With so much promotion for SmackDown Live on Fox, many of us have forgotten there is an actual pay-per-view this weekend. It isn’t just any pay-per-view either, as Hell in a Cell takes place on Sunday.
Even though there has been little preparations for Hell in a Cell this year, we have attempted to come up with our predictions. There is not a full match card yet, so this should be an interesting one.
WWE Championships Not Scheduled For Hell In A Cell?
Interestingly, the WWE Championship match has not yet been scheduled for Hell in a Cell. However, it is expected that Kofi Kingston will defend his title against The Beast Brock Lesnar. The potential match is likely to be announced on SmackDown this Friday night.
While normally I would predict Brock Lesnar winning this match, I think we are in for a surprise. I think the match will be a disqualification and that this DQ will be caused by none other than The Fiend. Subsequently, Kofi Kingston will retain but will have to face The Fiend next.
I do not see Brock Lesnar playing a prominent role on SmackDown Live for long. While the WWE may keep him around for a little while after the Fox launch, I don’t see him on SmackDown Live long-term.
The Fiend Versus Seth Rollins (C) For The WWE Universal Championship Match
This will be the match of the night. The Fiend is the most interesting character on the roster and the outcome of this match will influence the rest of the pay-per-view.
Bray Wyatt has been built extremely strong, so he should be the obvious winner. However, if Bray goes to SmackDown he may pop up during the potential WWE Championship match.
No matter where Bray Wyatt goes at this point, I do not see him losing to anyone. So, no matter the storyline developments, it will be a wonderful night for Bray.
Sasha Banks Versus Becky Lynch (C) For The Raw Women’s Championship
Becky Lynch has been advertised as a SmackDown superstar, despite the fact she is on Raw. It is therefore expected that Sasha Banks will take the title from Lynch before she moves to the blue brand.
Banks will be an excellent heel champion on the Raw brand. There are plenty of potential feuds for her, too. So, Becky losing her title to Banks is not the worst thing. I may not be one of Sasha’s biggest fans, but this could be a great storyline development.
Roman Reigns & Daniel Bryan Versus Erick Rowan & Luke Harper
Sad to say that I don’t care as much for this match, but it should be a good one nonetheless. As Luke Harper and Erick Rowan just recently reunited, the win should go to them with little consequence for Roman and Daniel.
You do have to wonder what’s in the cards for Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns after this match. It seems like the pair have little direction at this point. Not sure if this has anything to do with the upcoming draft, but it has been quite noticeable.
Charlotte Versus Bayley (C) For The SmackDown Women’s Championship
I believe Bayley will move to Raw to join Sasha Banks. And, I believe Charlotte will take the title from Bayley during Hell in a Cell. Bayley only held onto her championship with some dirty tactics at Clash of Champions. This time, The Queen will reign supreme.
If Charlotte takes the title from Bayley, there could be an interesting feud in the nearby future. Remember, rumor states that Becky Lynch will end up on the blue brand. If indeed true, it means that Charlotte could face Becky next if she becomes the champion.
The Revival (C) Versus The New Day For the SmackDown Tag Team Championship
I believe Kofi Kingston will retain his title at Hell in Cell, which means The Revival are likely to retain. I do not think their reign will last much longer though. After all, The Fiend may be coming for Kofi’s title next and he is likely to lose against Wyatt. As soon as Kofi loses his title, I believe The New Day will become champions once more.
Shinsuke Nakamura (C) Versus Mustafa Ali For The Intercontinental Championship
With Sami Zayn by his side, I am sure Shinsuke Nakamura will retain. Nevertheless, I would love to see Mustafa Ali take the win here. I think he would do brilliantly with the Intercontinental Championship if he gets the right exposure. So, fingers crossed for Mustafa Ali.
Drew Gulak (C) Versus Lio Rush For The Cruiserweight Championship
This match was a surprise! After all, the status of Lio Rush has been in question for many months. Now, he gets a title opportunity against Drew Gulak. Despite the title opportunity, I think Drew Gulak will have no problems retaining his title.
We do need to mention that this match will not necessarily happen at Hell in a Cell. It could take place during the next episode of NXT. Therefore this match is subject to change.
Changeable Match Card For Hell In A Cell
As we mentioned in the introduction of this article, Hell in a Cell has not been advertised as usual. At the time of this article, the match card is rather unclear and very likely to change. Subsequently, some of the matches mentioned here might not happen at all or could be substituted.
There has been significantly less advertising for Hell in a Cell. Hopefully, this will not affect pay-per-view quality and its subsequent storylines. While I am not too confident with the WWE’s attention divided among SmackDown, NXT and the superstar draft, I have no doubt that the wrestlers will deliver.
Hell in a Cell is one of the biggest pay-per-views of the year, but it has not felt like that at all. In fact, Hell in a Cell feels like an afterthought with heavier focus on SmackDown Live on Fox and the NXT-AEW war. Hopefully, this does not become too much of a trend.