 2004 and that’s building up a possible Ryback vs Brock Lesnar feud in 2014. Lesnar will be staying with the company next year and needs a new feud if he’s to stay fresh in his part time capacity. Whilst I’d rather see another C.M Punk vs Brock Lesnar match, Ryback vs Brock Lesnar could be an interesting avenue to explore as both men have very intense and hard hitting ring styles.

If WWE aren’t planning a Ryback vs Lesnar feud and Ryback inevitably loses at WrestleMania XXX to The Undertaker – should the pair clash, then where else is there for the company to take the Goldberg impersonator? He’ll have lost to The Undertaker, he’ll have inevitably lost this feud to Punk when it’s all said and done and there’s clearly no space for him at the top of the card anymore after his 2013 main event run with John Cena. Would it be a better idea to persevere with the character and hope against hope that he gets over with the fans or axe the character completely and put it down to experience? After investing so much in Ryback the company will carry on with him until the time comes they can’t. Ryback wouldn’t be the first experiment to end up on the cutting room floor and he certainly won’t be the last.

C.M Punk is better than this. We all know that. He should be at the top of the card but right now there’s no room for him. Randy Orton and Daniel Bryan are taking up all the room and when there is a space; John Cena will no doubt be inserted into that space. Which means C.M Punk has to bide his time until WWE see that they need him in the main event. The Ryback feud is a mere distraction whilst WWE dream up the next phase in the Punk vs Heyman feud which will undoubtedly end with a match pitting C.M Punk vs Paul Heyman, most probably at WrestleMania XXX – which would be a comedown for Punk.

If WWE want to do something huge with Punk then this would be the road to take. End the Punk vs Heyman feud at Survivor Series in a Survivor Series Elimination Match pitting Brock Lesnar, Ryback, Curtis Axel and Paul Heyman vs C.M Punk, The Miz plus two other wrestlers who need the exposure and then add Punk to the main event of TLC to freshen up the WWE Championship picture in a Fatal Four Way TLC Match for the company’s top championship. Punk would inevitably lose but then win the Royal Rumble match in January, cashing in the briefcase at WrestleMania XXX at the conclusion of the Randy Orton vs Daniel Bryan match. If WWE played the win well then Orton could go over at WrestleMania XXX and by losing it to Punk then WWE could begin another feud with either C.M Punk vs The Corporation or Punk vs Orton for the WWE Championship.

Of course all of that is what could be. WWE have got to be willing to push someone else other than John Cena in the WWE Championship picture. If WWE plan to have John Cena defeat Daniel Bryan for the gold in 2014 as payback for Bryan’s victory at SummerSlam then it may be wise to insert Punk into the World Heavyweight Championship picture. He’s the perfect foil for Alberto Del Rio and the pair could contest a thrilling series of matches before Damien Sandow cashed in the Money in the Bank briefcase, beginning a new feud with C.M Punk. A feud which Punk could help Sandow shine in and one which hasn’t done before.

Anything is better than a rerun of a feud that isn’t even a year old yet. C.M Punk needs a challenge. C.M Punk needs to be the best, because at the moment Daniel Bryan is whitewashing him to that crown. At the top of the card C.M Punk can add something to WWE. Where he is now, Punk is merely where he was in 2007 – 2008, getting lost in the shuffle. And as everyone in WWE knows, that’s a very dangerous place to be.

Winners Prediction: C.M Punk

WWE Tag Team Championship Match
Triple Threat Match
(c) Cody Rhodes and Goldust vs Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins vs The Usos

In my opinion it was a huge mistake for WWE to take the doubles straps off of two thirds of The Shield and put them around the waist of the Rhodes / Runnels brothers. Cody Rhodes is a star of the future, there is no doubt in anyone’s mind about that. From the moment he stepped into a wrestling ring it was apparent that he was destined for greatness. His father was one of the greatest stars this industry has ever had and the younger Rhodes is following in his footsteps. However, where my gripe lies is with his tag team partner.

WWE in 2013 is mostly or at least should be a young mans game. There are those wrestlers who are over the 40 plus age limit and get along nicely without upsetting the Status Quo of things. They ply their trade down the card teaching the younger guys coming through what they know. Most of them! What they don’t or shouldn’t do is take a Championship which said younger guys were doing some good with and try to emulate what has already been done. Now, pause. As a lower card talent who has just signed a brand new contract with WWE, Dustin ‘Goldust’ Rhodes / Runnels can’t go to WWE creative and say that he thinks they’ve made a mistake – he doesn’t wield that kind of power. Only stars such as Randy Orton, John Cena, C.M Punk and Daniel Bryan can get away with that. But Goldust, at forty plus years old could at least voice his opinion in a way which seems like he’s thinking of the future generation of stars.

Anyone who believes that Goldust isn’t good friend with Triple H after their time coming through WWE’s ranks together is either dumb or naive. The pair have a great understanding of each other and Triple H more than anyone knows Goldust’s limitations in the ring and as a champion. No one, hand on heart can truly say that any of Goldust’s WWE Intercontinental Championship reigns in the mid 1990’s were brilliant. In fact Dustin had passed his best in the early 1990’s when he left WCW. His finest days were combating Steve Austin for the WCW United States and Television Championships. By the time he arrived in WWE in 1995 he was stagnant. His biggest reaction by far was in the 2011 Royal Rumble Match – long after everyone though he was gone for good and whilst he did some good for Sheamus, which he deserves a lot of credit for, in WWE’s ECW in 2009, his run in the company has been less than satisfactory.

I know that WWE have switched Champions to hype a story between the Rhodes Family and Triple H and The Corporation, but it would only have taken a very quick review of Dustin Rhodes’ time as Goldust to realise he wasn’t the right choice as one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions in 2013. It may sound like I’m griping for nothing, but in actual fact I’m only trying to think of what is best for business. It would be a travesty right now for WWE to allow someone who has never truly sparkled to drag the tag team division and Tag Team Championships right back to where they were when Extreme Rules 2013 went on the air. Rollins and Reigns did wonders with the gold even making a top class match out of nothing on the Money in the Bank 2013 pre-show with The Usos.

There were other roads that WWE could have gone down with this feud. The first was mentioned with in the Battleground preview, where Cody Rhodes and Triple H would wage a war which could have ended at Hell in a Cell inside the ‘Devil’s Playground’, with Rhodes defeating Triple H clean in the middle of the ring. It would have been a stature enhancing victory for Rhodes who would have been catapulted to unprecedented heights from the result and it would have been vindication for Triple H, who would have been lauded for finally doing what WWE couldn’t in nearly five years and that’s smashing the glass ceiling that Cody Rhodes has been kept under. Randy Orton got so close in 2010 when Rhodes reigned as WWE Intercontinental Champion and then WWE took it all away with his crushing defeat to Big Show at WrestleMania 2012. It could have been the beginning of something...unforgettable.

The second option involves the team which don’t even factor in this storyline but are included in this match – The Uso’s. The Samoan tag team and sons of WWE legend Rikishi could have relieved WWE of its problem in one foul swoop. There was no need for WWE to put the tag team gold on Cody Rhodes and Goldust just to emphasise the feud between then and The Shield / Triple H / Corporation. Instead of the Tag Team Championship change happening on Raw, free TV, WWE could have done so at Hell in a Cell in a continuation of the Rhode’s Family trying to regain their jobs. This scenario happens in the place of Cody and Goldust emerging victorious from their Battleground match with Reigns and Rollins.

Still out of a job and seeking revenge on those who sought to take his career from him, Cody Rhodes and Goldust, along with father Dusty Rhodes invade Hell in a Cell, costing Reigns and Rollins the Tag Team Championships to The Uso’s at Hell in a Cell. The plan would have been great for the Runnels brothers as well as The Uso’s. The Samoan’s would have obtained a huge victory over a reputable team, Reigns and Rollins would have been saved the bother of losing their coveted gold to a middle aged, over the hill has-been such as Goldust and the Runnels brothers would have looked even more persistent than they did with their victory at Battleground. It would have leant all three teams even more to their image and the storyline an interesting twist.

The Uso’s are one of WWE’s premier tag teams, though not that you’d know it for the way the company have treated them. The real life brothers have all the talent in the world and are certainly one of the contenders WWE should be looking at in rebuilding the doubles division underneath The Shield. Along with teams such as The Real Americans, Los Matadores, Los Locales – Ricardo Rodriguez is determined to make the wrestler gimmick work even though he’s an announcer, to the point where his Los Locales team with Tyson Kidd has been touring recent tapings of NXT to much acclaim – then WWE could build a very convincing tag team division of the likes they used to have. Pairing odd wrestlers who need the rebuild such as Kofi Kingston, The Miz etc then the sky is the limit for WWE’s doubles division but they need to act now.

With The Uso’s WWE have – I have already said this – the modern day equivalent of The Headshrinkers, who their blood line connects to as one was their uncle and the other their father. WWE would never be able to recapture the magic they had with The Headshrinkers in the early 90’s but they wouldn’t need to. Turn the Uso’s heel and stop them coming out looking as if they’re headed for a rave. They’re convincing no one. Put them in black get up and repackage them as a cannibalistic team – call them ‘The New Headshrinkers’ if you have to, just do something before its too late. Repackaged as an incarnation of their relatives with a new twist would be everything the pair need to succeed as they wouldn’t be restricted to what they can do as a face team. It makes perfect sense, what doesn’t is why WWE haven’t done so already.

Separately, Jimmy and Jay aren’t going to get anywhere in WWE. They’re too small and WWE don’t see them as serious contenders to the United States or Intercontinental Championships. Together, with the right gimmick and backing from the WWE machine then they could go on to define an entire generation of tag team action.

Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns haven’t been given half of the credit they deserve for their stint as WWE Tag Team Champions. After defeating Daniel Bryan and Kane at Extreme Rules 2013 in May the tandem, along with WWE United States Champion Dean Ambrose have been one of the best things on WWE television. Every attempt to hinder them has been thwarted with expertise, putting them on pre-shows so they can’t be seen hasn’t worked out for the company as the matches were so good people went out of their way to watch them. It made no sense when WWE took the gold off of the pair on a free aired edition of Monday Night Raw. It devalued the Championships and all the work the pair have done.

There was so much more left to do with the pair as Champions and other opponents they could have made before dropping the gold. Simply put, the division underneath them isn’t yet stable enough to survive without Reigns and Rollins ruling on top. Logic dictates that you only replace the champion(s) when there is someone else ready to take the throne. Cody Rhodes is a singles star who should be in the main event and Goldust simply isn’t good enough despite his excellent singles match on Raw with Randy Orton which has to be credited mostly to Orton. The Runnels brothers aren’t what WWE need in the tag team division right now when the people were buying into the dominance of The Shield as a force in the company.

Going from rarely defeated to regularly looking at the lights for anyone and everyone, The Shield has become a parody of their former selves. All three men; Rollins, Reigns and Ambrose are the best hope WWE have of reigniting a spark under their ailing doubles division and they need all the help they can get. That doesn’t include jobbing them to anyone and everyone who walks that aisle. At Hell in a Cell, WWE needs to put them back on top as quickly as possible as this match has to serve to do two things. Replace the Rhodes brothers on top of the tag team mountain and advance Cody Rhodes as the serious threat he looked like at Money in the Bank – because Damien Sandow is failing miserably.

Winners Prediction: Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns

WWE Divas Championship Match
(c) A.J Lee vs Brie Bella

And on and on and on it goes. In a repeat of our Battleground preview, what can I possibly say about this that I haven’t said before? For what seems like the billionth time but on pay-per view but is actually only the third, A.J Lee – the saviour of WWE’s Divas Division – defends her Championship against Brie Bella, who is yet again only included here because she’s engaged to Daniel Bryan and WWE don’t want to risk upsetting him in case it has an adverse effect on their main event output.

I am convinced that A.J has come back from her concussion too quickly and its maddening that WWE would put her back in the ring with the woman that is partly if not wholly responsible for the injury. With her accident prone nature and her lack of in ring skills, Brie Bella is a very poor choice of challenger for A.J when the company has so many talented females waiting in the wings for a chance. Like her former storyline boyfriend, Dolph Ziggler, A.J should have been kept out of the ring until WWE were sure that she was a hundred percent fit. Yes, it took Dolph Ziggler five weeks to recover from what was a very nasty concussion – and he still wasn’t fully ready when he returned – but the time out is worth it when you consider that A.J could suffer in the future.

We’ve been over this match so often that whilst this section is very short I have nothing else to add on the matter. I could sit here and go through this and that until our eye bleed but I won’t because it bores me and you as well. You don’t want to hear me go through the same old facts and I don’t want to write them, for that reason I’ll end on this. If WWE do decide to take the WWE Divas Championship off of A.J and stick it on the tiresome Brie Bella yet again then it may as well bury its women’s division with a full service and forget it ever happened.

Winners Prediction: A.J Lee

Hell in a Cell Kick-Off Match
WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
(c) Curtis Axel vs Big E. Langston

Where did it all go wrong for Curtis Axel? The man is the son of the late WWE legend Mr. Perfect, one of the greatest wrestlers to ever step foot in a ring. He has the genes, he has the knowledge and he’s shown us that he has what it takes to get it done in the ring. So why has he been so lacklustre in the ring in recent months? He was the star of the triple threat match at Payback and he had a very good match with Kofi Kingston at the beginning of Night of Champions, though his star was dimmed somewhat by the participation in the 2 on 1 handicap match later in the night. So why now has he decided that after all of this, years of toiling, maybe the wrestling industry isn’t worth it?

I don’t know if Curtis Axel has realised that wrestling hasn’t got the magic it promises unless you’re at the top but something is wrong and WWE either don’t want to or don’t care to address it. Could we actually blame Axel if he saw the horrific truth of wrestling? No. It’s the business which was partly responsible for the death of his father (Curt ‘Mr. Perfect’ Henning died in 2003 of a massive cocaine overdose) and it’s the business which has shattered many dreams and taken the lives of many more wrestlers, most of which Joe Henning grew up with. If it hasn’t taken them then it’s almost certainly ruined them. Shawn Michaels almost ruined himself both physically and mentally during the first act of his career. If it wasn’t his back which nearly broke him then it was his addiction to drugs which almost ruined his life (Michaels kicked the drugs when he married and found God, he is clean and wholesome in 2013). Then there was Road Warrior Hawk who Henning grew up with as his father was close to the Legion of Doom. Hawk, like Curt Henning, passed away from a massive drug overdose – his usage of illegal drugs was and still is infamous in the wrestling industry. The British Bulldog who passed away in 2003 was heavily medicated when he passed away and the effects of the business contributed to the deaths of wrestlers such as Bam Bam Bigelow, Andrew ‘Test’ Martin, Chris Benoit, Mike Awesome and Chris Kanyon who were all suffering from depression when they their lives were cut short from suicide or other causes.

Of those wrestlers Axel / Henning grew up with who are still alive but suffered heavily because of the business are Lex Luger, who Henning’s father famously feuded with in 1993 in WWE and in WCW later on. Luger, thanks to the addiction to drugs from the toll wrestling took on his body suffered a massive spinal stroke and was paralysed from the neck down for many years. Luger never thought he would walk again but in 2013 is healthy and back on his feet. Scott ‘Razor Ramon’ Hall and Jake Roberts whose lives were all but ruined through drugs and alcohol administered through the effects of wrestling. For years, both Hall and Roberts were self medicating and drinking themselves into an early grave. Happily, after moving into Diamond Dallas Page’s house and allowing him to help them overcome their ills, both Hall and Roberts are in the best health they’ve been in for years and thank god.

Wrestling is a dangerous game without a doubt, but it doesn’t have to be for Axel. If he’s holding back because he’s worried about going the same way as so many of his icons and fathers friends then he doesn’t have to be. In 2013, WWE may be a demanding place to work but I’m certain Vince McMahon has learnt his lesson about pushing his stars too hard. Curtis Axel would never be allowed to go the same way as his father or others. It wouldn’t happen unless he wanted it to and by the recent performances he’s put in then I’m sure he doesn’t want it to.

WWE need Axel to let loose as we turn into 2014. He has to live up to the hype which may be another reason he’s underperforming, and be the man that he promised to be after his rebranding. WWE can’t keep the Intercontinental Championship around his waist if he continues to phone in his performances which means they will have to find a suitable replacement of which there is no one. Believe it or not, with Paul Heyman by his side, Joe ‘Curtis Axel’ Henning is the best chance WWE have in 2013 of rebuilding its Intercontinental Championship division – it would be a crying shame if he blew it for both the company and himself.

Big E. Langston is a yo-yo performer. Dolph Ziggler brought the best out of him at SummerSlam in what had to be Langston’s best performance in the company to date but apart from that he’s a statue in the company. Langston has had a couple of good matches on Raw which have made some think twice about him as a performer, but a great wrestler performs time and time again, not on sporadic occasions. I don’t see how or where Langston fits in the company in 2013 as he’s not WWE, World Heavyweight, Intercontinental or United States Championship material and as of now, with A.J basically going her own way and into her own storyline, Langston is treading water.

The former NXT Champion is done in WWE. There’s nothing left for him. If he had the talent to produce every night then it may be a different story. But he doesn’t and it’s not. I don’t know where he goes from here but it’s glaringly obvious to everyone watching that Langston is taking the place of someone with the skill and more deserving. If you disagree with me then answer me this. If Big E. Langston wasn’t on this or any other card, would you really miss him or notice that he was absent?

Winners Prediction: Curtis Axel

There will be a few more matches added to the line up after this preview is posted, of that I am sure. WWE can’t allow the card to go this empty when it’s possible that returning star John Cena won’t be able to go more than ten minutes. Should that happen and WWE don’t have anything else to pad out their card with its going to put a strain on the top of the tree.

Without a doubt John Cena’s return is going to be the main focal point of the evening and I fully expect his match with Alberto Del Rio to go on last in order to capitalise on the emotion of the night. However it’s the other main event match which will be the most interesting to watch to see how WWE handle this tricky situation. There has to be a new WWE Champion crowned on October 27th, if not then the company risks raising the ire of their audience who have sat through a false ending at Night of Champions and a non ending at Battleground. If Randy Orton wins then it risks damaging the image of Daniel Bryan and if Bryan wins then it risks dampening the fire under Randy Orton and the Corporation storyline. With the only solution being a Shawn Michaels or even John Cena heel turn WWE need to handle the match and the night very carefully.

Whether the company know it or not, there’s a lot riding on this night and if they don’t get it right then there won’t only be hell inside that cell but also in the television and pay-per vi buy rates for months to come.

Onwards and upwards...