We've said it here before, but never judge a WWE pay-per view by a lacklustre build-up. Last night's WWE Hell In A Cell delivered in a big way, from top-to-bottom. From the moment Dolph Ziggler defeated Cesaro 2-0 to retain his Intercontinental Championship in a classic 2-out-of-3 Falls Match, the scene was set for a good night.
All champions retained their belts, with Sheamus downing Miz to remain US Champion, AJ Lee holding onto her Divas belt over Paige and GoldStars defeating The Usos. In truth, the results of the majority of the undercard were of no surprise, but when it's all executed well, that doesn't matter. Something that seemed predictable, right until it didn't happen, was Mark Henry turning on Big Show during or after the latter's loss to Rusev. Then WWE cut to black and kept the team's implosion for another day. Nikki Bella beating her sister Brie didn't surprise in terms of the result, but the match itself continued the Bellas' streak in defying the doubters that they can work in the ring.
Credit where it's due, WWE acquiesced to many fans' demands by having the true hot feud, Rollins/Ambrose, go on last, relegating Cena/Orton to the midcard instead. They attempted to compare Cena and Orton's never-ending rivalry to great feuds of the past like Austin/Rock, but in truth the two often have poor chemistry in the ring despite being ideal character foils for one another. Having said that, though, this was one of their better outings inside the cell, and Cena won with a top rope Attitude Adjustment through a table to earn another title match against Brock Lesnar.
Then came the main event. Ambrose and Rollins immediately lived up to its high billing, as the two begun the match atop of the cell, with Jamie Noble and Joey Mercury sputtering around with them trying to restore order. Sure enough, both former Shield members would end up going through the respective announce tables upon their descent from the structure. That was all before the bell even rung. The match itself seemed ripe to become an all-time classic HIAC bout (and may still be), until the lights went out and Bray Wyatt appeared in the ring to attack Ambrose and cost him the match. It was a random ending to an otherwise pay-per view, and one that could prove a treat in the near future as the two look set to do battle.
Here were the night's highlights, in tweets and GIFs:
That's NOT how Hell In A Cell matches work, Sabrina!
Hope Ambrose beats the crap out of Rollins,but I have a feeling there will be a disqualification RT@Jack_Munden @WWEUniverse Seth or Dean?
— Melissa Joan Hart (@MelissaJoanHart) October 27, 2014
Ziggler vs. Cesaro in a 2-out-of-3 Falls match kicked off the show...
I'm going quiet for this match, it requires my absolute attention. — HEELWrestling (@HEELWrestling) October 27, 2014
Cesaro is strong, he doesn't need to play by your standard rules...
In a submission hold. 20cm from the ropes. "Ropebreak? Nah I'm good." Good man Cesaro... #HIAC #LowBlows
— Paul McGrath (@WesterosBatman) October 27, 2014
THIS is how Cesaro gets out of a submission hold...
All-in-all, it was a pretty great match...
"Assholes…” -everyone backstage who has to follow that #HellInACell — Top Rope Tuesday (@TopRopeTuesday) October 27, 2014
Of course, some fans still weren't happy with the result...
@AKATheMaskedMan "You get mad when Ziggler loses, and you get mad when Cesaro loses? We can never please you people, can we?!?"
— Jay McQuade (@mcquadejay) October 27, 2014
Ziggler winning two straight falls was a rarity...
If that was Cena he would have won 3 out of 3 falls #LowBlows — Pauliebhoy (@pauliebhoy67) October 27, 2014
Next up was the polar opposite of that match...
Here comes the @BellaTwins match to remove that awful taste of wrestling @HEELZiggler & @WWECesaro left in your mouths #HIAC
— WWE Creative Humor (@WWECreative_ish) October 27, 2014
It wasn't long before the fans began chanting for 'JBL' during it...
When the fans chant for the announcers... you know what's going on in the ring is an absolute piece of shite. #HIAC — Breanne Christina (@HighestHEELS_x) October 27, 2014
Rookie mistake...
Oh for fuck's sake, I just went to the bathroom, when am I supposed to go now?! #HIAC #LowBlows
— Eanna Brown (@Syconawt) October 27, 2014
Nikki won the match with the amusingly named, 'Rack Attack'. Her original finisher was the Breastbuster.
The announcers thankfully refusing to call Nikki’s finisher “Nikki’s Rack” #HIAC — David Bixenspan (@davidbix) October 27, 2014
Watching Bella matches often leads your mind to wander...
The showdown betwixt @BellaTwins has begun. If Brie is always Brie, then isn't she always in "Brie Mode", making it not a mode? #HIAC @WWE
— Simon Gotch (@GotchStyleWWE) October 27, 2014
They aired a pretty amazing ad for WWE 2K15...
My God would WWE ever be better if it were being booked by the people that put together that commercial. — Todd Martin (@ToddMartinMMA) October 27, 2014
Forget 2-out-of-3 Falls, next the Usos and GoldStars continued their Best of 79 series...
No matter who wins here, we can't wait to see the rematch on RAW, and SmackDown, and Main Event, and...is Sunday Night Heat still on? #HIAC
— WWE Creative Humor (@WWECreative_ish) October 27, 2014
How does it come to pass that they wrestle literally EVERY night and this DOESN'T happen?!?
Wish we got a Dusty vs. Rikishi brawl out of this feud. Dusty in some weird makeup wearing a Mickey Mouse Fantasia hat, Rikishi doing topes. — Fatty Bear (@GolazoDan) October 27, 2014
Ah, as much as you have to love him, sadly Goldy is getting on in years...
Goldust, the man that gravity forgot. Not a high-flyer or anything, just takes about ten minutes to fall down. #HIAC #LowBlows.
— Paul McGrath (@WesterosBatman) October 27, 2014
Despite her heel turn on NXT, thank god the cheesy puns from our own Becky Lynch haven't ceased...
Well that was dustpicable #HIAC — Becky Lynch (@BeckyLynchWWE) October 27, 2014
In the video before Cena/Orton, their rivalry was compared to Ali/Frazer, Brady/Manning and Austin/Rock, among others...
There's nothing like a great rivalry...and Cena vs Orton is nothing like a great rivalry.
— MaffewOfBotchamania (@Maffewgregg) October 27, 2014
Quicker fans spotted that WWE had finally given into their pleas...
Having Ambrose and Rollins close the show has restored a part of my faith in the company. #wellplayedwwe #lowblows — Swisster Abigail (@JADESWISSROLL) October 27, 2014
Both guys did the ritualistic check of the cell's structure beforehand...
WWE superstars are all amateur engineers, all very concerned in checking the cells structure and links #WWE #LowBlows
— Scott Murray (@scottmurray27) October 27, 2014
The ring ropes are thanks to it being Breast Cancer month in WWE, so why not?
Imagine if the Cell was pink — rovert (@SoDuTw) October 27, 2014
It's not the same as the days when Mick Foley used to bleed out during these matches...
PG Hell In A Cell is akin to a forceful time out in a school's nursery #HIAC #WWE
— Wrestling Memes (@Wrestling_Memes) October 27, 2014
FROM OUTTA NOWHERE!!!
Harsh. Funny...but harsh...
At this point @RandyOrton has overcome AA more times than Jake Roberts. #HIAC — WWE Creative Humor (@WWECreative_ish) October 27, 2014
Time for some comic relief next, as Miz with Damien Mizdow in his corner took on Sheamus...
What if Mizdow isn't pretending and he's actually wrestling a spooky ghost? #WWE #HIAC
— Wrestling Memes (@Wrestling_Memes) October 27, 2014
After Sheamus won, he had some fun with Miz's prone body (and, no, not the way Kane does with prone bodies)...
And the 2014 WWE Moment of the Year goes to........ #HIAC pic.twitter.com/THi1bX3Eyp — WrestlingRumors.net (@WrestleRumors) October 27, 2014
Things got dramatic as Big Show defended his country's honour in taking on Rusev...
Good to see they've repurposed the stock footage from the BOLIEVE videos to this Big Show-Rusev package.
— David Shoemaker (@AKATheMaskedMan) October 27, 2014
Rusev won, and despite being at ringside, Mark Henry didn't turn on Big Show...
Good call on that heel turn, literally everyone on twitter #HIAC — Top Rope Tuesday (@TopRopeTuesday) October 27, 2014
WWE gave away the result to the next match during the promo that aired before it. Idiots!
AJ title in SurSer promo whaaat spoilers whaaat
— HEELWrestling (@HEELWrestling) October 27, 2014
Overheard fan heckles never reflect well, especially on grown adults...
A low self-esteem wrestling fan yelled 'get some sun tan for once!' at a woman who tours the world for a living. #hiac — Justin Henry (@JRHWriting) October 27, 2014
Main event time in Dallas!
We know you want us to break our "no blood" policy but maybe the city where Ebola was found isn't the best place to do it. #HIAC
— WWE Creative Humor (@WWECreative_ish) October 27, 2014
It began perfectly as Dean Ambrose climbed the cell to kick off the match...
"We're all going to die tonight!" - Dean Ambrose as he scales the cell. This is going to be epic! It already feels epic! #HIAC — WrestlingRumors.net (@WrestleRumors) October 27, 2014
Seth Rollins ordered the new stooges to get him down from there...
JAMIE NOBLE AND JOEY MERCURY'S GOING OFF THE CAGE INTO MICHAEL COLE'S LAP.
— Stephen (@TwerkingStephen) October 27, 2014
NOT THE TIME, BECKY!
Mercury is braving the elements up there, quite a noble thing to do #HIAC — Becky Lynch (@BeckyLynchWWE) October 27, 2014
That all led to this...
And, after 20 minutes into the action, they entered the cell and the bell finally rang...
“”And we’re underway!” After 20 years, Michael Cole has uttered his first memorable line on commentary. #HIAC #LowBlows
— Rick Nash (@AMTRick) October 27, 2014
Ambrose had a slew of unique weaponry waiting for Rollins inside...
Ambrose with a screwdriver. He's like Doctor Who with Borderline Personality Disorder. #hiac @TNACreative @WNSource — Justin Henry (@JRHWriting) October 27, 2014
He looked to have it won until, pretty randomly, Bray Wyatt appeared in the cell from through a smoke hologram...
This is how I always figured The Shield would end.
— rovert (@SoDuTw) October 27, 2014
I'm glad this match took place in a gigantic cage with a roof on it so no one could interfere. — Adam Lash (@newfoundmass) October 27, 2014
After Wyatt pummelled Ambrose, Rollins made a shneaky pin...
The entire deal just served to confuse a lot of people...
@AMTRick Confused Latin w/ French and assumed the imminent rebirth of the Rogeaus in an attempt to plug the network. #Rogeaus2000 #LowBlows
— Jamie Donohoe (@JayDRFC) October 27, 2014
Let's give the final word to Jamie Noble and Joey Mercury's joint Twitter account (yes, this is a thing. An amazing thing)...
We're not the kind of guys to say we told you so....... But...... We told you so! #SethIsTheFuture #HIAC — WWEJJSecurity (@WWEJJSecurity) October 27, 2014
WWE Hell In A Cell - Quick Results
Kickoff Show: MARK HENRY def. BO DALLAS
2/3 Falls: Intercontinental Champion, DOLPH ZIGGLER def. CESARO (2-0)
Loser Must Become The Winner's Personal Assistant for 30 Days: NIKKI BELLA def. BRIE BELLA
WWE Tag-Team Champions, GOLD & STARDUST def. THE USOS
Hell In A Cell for #1 Contendership to WWE World Championship: JOHN CENA def. RANDY ORTON
US Champion, SHEAMUS def. THE MIZ
RUSEV def. BIG SHOW
Divas Champion, AJ LEE def. PAIGE
Hell In A Cell: SETH ROLLINS defeated DEAN AMBROSE
Rick Nash is a former professional wrestler, the co-host of Balls.ie's official WWE podcast, Low Blows, and the founder of WWE Parties Ireland, who last week revealed details of their WWE Survivor Series Party in Woolshed Dublin. He is also a DJ and terrible sports gambler, so feel free to share some tips with him on Twitter.
