Blogtrest Wrestling Talk: WWE Hell In A Cell 2017

My WWE HELL IN A CELL

PREDICTIONS

WWE's blue brand will be taking centre stage on the WWE Network for the ninth annual Hell In A Cell event which will be taking place tonight at the Little Ceasars arena in Detroit Michigan.

Much like last months No Mercy PPV I'm pretty much keeping my expectations low for this one, as it is pretty much the tale of two matches for me, which are both going to be contested in a Hell In A Cell match.

The First match that I am most anticipated for of course is Shane McMahon vs Kevin Owens as I truly believe we will be in for a very good and thrilling match, as Shane McMahon has still proved even at this stage in his career, he is willing to take any kind of risk or bump to entertain the fans and make sure his matches live up to the hype.

Tensions between Kevin Owens (left) and Shane McMahon (right) have been brewing for months, we will finally see it all unleashed inside Hell In A Cell

The Second match that I believe could come very close to stealing the show , is the WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship Hell In A Cell match between The New Day and The Usos as these two teams have proved they have excellent chemistry together and can put on one hell of a match.

The New Day and The Usos have been involved in the best tag team matches in WWE and matches of the night on some PPV's this year and will take it to the next level inside Hell In A Cell

Without further ado let's get into my predictions and thoughts of what I think will happen on the night for what I'm hoping will be a PPV that will go beyond being just solid enough.

Tag Team Match:

Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin vs The Hype Bros

Can Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin (left) keep their momentum going into a possible shot at the WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championships? Or will The Hype Bros (left) cut them off in their tracks?

I'm still not quite sure what to make of the new dynamic and pairing of Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin or what the end game is for this team, but I have a feeling there are plans to insert them right in line for the WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championships when this night is over.

As for The Hype Bros, it has been a very long time since I have seen them do anything of significance on TV and believe a boat has been missed with these two as I just can't see them taking off with any steam in the near future and it's most likely down to Zach Ryder's injury which most likely killed any big momentum they were gaining.

This should prove to be a good opening tag team match to warm up the crowd.

What Will Happen: Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin will defeat The Hype Bros.

What I Want To Happen: Same as above.

WWE Tag Team Championship Hell In A Cell Match:

The New Day(c) vs The Usos

Who will emerge from this tag team war in the Cell as the WWE Smackdown Tag Team Champions?

I can confidently say that this is going to be a superb WWE Tag Team Championship match as the ingredients are all there for an epic all out war inside a Cell between the two best tag teams in the WWE (yes I mean it).

If there had to be another match on the card to take place in a Hell In A Cell it would most definitely be this one.

I'm not sure how far these teams will go in the Cell though as there may be a plan not to outshine the main event cell match on the card, but I am expecting to see the Cell be used for some high flying antics.

I also feel that this will be the final encounter between these two teams over the belts as the Cell is usually a place where feuds are settled and I think it's time for the Smackdown Tag Team Championships to back to who I think is the most entertaining tag team in all of WWE.

What Will Happen: The Usos will defeat The New Day to once again become the WWE Smackdown Tag Team Champions.

What I Want To Happen: Same as above.

Singles Match:

Randy Orton vs Rusev

Will 'Rusev Day' be back on track with Rusev (right) getting a big win over The Viper Randy Orton (left)

The more I see of Rusev on my TV screen, the more I become a massive fan of him, and it's a real shame that the WWE don't seem to want to get strongly behind his heel character which has been super entertaining and funny, it's a character that puts a smile on my face when he is in a segment, look no further than the 'Rusev Day' segment from two weeks ago on Smackdown as an example of why I love this character.

I really feel that Rusev should be in the role of Jinder Mahal as the foreign heel WWE Champion right now.

As for Randy Orton, it has not been a good 2017 for his character at all as he is really showing signs of staleness, and it may be time for a heel turn somewhere down the line soon.

I am expecting this match to actually be a contest this time around, unlike the poorly booked SummerSlam match which saw Rusev get pinned in seconds by Orton.

The time for Rusev to get a much needed big PPV win is now, as Orton is in a state of no direction at the moment.

What Will Happen: Rusev will defeat Randy Orton.

What I Want To Happen: Same as above.

WWE United States Championship Match:

AJ Styles(c) vs Baron Corbin

Will Baron Corbin make his big first statement in the WWE by defeating AJ Styles for the WWE United States Championship?

It's gonna be interesting to see how this match will go down as it feels like a very fresh WWE United States Championship defense for AJ Styles after his long rivalry with Kevin Owens over the belt.

It is also going to be interesting to see if the WWE plan to give Baron Corbin another push by making him a midcard champion and giving him his first major championship in the company, as he has been given a new epic entrance theme in the past weeks.

It does however seem weird that Tye Dillinger is not involved in this match in some way, but I feel we may just see some kind of appearance and shenanigan from him.

What Will Happen: Baron Corbin will find a way to defeat AJ Styles for the WWE United States Championship.

What I Want To Happen: AJ Styles defeats Baron Corbin to retain the WWE United States Championship.

WWE Smackdown Women's Championship Match:

Natalya(c) vs Charlotte

In a match up that is generations in the making, will the Sharpshooter succeed or will the Figure Four Leglock provide victory?

I must say it is good to see Natalya finally at the top of the WWE Smackdown Women's division as it is very much well deserved after a very long period of being stagnant and lost in the shuffle, she is also being booked dominant too, especially after making Charlotte tap out this past Tuesday on Smackdown.

Charlotte as a babyface however has not had the impact that it should of had since moving to Smackdown as her character just seems so much weaker than her previous Raw heel persona which was well on it's way to becoming one of the all time great female characters in the WWE.

We should witness a very solid WWE Smackdown Championship here, as it will be the battle of the Shaprshooter and the Figure Four Leg Lock.

What Will Happen: Natalya will defeat Charlotte to retain the WWE Smackdown Women's Championship.

What I Want To Happen: Same as above.

Singles Match:

Bobby Roode vs Dolph Ziggler

Will Dolph Ziggler (right) prove that he is the best in ring performer or will Bobby Roode (left) silence Dolph for good?

I'm not sure what to expect from this match, as it could end up being a excellent contest between two great athletes or it could end up being a disappointing dud, it will be interesting to see if these two have in ring chemistry.

Dolph Ziggler's character has taken a very crazy heel twist in the past 3 weeks, and I'm not sure if this angle is serving as his company swan song as there is a smell in the air that Ziggler could well be leaving the WWE soon when his contract is up.

This has potential to be the darkhorse match of the night.

What Will Happen: Bobby Roode will defeat Dolph Ziggler.

What I Want To Happen: Same as above.

WWE Championship Match:

Jnder Mahal(c) vs Sinsuke Nakamura

Will Jinder Mahal (left) yet again find a way to retain the WWE Championship? Or will 'The King of Strong Style' capture his first WWE title?

The feud between Jinder Mahal and Sinsuke Nakamura has been very underwhelming to say the least as all we have had between these two is Jinder Mahal cutting 'racist' joke promo's mocking Nakamura and his broken english, and that's it.... yep that's it.

When I look at both Jinder Mahal and Sinsuke Nakamura, I can't help but wonder and imagine how much more this feud could have been between these two as there could of been a sort of Jackie Chan movie feel where Nakamura, the honourable and courageous japanese martial artist goes on a one man campaign to take down the evil Indian tyrant Mahal and his stooges the Singh Brothers, a feud which would incorporate more out of the arena segments, just something anything more than what has just been a very lazy and playing it safe booked feud so far.

But this is the WWE we have to put up with in this era.

As for this match, I am not really expecting anything out of the ordinary, it is possible that it may be a step up from their very underwhelming Summerslam match.

I also don't think that WWE are ready to put the WWE Championship on Sinsuke Nakamura yet.

What Will Happen: Jinder Mahal will retain the WWE Championship by Disqualification.

What I Want To Happen: Sinsuke Nakamura defeats Jinder Mahal to become the new WWE Champion.

Falls Count Anywhere Hell In A Cell Match:

Shane McMahon vs Kevin Owens

Will Shane McMahon (left) get his revenge? Or will Kevin Owens (right) successfully continue his rampage with a victory?

And here we have it, a match that should prove to be a lot of fun and hot favourite to take match of the night on the card.

This is perhaps the most organically booked match that the WWE has put on in a very long time as the tension has been rising for months between Kevin Owens and Shane McMahon, and it was just a matter of time before these two came to blows. It just makes so much sense.

WWE seems to be putting a lot of stock in Kevin Owens now, and definitely see him as a major player for the company as there are rumours that he could be moving back to the Raw brand soon.

His segment with Vince McMahon where he savagely attacked the chairman of the board, very much looked like Kevin Owens definitive breakout moment in WWE and it has given this match a real personal 'blood feud' feel going into it.

I will very much be getting the snacks out for this one as we could see this match go all over the place and we most likely be in for some major highlight reel calibre bumps and spots.

What Will Happen: Kevin Owens will defeat Shane McMahon.

What I Want To Happen: Same as above.

And there you have my predictions and thoughts for what should be a slightly above average PPV overall.

Feel free to leave your comments and opinions on what you think will happen on the night.

-Simeon Barrett

Blogtrest Wrestling Talk: WWE No Mercy 2017

WWE NO MERCY 2017

PREDICTIONS

WWE No Mercy will be live tonight at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles California where many SummerSlam events have taken place over the past years, which doesn't give me much hope for a ruckus crowd at the event tonight, but I could be wrong.

I must say that I am somewhat interested in this PPV as the WWE have managed to once again put together two interesting 'first time' match ups which is one thing that I do commend WWE for doing as of late as we do tend to get too many of the same old, same old when it comes to feuds and opponents at PPV's

The first attraction of this PPV is of course the first time showdown between the Franchise of WWE John Cena and 'The Guy' that WWE desperately want to be the new franchise of the company Roman Reigns, which should prove to provide some thrills and a lot of near falls.

The John Cena & Roman Reigns feud has revolved around them 'shooting' on each other which to me has just felt weird and fabricated and just shows how the WWE has tumbled since the days of The Rock & Stone Cold who would never need to cut 'shoot' style promos on each other to get a feud over with the audience

The other main attraction is that of The Beast Incarnate and reigning defending WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar clashing with the 'Monster among Men' Braun Strowman, which is sure to provide a explosive encounter that will provide a big highlight reel at the end of the night.

It's going to be very interesting to see two bohemoths in Braun Strowman (left) and Brock Lesnar (right) tear each other apart in the ring for the WWE Universal Championship

As for the rest of the No Mercy card however, my enthusiasm is not really there as it still feels very thrown together, and does not scream 'must see' at all to me.

WWE also seem to be going into their annual slump too going into this PPV as there have been reports of the arena being half empty this past week on Raw, which again is a result of the WWE not putting enough oomph into their feuds across the board on the roster, WWE still feels like a 'if you miss it' 'you haven't missed anything at all' product.



And that's how No Mercy over all feels like going into tonight.


But without further ado let's run down the card as I give my thoughts on what I feel will happen on the night and what I personally would like to see for each match:

Singles Match:

Apollo Crews vs Elias

Will Elias (right) knock down another road obstacle in Apollo Crews (left) on 'the walk of Elias'

WWE Pre shows normally mean only one thing; a last minute put together match with no build to warm the crowd up for what's to come on the main card.

And this match up is exactly that.

I must say that I am a huge fan of Elias and his 'drifter' character, his awkward singing in the ring with his guitar which always offends and get's under the skin of the fans always puts a smile on my face and makes me laugh, and is genuinely one of the best things on Raw (which doesn't have much) and it's pretty much down to the fact that Elias has CHARACTER, something that is missing big time from the WWE nowadays.

Apollo Crews on the other hand is a character that just oozes babyface staleness and as great as Titus O'Neil is he just isn't shining well on Crews, which makes me think just how great it would be if WWE turned Apollo Crews heel along with Titus O'Neil and have him adopt a smug heel character who uses his constant smiling to annoy the fans 'who can't bring him down', this stuff pretty much writes itself.

I expect this one to be a pretty short affair that will be used to keep the momentum going with Elias as I feel the WWE have to give him a big program soon, as he is just too good to waste.

What Will Happen: Elias will defeat Apollo Crews

What I Want To Happen: Same As above.

WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match:

Neville(c) vs Enzo Amore

Will Enzo Amore (right) capture the Cruiserweight Championship and turn it into the 'realest' championship in the room?

It can't be denied that Enzo Amore is very much a bright spot of Raw and his talent just can't be held back, as much like Elias, he has character and is a big presence on the mic, despite his small size. He is very much over with the fans and one of a very few who actually get a reaction from the crowd on the WWE roster.

Intergrating Enzo into the Cruiserweight division is a smart move by WWE as it puts a spotlight on the Cruiserweight championship due to Enzo's Charisma.

I expect this bout to be a very fun match up and one that could very well surprise people as Neville is a freak of a performer in the ring and Enzo can take one hell of a bump and a beating in the ring.

It's going to be very interesting to see if the WWE are going to pull the trigger on Enzo Amore being the face of the Cruiserweight division here.

This is a match to definitely keep tabs on on the card.

What Will Happen: Enzo Amore will defeat Neville to become the new WWE Cruiserweight Champion.

What I Want To Happen: Same as above.

WWE Intercontinental Championship Match:

The Miz(c) vs Jason Jordan

Will Jason Jordan (right) pull off an upset and win his first major Championship in the WWE? Or will The Miz (left) keep the WWE Intercontinental Championship tour in business?

In what was originally planned to be a SummerSlam bout, we have the ever entertaining and reigning Intercontinental Champion The Miz taking on the WWE's new 'blue chipper' Jason Jordan in what is his biggest match in the WWE so far.

And I feel Jason Jordan will no doubt impress in the ring, as in my opinion his ring work despite having a stale character is a thing of beauty everytime he steps in that ring, I absolutely love Jason Jordan's explosiveness and the way he excutes those belly to belly and belly to back suplexes on his opponents and it very much reminds me of Kurt Angle in his prime (yes I believe his work is that good and can get to that stage) which is why I can now see what Vince McMahon saw when he decided to put Jason Jordan in the position he is in now.

However Jason Jordan's character and mic skills really need to improve for him to become the complete package in the WWE, and I feel turning Jordan heel down the line is definitely the way to go to bring out his personality more.

The Miz continues to be a excellent top midcarder on the Raw roster who most definitely deserves to be thrown into the main event mix again some where down the line as he very much seems like a seasoned superstar with the work he has done this year.

This will be a decent bout that will see Miz use his slow and methodical style to slow and cut down Jordan's explosiveness which could make for good in ring storytelling.

What Will Happen: The Miz will retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship against Jason Jordan.

What I Want To Happen: Same as above.

Singles Match:

Finn Balor vs Bray Wyatt

Will Bray Wyatt (right) prove that Finn Balor (left) is nothing without the call of The Demon?

This is a feud that is really not going anywhere or doing anything for either of these two superstars, much like the very underwhelming Bray Wyatt vs Randy Orton feud which showed promise, this feud has pretty much been a dud for me ever since it started, which is a huge shame because Finn Balor's Demon character should be able to mesh well and provide a epic feud full of character with Bray Wyatt, but yet again uninspired writing and direction has seen this fall flat.

I am also baffled as to why after having a match that involved Finn Balor donning the Demon character at SummerSlam, are we now having a straight up match with just regular Finn Balor taking on Bray Wyatt which is just backwards booking when you think about it.

This match should of been contested in a street fight or better yet have it take place in Bray Wyatt's compound yard somewhere, where Finn Balor could start the match off as his regular self and then morph into the Demon as the match goes on, it would make for great atmosphere and WWE could right the mistakes of the very flat House Of Horrors match which took place at Payback earlier this year between Wyatt and Orton.

I'm really not expecting anything new or different from the SummerSlam bout here. And it's a shame.

What Will Happen: Bray Wyatt will defeat Finn Balor.

What I Want To Happen: Same as above.

WWE Raw Tag Team Championship Match:

Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins(c) vs Cesaro & Sheamus

Will Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins (left) yet again hold off a very determined Cesaro & Sheamus (right) to retain the WWE Raw Tag Team Championships?

I'm not quite sure what to make of Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins as WWE Raw Tag Team Champions as of late, as I don't feel that they have made much of an impact with the titles, it pretty much seems like a demotion for the pair of them as they are now not really being featured as a big deal or being thrusted into any main event feuds.

It also feels like Ambrose and Rollins have had over a dozen matches with Cesaro & Sheamus and it is getting stale despite good in ring performances. I also can't help but feel that the Hardy Boyz should be slotted into Cesaro and Sheamus's place here as it would make for a fresh and exciting match up.

This match should be the last we see of these two going at it for the titles. Hopefully the Hardy Boyz will be next in line for the championship retainers here.

What Will Happen: Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins will retain the WWE Raw Tag Team Championships.

What I Want To Happen: Same as above.

WWE Raw Women's Championship Fatal 5 Way Match:

Emma vs Bayley vs Alexa Bliss vs Sasha Banks vs Nia Jax

Who will prove that they are the undisputed Queen of the Raw Women's division?

WWE really love booking Fatal 5 Way matches these days and we're getting a pretty interesting Raw Women's Championship one here.

This could pretty much go in any direction as we have Nia Jax who has been on a role as of late and has been somewhat finally getting a reaction from the crowds, Sasha Banks who just can't seem to catch a break with the WWE Raw Women's Championship as it's proving to pretty much be a hot potatoe for her everytime she defends it, Bayley who has lost her way quite a lot on the roster due to very poor booking who could be a dark horse here, and last but not least we have the dark horse Emma, who just looks out of place and randomly shoved into the mix of things here.

I'm expecting Nia Jax to really shine here in what will be a fun match for what it is.

What Will Happen: Nia Jax will become the new Raw Women's Champion.

What I Want To Happen: Emma causes a shock and becomes the new Raw Women's Champion.

Singles Match:

John Cena vs Roman Reigns

Who will prove that they are the true Franchise of the WWE?

I have a feeling that this match will be going on last on the card but I will still talk about here before the Universal Championship bout.

So here it is a match that would normally be reserved for a grand scale PPV like Wrestlemania, finds itself carrying a less than stellar No Mercy PPV on it's back, it's a showdown that has been on the mind of many fans including myself despite the hate for both of these characters that have been fabricated and shoved down the throats of fans for the longest finally coming to a head in the ring, to answer the question of 'Who is WWE's true franchise player?'

I'm not expecting this match to be a technical masterpiece, not by a LONG shot, but I am expecting this match to cause a lot of atmosphere and really get the crowd going as they will make the choice of who they hate more between two of the WWE's chosen men.

The in ring work for this one will either become very slow and methodical or be an all out smash mouth brawl, as i'm not quite sure how the Cena style will mesh well with Reign's style as they pretty much move the same in the ring.

I do feel that this match will be the last appearance of John Cena for a while as he goes on a long break for other commitments, which means he will be most likely be doing the honours for the man that the WWE are reportedly determined to go on and beat Brock Lesnar for the WWE Universal Championship at Wrestlemania, Roman Reigns. 

Beating Cena here puts Reigns well on track for that plan as much as the majority of the fans do not like it.

Hopefully this bout does not disappoint.

What Will Happen: Roman Reigns will defeat John Cena.

What I Want To Happen: Same as above.

WWE Universal Championship Match:

Brock Lesnar(c) vs Braun Strowman

Will Braun Strowman (right) conquer the beast and put the icing on the cake of what has been a impressive 2017 so far by capturing the WWE Universal Championship?

Just like any match that Brock Lesnar is involved in, I am very much looking forward to this one, as we have two reckless bohemoths going at it for the big prize.

Braun Strowman for me has been the superstar of the year and 2017's MVP, as he has really took the ball that WWE have given him and ran all the way with it, from his impressive presence, to his great matches with Roman Reigns, to his monstrous in ring work, WWE most definitely have a new 'big man' to take over the mantle from the likes of The Big Show and Kane, but that's if and it's a big IF, they don't find a way to ruin his character before it can get into it's prime and really generate money for the WWE and become a regular marquee talent.

As much as I love Brock Lesnar, I can't help but feel that his title reign is very stale and has out stayed it's welcome, but if the rumours are true about Lesnar being champion until Wrestlemania next year then we are in for a tough ride as I feel Lesnar's lack of appearances really do affect the state of the Raw's main event scene and the championship itself.

With that being said though, I still don't think Brock will drop the title here despite Strowman being on a very impressive role.

What Will Happen: Brock Lesnar will retain the WWE Universal Championship.

What I Want To Happen: Braun Strowman defeats Brock Lesnar to become the new WWE Universal Champion.

And there you have it, my thoughts on what I feel we will see on the night of what should be a slightly decent PPV.

Feel free to leave your comments and opinions on what you think will happen on the night.

-Simeon Barrett