WWE Hell in a Cell 2014: Grading the Buildup So Far For Latest Event

To say that the build for the upcoming Hell in a Cell pay-per-view on October 26 has been underwhelming would be a massive understatement.

With just over two weeks until the huge WWE Network presentation, only two matches have been officially announced. Dean Ambrose will square off with John Cena in a match to determine who moves on to face Seth Rollins later in the evening.

With all of the focus being on the main event picture, it has left very little opportunity for WWE to craft a midcard that is anywhere near adequate enough to convince fans to hand over their hard-earned money for the annual October extravaganza. Add to that some stale, unexciting episodes of Raw and SmackDown, a lack of depth at the top of the card and no real direction and you have plenty of reason for fans to doubt the importance or significance of the upcoming show.

But before passing judgment prematurely, let's take a closer and more in-depth look at the build thus far.

Credit: WWE.com

The Main Event

The intertwining stories at the top of the card have actually been fairly well written and executed to this point.

Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins were engaged in a feud dating back to the dissolution of The Shield last summer, a feud that continues to rage on and has yet to have that one conclusive match that settles the score. It has made for some outstanding storytelling and some truly entertaining television but has lost some steam as of late, though that is likely due to the introduction of John Cena to the mix.

At Night of Champions, Rollins cost Cena the opportunity to capture the WWE World Heavyweight Championship from Brock Lesnar and that did not sit well with the former 15-time champion. Since that fateful night in September, Cena has been on a rampage, attempting to avenge the wrong and put the Authority's golden boy in his place.

In the process, he has put himself in the cross-hairs of Ambrose, creating tension between them that will culminate when they meet on October 26 for the right to square off with the former Architect of The Shield inside the devil's playground.

To this point, the feud has been fun to watch play out every week. Ambrose has been elevated to the main event, where he has flourished and has become one of the most popular stars on the roster. Cena is freshened up, thanks to a feud with two guys he never really worked in the past and Rollins looks like a major star, thanks to the fact that two Superstars are vying for the opportunity to wrestle him.

It is a great story, with compelling characters and a prize for the two babyfaces to compete over without involving the WWE title. You cannot ask for more than that.

Grade: B+

Credit: WWE.com

Mid Card

Here is where booking has failed miserably leading into Hell in a Cell.

While watching Monday Night Raw and SmackDown, one cannot help but feel as though the midcard is one jumbled mess at this point, with no real direction or any story even worth following.

Has WWE Creative hinted at the matches that will make up the pay-per-view mid and undercard? Sure. Dolph Ziggler looks poised to defend the Intercontinental Championship against Cesaro, Sheamus the United States title against The Miz, Goldust and Stardust the tag titles against The Usos and AJ Lee the Divas title against Paige. But of those matches, two are repeats that fans have witnessed ad nauseum over the last two weeks, while the other two feature challengers that simply switched course and are challenging for the other midcard title this month.

There is no rhyme or reason for the matches, other than the fact that they were easy to throw together, nor is there anything even remotely close to an excitement level surrounding them.

Will the wrestling be outstanding? Sure. It almost always is. Then again, taking one look at the current roster, it should be no surprise. But at some point, management will have to stop relying on great wrestlers to have great matches and do something more to entice audiences to pay for an event the likes of Hell in a Cell.

Especially when those same wrestlers are having great matches every Monday and Friday night on free television.

Grade: D