Hell in a Cell Doesn't Need Brock Lesnar to Succeed

Brock Lesnar may be on a couch rather than in a cage at Hell in a Cell, but the show will be fine without him.

WWE has two options to build the card around. The Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose feud has enough momentum to serve as the marquee match. The hunt for the No. 1 contender spot can be a huge selling point as well.

Fans knew that having a part-timer as WWE champ meant that there would be pay-per-views without him. That time has apparently already arrived. 

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (subscription required) (h/t Wrestling Inc) Lesnar is not scheduled for the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view.

That may change, but for now the seemingly inevitable Lesnar vs. John Cena battle isn't on tap.

There was no mention of Lesnar and Cena's feud on Monday's Raw. Cena, instead, focused his anger at Rollins.

It's not often the world title isn't defended on a pay-per-view. It's the prop that the top guy holds. And there is usually little reason other than injury that he is not a part of every one of those shows.

With The Beast Incarnate in possession of the strap, though, things are different. Hell in a Cell would certainly be a bigger show were he to be at the top of card against Cena or Randy Orton, but the event has some viable alternatives to those bouts.

Rollins vs. Ambrose, The Climax

The story of the second half of 2014 has been Ambrose's quest for revenge against Rollins. 

The Shield ended with a series of chair shots, a betrayal that sent Rollins to the dark side and his former brother-in-arms into a state of frenzied rage. Since that moment, so many of WWE's highlights have featured a fang-bearing Ambrose pouncing on his prey.

He has emerged from a birthday present, the trunk of a rental car and a black box that was supposed to be filled with cinder blocks.

There has been a captivating energy to this rivalry. WWE has masterfully built up the anticipation for their final showdown.

After a Lumberjack match got out of hand and their Falls Count Anywhere bout ended with Ambrose's face limp atop cracked cement, there is no other place to take their war than inside the Hell in a Cell. 

That's perfect timing as a pay-per-view built around that gimmick match is fast approaching.

Credit: WWE.com

Fans will be jacked up to see Rollins finally get his comeuppance and this story come to a close. It helps, too, that it features two fresh faces.

Rollins and Ambrose represent the next wave of stars. They are still novel and not yet overexposed.

It's a riskier proposition to make those men the headliners than an established vet like Cena, but that risk could come with a great reward. If either of them catches fire or significantly increases Hell in a Cell viewership, the company can move forward more confident in pushing them. 

With Lesnar around, WWE wouldn't take a chance like that. Plugging in the megastar is too much of a no-brainer.

This is the time to give Rollins and Ambrose a test run as main event stars.

Their feud is the most prominent, most engaging storyline going. And the Hell in a Cell structure offers the perfect setting for their final showdown.

The Climb to Contention

If the champion won't be around, let the men clamoring to face him be in the spotlight instead.

It's hard to determine who the top contenders to Lesnar's belt should be. Once you get past Cena, it's a blurry title picture.

Orton hasn't been given the rematch he has been due. He's a proven headliner and has been world champ several times over. Beyond him and Mr. Hustle, Loyalty and Respect, the options are less than plentiful.

To draw drama from the process of adding names to that list, Hell in a Cell can host a No. 1 contender's tournament. 

This is a shot to highlight a number of men at the same time. The winner would, of course, get the bulk of the attention, but there will be a slew of matches to impress in, and the wrestler who gets second place would have a handful of wins added to his resume.

Book an eight-man tourney, and spend the next few weeks of Raw having folks qualify. That makes Raw easy to write in that span. Just put two qualifying matches on each week.

This would give the directionless Bray Wyatt a place to shine. Have him be one of the men who advances into the second round at Hell in a Cell.

Credit: WWE.com

With a blend of old standbys like Orton and emerging stars like Cesaro, the tournament could be a blend of leaning on the present while building for the future.

Cesaro or Wyatt may not be ready in WWE's eyes to take on Lesnar, but should they make it to the finals and put on a standout match, there is plenty of momentum to be had. Giving someone an early upset over Cena is a resume-builder and the kind of shocker that helps make a show one folks remember.

Plus, tournaments are inherently fun. And severely underused.

Combine that three-round single-elimination contest with the electricity that is surrounding Rollins and Ambrose, and suddenly Hell in a Cell looks like a winner, even sans Lesnar.