WWE’s Hell in a Cell pay-per-view is coming at you live from Detroit this Sunday! Here are Ringside Intel’s lock-solid predictions for the event!
October 10th Update
Well, it seems like a few (ok, most) of our predictions were mostly wrong. But that’s sort of a good thing! Unpredictability is good. Let’s take a look at how wrong we were!
Randy Orton vs. Rusev
Rusev and Randy Orton will meet in a rubber match Sunday after they each earned past victories over each other in a matter of seconds. Will Rusev be able to get revenge for his ruined Rusev Day celebration?
What happened: Randy beats Rusev…again. Because Randy Orton needs the win???
Katie: It seems like Randy Orton has officially moved into the John Cena-esque part-timer phase of his career, and therefore it is now his entire purpose to put over other talents. He did it for Jinder Mahal, much to my chagrin, and I think he’ll do it Sunday for Rusev – albeit after shenanigans from Aiden English.
Hunter: The “Who Needs A Win” mentality does not exist within WWE. Only in the minds of fans. In the eyes of Vince, a win is only to fulfill a storyline or to build someone up. That’s it. So what story fits best here? A slowing-down veteran looking for revenge or the boisterous upstart who has been in the middle-card for far too long. Rusev wins. Then we get Randy Orton – Aiden English which will be the weirdest feud since that time R-Truth was a paranoid mega-heel.
Bobby Roode vs. Dolph Ziggler
After weeks of mocking other WWE Superstars’ iconic entrances, Dolph Ziggler finally got the response he was looking for – in the form of Bobby Roode. This match definitely has a lot of potential, but who will emerge victoriously?
What happened: Roode wins via roll-up before being IMMEDIATELY attacked by Ziggler after the match. Guess we’re getting more of this one?
Katie: There’s a lot working against Ziggler’s favor here. Not only has he been the go-to guy to put over new NXT call-ups, but Hell in a Cell is also Roode’s debut main roster PPV. However, I’m reticent to predict a straight burial for Ziggler, so I’ll say Roode gets the win via DQ after Ziggler realizes that Roode is way more than just a flashy entrance.
Hunter: Bobby Roode will win. This is a stone-cold lock. There’s no way Ziggler wins here. You don’t come up and get crushed in your first feud. Not the way they’re building up Roode.
AJ Styles (C) vs. Baron Corbin for the United States Championship
After weeks of poking his nose where it didn’t belong, Baron Corbin was finally granted his desired title shot against U.S. Champion AJ Styles. Could the Lone Wolf possibly pull off an upset of the Phenomenal One?
What happened: Corbin does indeed win! Katie got Dillinger being a factor right kinda! I got the boos and indifference part right!
Katie: I’m confused about this whole feud and that makes it hard to pick a winner. On the one hand, I want AJ to drop the U.S. title so he can move into the WWE Championship picture; on the other hand, AJ losing to Corbin seems like a bad joke. But if Corbin loses, where does he go from there? Also, will Tye Dillinger be a factor? I just don’t know. Whatever the case, I’ll say Corbin gets the shock win of the night, possibly after botched interference from Dillinger.
Hunter: If you’re one of these people who believe that Corbin is being “punished” for his tweets, then AJ Styles is winning. But if you believe that Vince still sees money in the Lone Wolf then Corbin is winning. AJ can survive the loss. I don’t know if Corbin can. Corbin wins and gets pelted with boos and indifference.
Natalya (C) vs. Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Women’s Championship
Natalya and Charlotte are poised to make history Sunday night as they square off for the SmackDown Women’s Championship. Will Nattie retain or will Charlotte reign supreme?
What happened: The streak is over! Nattie wins via DQ and cements her bad-girl reputation. We’ll get a rematch at Survivor Series?
Katie: It seems like a foregone conclusion that Charlotte will win here. After all, Natalya is 0-5 in one-on-one title matches against Charlotte. HOWEVER, I think Nattie will retain on Sunday. Why? Because Charlotte and Nattie have a date inside a steel cage at Starrcade in Greensboro, and that’s where Charlotte needs to win.
Hunter: Women’s titles in WWE change hands more often than a $1 bill. At one time Charlotte had a PPV winning streak that WWE built-up and subsequently dropped at the PPV BEFORE Wrestlemania. Wouldn’t shock me if we get some sort of Detriot screw-job either. Or maybe they’ll just put on a good match and Charlotte will come out on top once again. Let’s go with the later.
The New Day (C) vs. The Usos for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship inside Hell in a Cell
The New Day and The Usos have had a monopoly on SmackDown’s tag titles for months now, and Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods, and Big E only recently regained the straps from Jimmy and Jey. It was also New Day’s decision to up the ante and fight inside the Hell in a Cell. Will their challenge backfire?
What happened: The Usos win a BRUTAL one. I think this left us all wanting more. How do the stakes get higher after a match that left everyone wincing and cheering?
Katie: This feud has been going on forever and yet it’s still exciting, which is a testament to the chemistry these two teams have. That being said, this match could definitely steal the show – and I think New Day will retain. It’s time to stop the back-and-forth for a little bit.
Hunter: I agree with Katie here. I think we’ll get a New Day vs. Fashion Police feud coming up next. The momentum of the division is strong. I wouldn’t mind an Usos – Fashion Police feud either. New Day retains.
Click Next to see how WRONG we got the two main events!
Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens in a Falls Count Anywhere Hell in a Cell match
The rivalry between SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon and Kevin Owens extends all the way back to April when Owens was moved to the blue brand during the Superstar Shake-Up. After weeks of escalating tension, Vince McMahon ordered Shane and Owens to settle their differences inside the Hell in a Cell – in a falls count anywhere match.
What happened: Well, I think if you gave us a thousand guesses, neither of us would have picked “Kevin Owens wins with the help of Sami Zayn.” The match was hard-hitting as expected but the swerve at the end shocked everyone!
Katie: The only thing I am absolutely sure will happen in this match is that Shane will fall from somewhere very high. Other than that, I’m kind of stumped as to which way it will go. It seems likely that someone else from Clan McMahon will interfere, but will they cost Owens a win that should otherwise be an easy pickup for him? I don’t know. I really don’t. But I need to pick someone to win, so I’ll pick Owens.
Hunter: Shane continues his losing streak. I expect this match to be all sorts of craziness. That it is a “Falls Count Anywhere” match guarantees that this match will be out of the cage for a lot of the allotted time. I don’t know how Shane tops jumping from the top of the cage, but I am sure they’ll find a way. As for worries that Shane can’t wrestle, I will remind you his Wrestlemania match against AJ Styles was the surprise match of the night.
Jinder Mahal (C) (w/ the Singh Brothers) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the WWE Championship
Shinsuke Nakamura came up short in his title shot against Jinder Mahal at SummerSlam thanks to interference from the Singh Brothers. Will he be able to best the Modern Day Maharaja on Sunday, despite the match not taking place inside Hell in a Cell?
What happened: Well, the feud is probably over. Mahal won clean as a whistle. What is next for him? Probably more boos? Who is his next opponent though? And what happens with Nakamura? Hopefully, he moves into a feud with AJ or possibly a US title run?
Katie: Mahal is wildly unpopular and he cut a racist promo against Nakamura. Unfortunately, Mahal is also champion because it’s allegedly what’s best for (international) business – and Mahal and the Singh Brothers are touring India next week. Mahal will retain via help from the Singh Brothers AGAIN because this match isn’t inside Hell in a Cell for some reason.
Hunter: End this feud. Give the title to Nakamura. Make Jinder a job guy again. This experiment was a failure. It is OK. Let’s just move on and forget it.
How’d We Do?
Hunter: 2 out of 7. Didn’t predict any of the swerves, but got the Mahal-Nakamura feud conclusion right!
Katie: 2 out of 7. Bonus points for kinda predicting the Dillinger interference.
What we both got really, really wrong: The Zayn swerve, Nattie via DQ, The Tag Match, Dillinger getting into the match, Jinder winning without shenanigans or help.
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