TBM ANALYSIS 10.27.13: WWE Hell in a Cell 2013
The Blu Moovment.
The Blu Moovment.
HBK made sure a new WWE champion was crowned! John Cena's triumphant return, CM Punk puts Heyman to sleep and much more!
Kick-Off Show Match
Kofi Kingston vs. Damien Sandow
Match Result: Damien Sandow defeats Kofi Kingston with the You're Welcome!
Match Length: 6:52
Match Analysis:
Another fairly solid Kickoff Show match from two guys who are essentially treading water right now but Kingston and Sandow worked well together in the ring. I give props to WWE for pulling this match together at the last minute with Curtis Axel coming down with an injury. I wish WWE would do something useful with Kofi, in a dream world I see a heel Kofi Kingston working with Paul Heyman. It was a nice match while it lasted that saw the right person go over. It was essentially something you would see on WWE Main Event and did nothing to convince fans to purchase the pay-per-view, but again, this match wasn't even supposed to take place in the first place.
Match Rating - Mr. Blu: **
Triple Threat WWE Tag Team Championship Match
Cody Rhodes & Goldust (Champions) vs. The Shield vs. The Usos
Match Result: Cody Rhodes defeats Seth Rollins with Cross Rhodes.
Match Length: 14:38
Match Analysis:
This match definitely proved as the right choice to open the show, its always good to get the crowd hot early. Fast paced, action packed, high flying moves are ideal and this match delivered on all counts. When you have the fans chanting "this is awesome!" halfway through the match it adds to the overall feeling. The Rhodes family captures something magical last month at Battleground, and I couldn't wait to see what they could do on PPV as the Tag Team Champions. I've been a big fan of the Usos for quite some time, so I was also excited to see what they could add to the very compelling dynamic that the Rhodes and the Shield set up last month. The result was one hell of a tag team match – possibly one of the best we've seen in WWE in years. My favourite spot was Cody's superplex to Seth Rollins to the outside. I legitimately can't even remember seeing that spot before, and that's something you hardly ever get to say after you've been watching professional wrestling for as long as most of us have. Given that Cody Rhodes & Goldust retained tonight, I tend to believe the rumor that they'll hold the belts until the Royal Rumble, when Goldust will turn on Cody to set up a match at WrestleMania. Given how compelling the Rhodes family story has been over the past few months, I can't wait to see what they'll be able to do on the Road to WrestleMania. They got some legit main event level pops for the near falls. I think Rollins may be better than Kurt Angle when it comes to kicking out at 2.9999. Every time you're about to complain about Cross Rhodes, remember how it's been executed on able bodied wrestlers since his return. He's been really hitting that thing good. Rollins being on the receiving end obviously helps out too. All in all, this was a great opener that most of the matches probably can't follow.
Match Rating - Mr Blu: ****
Mixed Tag Team Match
The Great Khali & Natalya w/ Hornswoggle vs. Fandango & Summer Rae
Match Result: Summer Rae defeats Natalya with a roll-up pin.
Match Length: 4:39
Match Analysis:
Well, the good news for the Divas Division is that this was one of those rare mixed tag team matches in which the Divas outperformed the Superstars. We all know that Natalya is solid in the ring, but Summer Rae look surprisingly passable, especially for her first PPV match.The mixed tag match wasn't good, bad, or average. Everything was "fine" but I'd never watch it again. There was no need to get either of the four competitors on the card.
Mixed Tag Team Match
The Great Khali & Natalya w/ Hornswoggle vs. Fandango & Summer Rae
Match Result: Summer Rae defeats Natalya with a roll-up pin.
Match Length: 4:39
Match Analysis:
Well, the good news for the Divas Division is that this was one of those rare mixed tag team matches in which the Divas outperformed the Superstars. We all know that Natalya is solid in the ring, but Summer Rae look surprisingly passable, especially for her first PPV match.The mixed tag match wasn't good, bad, or average. Everything was "fine" but I'd never watch it again. There was no need to get either of the four competitors on the card.
Match Rating - Mr Blu: ¾*
United States Championship Match
Dean Ambrose (Champion) vs. Big E. Langston
Match Result: Big E. Langston defeats Dean Ambrose via count-out.
Match Length: 8:43
Match Analysis:
Big E. Langston was supposed to challenge Curtis Axel for the Intercontinental Championship, but that match had to be scrapped due to an undisclosed injury to Axel. That led to this somewhat impromptu match for the United States Championship. It started a bit slow, but there was some impressive physicality being delivered by the end. The big spear to the floor isn't the king of spot you usually see in an impromptu match like this. With Curtis Axel possibly on the shelf for a while, I'd have no problem with Big E. continuing to chase Ambrose's United States Championship for a while. The count out finish was weak though, but it was necessary in protecting Langston and keeping the title on Ambrose.....for now.
United States Championship Match
Dean Ambrose (Champion) vs. Big E. Langston
Match Result: Big E. Langston defeats Dean Ambrose via count-out.
Match Length: 8:43
Match Analysis:
Big E. Langston was supposed to challenge Curtis Axel for the Intercontinental Championship, but that match had to be scrapped due to an undisclosed injury to Axel. That led to this somewhat impromptu match for the United States Championship. It started a bit slow, but there was some impressive physicality being delivered by the end. The big spear to the floor isn't the king of spot you usually see in an impromptu match like this. With Curtis Axel possibly on the shelf for a while, I'd have no problem with Big E. continuing to chase Ambrose's United States Championship for a while. The count out finish was weak though, but it was necessary in protecting Langston and keeping the title on Ambrose.....for now.
Would the previously advertised Intercontinental Championship have ended the same way?
Match Rating - Mr Blu: **¼
Two-On-One Handicap Hell in a Cell Match
CM Punk vs. Ryback & Paul Heyman
Match Result: CM Punk defeats Ryback with the Go-To-Sleep.
Match Length: 13:48
Match Analysis:
CM Punk is just about my favorite wrestler on the planet, however the problem is that Punk has really been feuding with Paul Heyman for the past few months, not Curtis Axel or Ryback. That makes Axel and Ryback seem like little more that hired hands, and it's difficult to become invested in their feuds. Luckily, Punk has now vanquished Axel, Ryback, and Heyman, so I think there's hope that he'll be able to move on to a new feud. They didn't deliver much more than they did in their singles match encounters in my opinion. Plunder doesn't make plodding better. The pacing was okay, but it wasn't enthralling. Ryback's offense just isn't interesting enough in the capacity that a main event heel needs to be. The Go 2 Sleep on top of the cage was a cool visual but after months of feuding I expected bit more climatic conclusion then that.
Match Rating - Mr Blu: ***
Los Matadores vs. The Real Americans w/ Zeb Colter
Match Result: Los Matadores defeats the Real Americans.
Match Length: 5:34
Match Analysis:
This felt like a Smackdown match. It was typical TV action that would have been just "okay" on Smackdown. It deserved being on the card far more than the mixed tag obviously, it still felt bellow PPV event standards. Im willing to give the Los Matadores a chance, they need to be careful though. El Torito is just about my favourite gimmick in the trio (much like Zeb Colter to a certain point), watching him bounce around the ring hitting moves on superstars is fun. Both Antonio Cesaro and Jack Swagger are full of potential and actually make for a reasonable tag team, but are booked so inconsistently the fans can't accept the team as a real contender for the tag titles. They SHOULD be and I can only hope that WWE involves them more with the likes of Rhodes Brothers, The Shield and Usos down the line. Both superstars clearly can hang with them in the ring. Cesaro is all class, future champion - please.
Match Rating - Mr Blu: *½
World Heavyweight Championship Match
Alberto Del Rio (Champion) vs. John Cena
Match Result: John Cena defeats Alberto Del Rio with the Attitude Adjustment.
Match Length: 15:04
Match Analysis:
People will complain about the cliche 'Super Cena' comeback victory, however from my point of view it worked perfectly in this situation. They worked their match exactly how most of us expected them to. Cena was coming in off of an arm injury against the man that notoriously works over the arm in preparation for his finisher, so from a match psychology standpoint it was a perfect big time return match for Cena. He didn't have to go crazy with huge moves/spots but still managed to work an engaging match. He picked up the victory and walked away as champion which is the right call in my mind. I don't know their plans for Cena or the title moving on, but ADR just wasn't cutting it. They gave him every cheap heat trait in the book and couldn't buy boos for him. I'm sure we'll see a rematch next month with a stipulation. Funnily enough this World Title bout was probably the most anticipated for the year in many ways and we got a good match that didn't disappoint.
Match Rating - Mr Blu: ***½
Divas Championship Match
AJ Lee (Champion) w/ Tamina Snuka vs. Brie Bella w/ Nikki Bella
Match Result: AJ Lee defeats Brie Bella with the Black Widow.
Match Length: 4:47
Match Analysis:
The Divas Division may not be getting better and better every month, but at least they're not losing ground like they were for so long. AJ and Brie work together reasonable well in the ring, and the match was pretty similar to the bout we saw on Smackdown two weeks ago. That's okay with me too. I'm not sure how long Brie could maintain working a match at this point. Brie (and Nikki) has come so far in the ring though. I really don't think the Bella Twins get the credit they deserve when it comes to their progression inside the ring. Brie's half crab looks pretty damn impressive as well. I maybe had a feeling they might put the belt on Brie enabling for the 'Authority' angle to come along with Triple H' s evil shenanigans taking place all in front of Bryan's eyes which would further enhance the intensity in the rivalry, making it more personal and finally end it at Survivor Series with Orton or potentially Triple H.....that didn't happen.
Match Rating - Mr Blu: *¾
Hell in a Cell Match for the WWE Championship
Special Guest Referee: Shawn Michaels
Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton
Match Result: Randy Orton defeats Daniel Bryan after Shawn Michaels delivers Sweet Chin Music to Bryan.
Match Length: 21:44
Match Analysis:
Bryan and Daniel actually had a fairly good in-ring match, but their efforts were overshadowed by two obvious factors. First, today's WWE will never allow the kind of brutal Hell in a Cell matches that we saw in the Attitude Era, and that always limits our ability to become invested in this era's HiaC matches. If we're not going to see blood, chair shots to the head, or dives from the top of the cell, then what really makes a HiaC match so special? That may sound cynical or even barbaric, but it's a question that needs to be asked. Randy Orton, the Hell in a Cell veteran between him and Daniel Bryan, used the environment to cause suffering early on. He sent Bryan crashing into the steel steps and rubbed his head into the cell wall. Bryan dished out his own torture soon after, hanging Orton upside down and dropkicking him in the head. Orton's gleeful look as he sent Bryan into the ring post, Bryan's powerbomb and a long exchange of European uppercuts helped build the match toward the climax. Bryan took Orton's lead in mercilessness, grinding Orton against the cage. He then threw about a dozen of chairs into the ring, readying himself for an attack that never came.Orton picked through the pile of chairs and reddened Bryan's back again and again. In the end we got the screwy finish that man predicted, but I'm not even sure how screwy it was supposed to be. Did HBK really turn heel and screw over his protégé to help his best friend, or did he just snap when he saw his best friend attacked? We'll probably find out more on Raw, but the end result is what many predicted. Randy Orton is once again the face of the WWE, and my guess is that his next big challenge will come in the form of a rather angry giant. The crowd sure wasn't happy about seeing Triple H walk down to the ring. No cheers, no boos, just fearful radio silence. Shawn Michaels did a good job as ref in this one. I forgot that he was even part of the match until they wanted me to know. These guys have good chemistry plain and simple. Every move that Bryan delivered was met to response from the audience. Interested to see where things go from here.
Divas Championship Match
AJ Lee (Champion) w/ Tamina Snuka vs. Brie Bella w/ Nikki Bella
Match Result: AJ Lee defeats Brie Bella with the Black Widow.
Match Length: 4:47
Match Analysis:
The Divas Division may not be getting better and better every month, but at least they're not losing ground like they were for so long. AJ and Brie work together reasonable well in the ring, and the match was pretty similar to the bout we saw on Smackdown two weeks ago. That's okay with me too. I'm not sure how long Brie could maintain working a match at this point. Brie (and Nikki) has come so far in the ring though. I really don't think the Bella Twins get the credit they deserve when it comes to their progression inside the ring. Brie's half crab looks pretty damn impressive as well. I maybe had a feeling they might put the belt on Brie enabling for the 'Authority' angle to come along with Triple H' s evil shenanigans taking place all in front of Bryan's eyes which would further enhance the intensity in the rivalry, making it more personal and finally end it at Survivor Series with Orton or potentially Triple H.....that didn't happen.
Match Rating - Mr Blu: *¾
Hell in a Cell Match for the WWE Championship
Special Guest Referee: Shawn Michaels
Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton
Match Result: Randy Orton defeats Daniel Bryan after Shawn Michaels delivers Sweet Chin Music to Bryan.
Match Length: 21:44
Match Analysis:
Bryan and Daniel actually had a fairly good in-ring match, but their efforts were overshadowed by two obvious factors. First, today's WWE will never allow the kind of brutal Hell in a Cell matches that we saw in the Attitude Era, and that always limits our ability to become invested in this era's HiaC matches. If we're not going to see blood, chair shots to the head, or dives from the top of the cell, then what really makes a HiaC match so special? That may sound cynical or even barbaric, but it's a question that needs to be asked. Randy Orton, the Hell in a Cell veteran between him and Daniel Bryan, used the environment to cause suffering early on. He sent Bryan crashing into the steel steps and rubbed his head into the cell wall. Bryan dished out his own torture soon after, hanging Orton upside down and dropkicking him in the head. Orton's gleeful look as he sent Bryan into the ring post, Bryan's powerbomb and a long exchange of European uppercuts helped build the match toward the climax. Bryan took Orton's lead in mercilessness, grinding Orton against the cage. He then threw about a dozen of chairs into the ring, readying himself for an attack that never came.Orton picked through the pile of chairs and reddened Bryan's back again and again. In the end we got the screwy finish that man predicted, but I'm not even sure how screwy it was supposed to be. Did HBK really turn heel and screw over his protégé to help his best friend, or did he just snap when he saw his best friend attacked? We'll probably find out more on Raw, but the end result is what many predicted. Randy Orton is once again the face of the WWE, and my guess is that his next big challenge will come in the form of a rather angry giant. The crowd sure wasn't happy about seeing Triple H walk down to the ring. No cheers, no boos, just fearful radio silence. Shawn Michaels did a good job as ref in this one. I forgot that he was even part of the match until they wanted me to know. These guys have good chemistry plain and simple. Every move that Bryan delivered was met to response from the audience. Interested to see where things go from here.
Match Rating - Mr Blu: ***¾
Match of the Night:
Cody Rhodes & Goldust vs. The Shield vs. The Usos (****)
The only other match that really could be considered for MotN is Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton, but I have to give the edge to the tag team opener. Bryan vs. Orton was the main event, and it will definitely have more high-profile booking implications moving forward. But for my money, the tag team match had the best in-ring action AND the best story of the night. It wasn't as convoluted and over-booked as the main event, but it always felt more organic and more compelling. The meta story here is the gradual rebuilding of the WWE tag team division, and I think that process took a huge step forward tonight.
Trash of the Night:
The Great Khali & Natalya vs. Fandango & Summer Rae (¾*)
This match would have been pretty bad on Smackdown. That makes it horrendous on PPV. These five minutes could have been used much more productively in just about any other match on the card. Heck, with five more minutes, the opening match might have gone from MotN to a serious MotY contender.
Final Analysis:
Mr. Blu: The opening tag team match delivered in every way possible, and the WWE Championship match had decent in-ring action and the kind of over-booked finish that we expected. Everything else in the middle was fairly mundane and forgettable, and that's kind of a problem when "everything else in the middle". CM Punk and John Cena both had big wins in solid enough matches although ultimately it was one of WWE's weaker PPVs this year. But hey, at the end of the day, it's hard to not walk away from a show smiling when the MotN was a tag team match and the Rhodes family once again stole the show. Like a lot of WWE shows lately, the best matches were the bookends.
Final Thoughts
Match of the Night:
Cody Rhodes & Goldust vs. The Shield vs. The Usos (****)
The only other match that really could be considered for MotN is Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton, but I have to give the edge to the tag team opener. Bryan vs. Orton was the main event, and it will definitely have more high-profile booking implications moving forward. But for my money, the tag team match had the best in-ring action AND the best story of the night. It wasn't as convoluted and over-booked as the main event, but it always felt more organic and more compelling. The meta story here is the gradual rebuilding of the WWE tag team division, and I think that process took a huge step forward tonight.
Trash of the Night:
The Great Khali & Natalya vs. Fandango & Summer Rae (¾*)
This match would have been pretty bad on Smackdown. That makes it horrendous on PPV. These five minutes could have been used much more productively in just about any other match on the card. Heck, with five more minutes, the opening match might have gone from MotN to a serious MotY contender.
Final Analysis:
Mr. Blu: The opening tag team match delivered in every way possible, and the WWE Championship match had decent in-ring action and the kind of over-booked finish that we expected. Everything else in the middle was fairly mundane and forgettable, and that's kind of a problem when "everything else in the middle". CM Punk and John Cena both had big wins in solid enough matches although ultimately it was one of WWE's weaker PPVs this year. But hey, at the end of the day, it's hard to not walk away from a show smiling when the MotN was a tag team match and the Rhodes family once again stole the show. Like a lot of WWE shows lately, the best matches were the bookends.
Verdict - Mr Blu: **½
Thanks for reading this month's TBM WWE PPV Analysis! Survivor Series is upon us....
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