Ryan Dilbert's 10-Count: Hell in a Cell Picture Still Cloudy

1. Hell in a Cell Card Still Under Construction

If you have already bought tickets for the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, you're not sure what you're getting.

As of now, there have been no official matches announced for the event. WWE has, however, laid out a number of hints, some of which are clearer than others.

AJ Lee continues to clash with Paige, and Nikki Bella keeps goading her sister Brie. 

On Monday's Raw, Paige enlisted the aid of fellow unstable Diva Alicia Fox. The alliance went to work quickly, leaving AJ flat on her back that same night. Nikki, using her pull with The Authority, booked Brie in handicap matches, first on Raw and again on Tuesday's Main Event.

It looks as if bouts between those four women are on their way, as is Big Show vs. Rusev, especially after a flag-pulling incident in Chicago.

That's where the clarity ends. The other title matches and the main event have yet to be placed in the kiln. 

Are Sheamus and Dolph Ziggler set to trade their challengers from Night of Champions? Sheamus took on Damien Sandow on Monday's Raw with The Miz watching on. The Miz took the pin in Cesaro's second attempt in a matter of days at the Intercontinental Championship.

Those could just be temporary collisions or previews of what's to come at Hell in a Cell.

There's no guarantee that both Sheamus and Ziggler will get a spot on the card, though. In Hell in a Cell's five-year history, there have only been two times that both the IC title and the U.S. Championship were defended at the event, per TheHistoryofWWE.com.

Goldust and Stardust would seemingly be headed for another go-round with The Usos, but the former tag champs already got their guaranteed rematch on last week's SmackDown.

Where else could WWE go, though? The babyface teams not named Jimmy and Jey aren't exactly contender material. Los Matadores, as well as The Bunny and Adam Rose, don't feel like threats in the least. With Big Show busy battling a Russian, he and Mark Henry's title hopes would be put on hold.

The biggest confusion lies with the main event.

After how Night of Champions ended and who WWE has decided to focus on in the last few weeks, it's hard to tell what direction the company is heading. Several feuds are overlapping.

As a result, the possibilities for the top of the card include:

• Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins 
• Dean Ambrose vs. John Cena (Winner faces Seth Rollins)
• Dean Ambrose vs. John Cena vs. Seth Rollins
• Dean Ambrose vs. John Cena vs. Seth Rollins vs. Randy Orton 

The obvious route would be to have Ambrose and Rollins end their feud inside the Hell in a Cell. Orton and Cena, though, have been heavily involved in that narrative.

An image that sums that up is how Monday's Raw ended—Rollins, Kane and Orton standing over a fallen Cena and Ambrose.

Credit: WWE.com

WWE still has nearly a full month left to construct and hype the Hell in a Cell card. Fans will be waiting to see if Ambrose's feud with Rollins remains intertwined with Cena's fury toward Rollins with a twist of The Authority or if those stories get pulled apart.

2. The Prince Has Arrived

NXT just welcomed its newest top prospect.

The man known as Fergal Devitt or Prince Devitt has been dubbed "Finn Balor." He made his NXT debut, as reported by ProWrestling.net (note: link contains spoilers), during a recent set of TV tapings. His first appearance won't air until Nov. 6.

At that point, the balance of power at WWE developmental is going to shift.

Balor will immediately surpass prospects like Aiden English and Colin Cassady who have been slowly making their way up the NXT ranks. Balor's high-energy, high-flying style is going to have him catch on fast.

For those unfamiliar with his work, be sure to check out the following thrillers from his days at New Japan Pro Wrestling:

• Prince Devitt vs. Kota Ibushi vs. Low-Ki-Wrestle Kingdom VII
• Prince Devitt vs. PAC-Best of the Super Juniors XIX
• Prince Devitt vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi-G1 Climax 23

3. Shutting Down the Chants

Chicago tried to pay tribute to CM Punk. Stephanie McMahon was not having it.

Credit: WWE.com

The pro-Punk crowd opened Monday's Raw by chanting their favorite son's name. It made more sense to do that when Punk was still under contract and one might feel that WWE wasn't doing enough to get him back in the ring.

Months have passed since then. It's increasingly clear that Punk is gone for the foreseeable future, maybe forever.

Still, the chants came as expected, and McMahon handled the crowd masterfully. She wondered aloud why fans would cheer for a quitter. It was direct and effective, working to put the shift the blame toward the man who walked out while still under contract.

As the folks at Turnbuckle Magazine pointed out, it looked as if McMahon had come to the ring ready to swing:

The longing for Punk is understandable. Continuing to chant his name when AJ appears or when WWE visits his home town is not.

Cheer, chant and scream for the men and women putting their bodies in the line in the present, not the guy sitting at home.

4. Missing in Action

It wouldn't be surprising to find Fandango's face on a milk carton at this point.

He's among a handful of Superstars who have been rarely seen on WWE TV lately. Fandango, Emma and Curtis Axel have fallen far enough down the ladder that The Bunny is getting more work than them.

Fandango went the entire month of September without working a single televised event. Taking on R-Truth at the end of August on Superstars was his last time in front of the camera.

Remembering when he was on Raw most recently requires stretching the memory muscles. Diego defeating him on Aug. 4 feels like eons ago.

Emma has exactly one TV appearance in September. She lost to Alicia Fox on the Sept. 4 edition of Superstars. Her last match on Raw happened back in July, a tag match alongside Natalya.

Former intercontinental champion Axel has just one September match on his resume as well. His Sept. 1 loss to Jack Swagger is the last time he was on WWE programming.

Axel promises, though, to be back soon:

Ryback's injury hurt Axel, putting their tag team on hold. That reference to a closed door may be about him ending that partnership and getting some time as a singles star.

Even without The Big Guy, it's surprising that Axel hasn't at least been thrown on an episode of SmackDown. The same goes for Fandango and Emma. Neither is a top-tier star, but with as much programming as WWE puts on, there's got to be a spot for a bout here or there.

The fact that Layla and Summer Rae, Fandango's former dance partners, are getting more airtime than him is a bad sign. He may be on his way out before long.

As for Emma, WWE is giving the maddeningly bad Rosa Mendes more spotlight than her. That's evidence of being firmly planted in the doghouse.

Axel says he'll be back soon. Fandango and Emma fans will be hoping the same is true for those wrestlers, but things aren't looking good for either one right now.

All match statistics from CageMatch.net.

5. Making Superstars Worth Watching

Justin Gabriel is shining away from the spotlight.

Superstars sits at the bottom of the WWE-programming hierarchy, but the high-flyer has been making it far more enjoyable as of late. Some of the show's best matches as of late have featured Gabriel.

He faced Sin Cara on three straight editions of the little-watched show in September. They were all fun, fast-paced affairs, but the best of the bunch was their battle from Sept. 11.

Sin Cara fearlessly flung himself at the South African. Gabriel responded with some high-impact moves of his own, including landing the 450 splash from an impressive distance.

Gabriel's Sept. 25 matchup against Kofi Kingston marked his fifth appearance on Superstars in a span of three months, per CageMatch.net.

He's using that show as his own personal showcase, reminding officials what he can add to the WWE product. For fans, he's making a compelling argument to add Superstars to their weekly routine.

6. Booking Suggestion: Cesaro

It feels like WWE is unsure what to do with Cesaro.

After losing to Sheamus at Night of Champions, The King of Swing has slid his target sight from the U.S. title to the Intercontinental Championship. A run with that belt would be good for him, but where does he go if he's not in line to take home that belt?

A way to maximize his biggest strength—in-ring acumen—is to run an angle where he issues an open challenge each week.

Credit: WWE.com

The bouts would run with a 10-minute time limit. Cesaro could claim that nobody can beat him in that span.

He wouldn't be looking to win as much as he would be avoiding defeat. The Swiss strongman could out-wrestle his opponents, frustrating them with grappling that robs them of precious time. A duffel bag filled with cash could serve as the potential prize for anyone who could beat Cesaro before the clock runs out.

Fans would get a great Cesaro match each week, boosted by the ticking clock in the background. The buildup would increase as Cesaro continually fended off would-be challengers.

It's a simple story, one that gives WWE Creative something to plug every Monday.

7. Dolph Ziggler's Resurgence Continues

The Showoff has been a bright spot in a dull period for WWE. After spending so much time stuck at the bottom of the card, he's getting opportunities at a higher rate. As a result, WWE programming has been home to some pulse-quickening matches.

The last week has had Ziggler's signature all over it.

On Friday's SmackDown, he and Cesaro delivered the kind of match that could help make the Intercontinental Championship relevant again. Smooth counters, the crack of a dropkick against Cesaro's chin and grappling meeting showmanship made for great action.

Ziggler's recent resume includes the best match from Monday's Raw—his successful defense of the IC belt against both Cesaro and The Miz. Go back a little further, and there is more to applaud.

Even with WWE inexplicably tossing in Florida Georgia Line, he and The Miz put on a good show in their clash at Night of Champions. He then flourished in the ring while winning the title back on the following night.

When's the last time The Miz has looked that good? His feud with Ziggler has brought out some of his best work in a long time.

In just a few months, the narrative around Ziggler has gone from being a tale of woe, with fans wondering if he'd be better off heading to Japan or TNA, to something far more uplifting. The second half of 2014 has seen Ziggler get a minor push and maximize it.

The passion he exudes in the ring makes very match feel more significant. Every bout is another chance at stealing the show and he's been committing plenty of theft as of late.

Should his current feud with Cesaro continue, one can expect more of the same.

8. Divas Still Getting the Scraps

More Divas are competing than we're used to. More Diva-centered storylines are unfolding at once.

A lack of ring time is outweighing those positives, though. The Internet Wrestling Database provides match times for the Divas matches on the last four editions of Raw. The results aren't pretty:

Divas	Date	Match Time
Paige and AJ Lee vs. Natalya and Rosa Mendes	9/8	2:35
Paige and Nikki Bella vs. AJ Lee and Brie Bella	9/15	2:58
Natalya vs. Summer Rae	9/22	2:15
AJ Lee vs. Nikki Bella	9/22	5:10
Rosa Mendes vs. Layla El	9/29	2:55
Brie Bella vs. Cameron and Eva Marie	9/29	2:57
AJ Lee vs. Alicia Fox	9/29	1:27

Even with three matches in one night, the Divas weren't in the ring for a total of 10 minutes on Monday's Raw. Few fans want to see Eva Marie compete for longer stretches, but even the top Divas are regularly asked to go for less than three minutes.

It's hard to cram much of a story in that amount of space. As long as WWE continues this trend, the chances of seeing a great Divas match is going to be slim, regardless of the talent involved.

9. A Darker Side of Mark Henry

Signs are pointing to Henry embracing the dark side soon. While that likely means the end of his tag team with Big Show, it's an ideal fit for him.

Losses to Rusev and Bo Dallas have brought out a more destructive version of Henry.

After smashing Dallas with various equipment backstage on Monday's Raw, The World's Strongest Man let rage get the better of him again the next night. He pounded Dallas in the corner until the referee had to call for the bell.

His snarl is returning, and a heel turn is underway.

That should be fun. Henry's best work has come as a monster. His world title run in 2011 saw him be the most captivating he has ever been. Having him return to that version of himself is a wise move.

10. Hell in a Cell 2014 Host: By the Numbers

The American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas will host Hell in a Cell for the second time.

What is normally home to the Dallas Mavericks has been the site of three WWE pay-per-view events so far, according to the Internet Wrestling Database: Survivor Series 2003, Night of Champions 2008, Hell in a Cell 2010.

Both Cena and Kane wrestled on all three of those cards. Cena is 1-2 in the Dallas arena on pay-per-views, Kane is 2-1.

The world title failed to change hands at any of those shows. That's a record that is likely to continue with Brock Lesnar looking as if he'll skip Hell in a Cell.