WWE Hell in a Cell 2011 Review

Sheamus Vs Christian

“Oh wait a minute, Christian going up top and got caught in mid-way through!” - Booker T

An odd choice for the opener, considering both the tag and Lucha Libre matches on the card, but this contest is just as solid as it reads on paper. This feud has been given weeks to build which means even though we're only 2 weeks removed from the last PPV, this match is both established and fresh. With the King out of action we get the welcome addition of JR to the PPV booth, which means rather than plain old bad commentary, the commentary is an eclectic mess instead. JR is starting to get back on form and I have no idea why he's been kept off PPV this long already. He's only really been employed in actual matches this year on PPV, and let's face it - that was always his true talent, right? Meanwhile, Booker T continues to find the stupidest things he can possibly say and just blurts them out. At one point he even claims Christian can actually weigh more just by jumping off the top rope! His commentary is a vivid mixture of factual, logical and grammatical non-sense and it actually brings the quality of the presentation down significantly. Thankfully Christian and Sheamus are two of the best performers in the company today and, while they deserve better commentary than they get, they still entertain despite it. Can't complain about anything in the match really – it keeps a steady pace, highlights both men and in the end the up-and-coming face defeats the veteran heel after a lengthy, even contest that could have believably gone the other way.

Rating: 4 Stars

Sin Cara (Mistico) Vs Sin Cara (Hunico)

I know this feud has gathered a mixed opinion amongst fans, but I like it. It's a classic, cheesy scenario that leads to the pure spectacle of one character fighting his own clone. It's the kind of fight you can only see in video games and pro-wrestling - and wrestling is the only place you see it live. Beyond this it's also a chance for the real Sin Cara (Mistico) to compete with a fellow Luchador (Hunico) in a WWE ring, not to mention work with another athlete who speaks Spanish. Given the style there were always going to be some botches, but in return we get an athletic contest with a lightning pace. Since Mistico was replaced by Hunico I was skeptical, yet was soon won over. In this match I continue to be more impressed by Hunico and I think his larger size and English language skills will give him an advantage over the original as time goes by. For now, the original wins as expected and gets some revenge for being impersonated (to be fair, since when do impostors go over in these things?), but don't be surprised if it isn't Hunico who is the real winner in the long term.

Rating: 4 Stars

WWE Tag Team Championship
Air Boom Vs Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler

Despite not being announced, this one's been in the works for a while so I'm glad it found it's way onto PPV. Air Boom are getting better and better, but thankfully the WWE has recognised that they need good opponents for their reign to mean anything as champions. Swagger and Ziggler take a detour from their storyline to provide us with a solid match that exemplifies how good the Raw mid card is right now. It might not mean much after tonight, but you can't go wrong with these talents when they're put together.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

World Heavyweight Championship – Hell in a Cell
Mark Henry Vs Randy Orton

Two weeks ago when Henry won the World Heavyweight Championship I had mixed emotions. I appreciate that Henry is a veteran and that he has improved all-round this past year in a way I'd never have expected. However his performances were still average by WWE standards, even if they were the best of his 15 year career. Inside Hell in a Cell though, even without the blood and violence the match is synonymous with, Henry has put on the best match of his career by a fair margin. While still not a classic, this match did everything it needed to, wasted little time and left room for future encounters. Once again Henry looked great and kudos to Orton for doing a clean job twice in a row for the World's Strongest Man. Unlike at Night of Champions, this match had an atmosphere which was furthered by JR and his long history calling HIAC match-ups. Even Booker T not understanding the rules could knock this down much, I hope the fire that being the champion has lit in Henry is not extinguished soon.

Rating: 4 Stars

Intercontinental Championship
Cody Rhodes Vs John Morrison

A great example of how to do an impromptu match-up right. Cody Rhodes came out in a suit to show off his new, CLASSIC Intercontinental Championship (which is very swank!) only to be interrupted and forced to compete right then and there against John Morrison. As much as I'm a fan of Morrison I'm not too keen on his placement here. There is neither heat nor history between he and Rhodes, not to mention Morrison is from Raw and Rhodes SmackDown!. Despite this they actually put on a really good little match, helped by the sense of urgency created by not only the nature of the booking but the reveal of the new belt. For Rhodes to loose THAT belt right after revealing it would be awful for him, yet you could believe it would happen to further his anger with Triple H. Thankfully he survived and even picked up the clean win, now let's just hope he can get a match actually booked in advance for Vengeance!

Rating: 3.5 Stars

WWE Championship – Hell in a Cell
Alberto Del Rio Vs John Cena Vs CM Punk

On paper this feels like a house show main event, not a PPV. There is star power for sure but almost no real heat, resulting in a total less than the sum of it's parts. Cena's dominant victory at Night of Champions really hurts matters by making Del Rio look like a weak third wheel to start things off, and this is continued as he is stomped hard into the corner. Meanwhile Punk's character has changed considerably since Money in the Bank, so much so that the tense feud between he and Cena has turned into a reasonably friendly rivalry instead.

Considering all this, it's amazing how good this match is then! The triple threat twist is a great way to make this match distinct from both the World title contest and previous events in the series. The pace is frantic, a desperate scramble leading into some great three-way spots throughout. The ending takes advantage of the unique variation by having the champion locked outside the cell by Del Rio who lays into Punk with a pipe and wins his second world championship. While I can't approve of that booking, Del Rio has gained some heat back after his embarrassment two weeks ago, while neither Punk nor Cena look any weaker due to the circumstances.

The now standard post-match run-in is also better than usual, with Miz and R-Truth sneaking into the cell and taking everybody out as the locker room tries to stop them but can't get in from the locked outside. The resulting brawl once police break in and arrest the invaders is also good and the whole ending was much neater and logical than the last two events. A welcome surprise and shockingly the match of the night!

Rating: 4 Stars

WWE Hell in a Cell 2011 Final Score: 4.5 Stars

The PPV of the year so far? Really? Really? AWESOME! Every single match was good, had time, told a logical story and ended well. There was nothing classic on this show, but I'll be damned if you can find a more consistently good PPV from the last ten years from either of the major promotions. I was really down on this event going in, and it may have had mostly predictable results, but I can't denounce it for that because all it means is IT MADE SENSE. The only improvements I'd make would be better build up, a match for Daniel Bryan (Should have had Morrison's spot), more matches actually ANNOUNCED and no Booker T. It just goes to show what a PPV without anything crap can actually achieve. Let's fire Booker and keep this ball rolling. We're just 2 PPV's away from the in-ring return of THE ROCK and after this event I think I can dare to be excited!