WWE Hell in a Cell 2015 Matches: Full Card Breakdown, Bold Predictions and More
On Sunday, WWE will present its seventh annual Hell in a Cell pay-per-view live from Los Angeles' Staples Center at 8 p.m. ET.
Hell in a Cell has never been a top priority for WWE, with Survivor Series right around the corner, but this year could prove to be the exception. The card for the event has been decently built over the last month, so the show has the potential to be something special if booked properly.
In what is being billed as their final encounter, the ruthless rivalry between The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar will culminate inside Hell in a Cell. Which icon will emerge victorious and solidify themselves as the superior Superstar once and for all?
Also doing battle inside Satan's Structure will be Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt. With Dean Ambrose and The Wyatt Family unable to interfere, who will have their hand raised in victory and escape the steel structure in one piece?
Seth Rollins will defend his WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Kane, who has looked nothing but dominant since his return. Will The Demon finally be able to beat Rollins for the prestigious prize, or will the self-proclaimed future of WWE end Kane's reign as Director of Operations?
Let's preview and make predictions for the event, as well as uncover the potential for every match on the advertised card.
Dolph Ziggler, Neville and Cesaro vs. Sheamus, Barrett and Rusev (Kickoff Match)
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Originally scheduled for the Hell in a Cell Kickoff show was Dean Ambrose and Randy Orton teaming up against The Wyatt Family's Braun Strowman and Luke Harper, but due to an unfortunate injury suffered by Orton, per Wrestle Zone, it was scrapped from the event.
Instead, a six-man tag team match will take place pitting Dolph Ziggler, Cesaro and Neville against Sheamus, King Barrett and Rusev. The two trios first squared off on the Oct. 19 edition of Raw, where the foreign forces emerged victorious.
Sadly, all six of these Superstars feel directionless or are stuck in pointless programs at the moment. Barrett and Sheamus have been building momentum as a tandem as of late, but Booking 101 dictates that the babyfaces will get their win back here.
Truth be told, the ending outcome is virtually meaningless unless something is put at stake. Hopefully everyone involved will move on to bigger and brighter things following Hell in a Cell.
On the bright side, if their six-man matchup on Raw this week was any indication, this Kickoff match should be entertaining from an in-ring standpoint.
Kevin Owens vs. Ryback (intercontinental Championship)
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At Night of Champions, Kevin Owens came out on top in his war against Ryback to clinch his first Intercontinental Championship. Since then, he has had a successful reign as champion, knocking off all-comers including The Lucha Dragons, Mark Henry and Neville.
Ryback has been riding a wave of momentum himself, but it's logical to assume that was done by design so he could look strong in the rematch against Owens. Well, it worked, because this has been one of the card's better built matchups since the last pay-per-view.
There really isn't any doubt regarding the winner unless WWE plans on cutting Owens' title reign short. Ryback is perfect right where he is on the card, but the former NXT champion can take that title to new heights if given the opportunity.
Therefore, Owens will retain here. Moving forward, it'll be interesting to see who else steps up to challenge the Quebec native; a returning Sami Zayn, perhaps?
Their initial encounter wasn't a technical masterpiece, but it was enjoyable enough, so expect something similar when they clash again on Sunday.
Charlotte vs. Nikki Bella (Divas Championship)
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Charlotte's reign as Divas champion since Night of Champions has been anything but smooth. Not only has she had to keep her sights set on current challenger Nikki Bella, but she's also had to deal with the drama going on with seemingly former Team PCB stablemate Paige.
As a result, she's constantly come up short in tag team matches against Team Bella, but that doesn't change the prediction of many when it comes to their championship rematch. Her title run is just getting started, so there's no reason to have her drop the strap so soon.
Nikki had her time with the title and one can only hope her and the rest of Team Bella move away from the spotlight after she loses the championship rematch. It's time to focus on the fresher faces in the division and get this so-called "revolution" back on track.
With Paige and Natalya at odds, there's a chance they play a factor in the finish to this match, too. Paige has wanted to rekindle her friendship with Charlotte and Becky Lynch in recent weeks, so perhaps she'll attempt to prove her loyalty to the NXT standouts by aiding the second-generation star to victory.
The last two matches between Charlotte and Nikki were among the best Diva matches fans have seen on the main roster in some time, but most of that was due to the story they were telling. The story isn't as strong this time around, so it's unknown how good their rubber match will be.
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The New Day vs. the Dudley Boyz (WWE Tag Team Championship)
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It's been two months since The Dudley Boyz made their shocking WWE return and they have yet to accomplish their goal of winning back the WWE Tag Team Championship. Standing in their way have been The New Day, who have proven to be major thorns in their side.
When they first faced off at Night of Champions, Xavier Woods interfered just as The Dudley Boyz were closing in on the victory, costing them the twin titles. The same occurred two weeks later in Madison Square Garden with a third match being made official on the Oct. 5 edition of Raw.
This past Monday night, the decorated duo removed Woods from the equation by putting him through a table, ensuring that he won't be present at ringside for the championship clash at Hell in a Cell.
The New Day have been on fire since regaining the gold at SummerSlam, but they showed prior to that point that they don't need the straps to be over with the audience. The Dudley Boyz have been chasing the straps long enough that it will mean something when they regain the gold on this show.
Although I'd personally hold off on the title change until the TLC pay-per-view in December (where it can be done in a Tables match), look for the seasoned veterans to get their time to shine as soon as Sunday.
John Cena's United States Championship Open Challenge
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Over the past six months, John Cena has brought back prestige to the United States Championship through his weekly open challenge matches. From Seth Rollins to Kevin Owens to Sami Zayn, he's sent back all challengers and for the first time ever, he'll defend against a mystery opponent on pay-per-view.
Rumors have been running rampant as to who will step up to take on Cena, but there isn't a clear-cut choice. It could very well be anyone from a NXT call-up, such as Finn Balor or Samoa Joe, to a returning Daniel Bryan.
The most likely candidate seems to be Tyler Breeze, who arrived on the main roster on the latest edition of SmackDown. Since he attacked Dolph Ziggler in his debut, that could somehow tie-in to Ziggler's recent pursuit of the United States Championship.
Either way, expect Cena to drop the star-spangled prize to whoever he ends up facing. The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer reported earlier this month that Cena could be taking time off following the pay-per-view and won't be back until after Christmas, so he'll have no choice but to relinquish the title before he departs.
Another scenario could see him retain his title only to get attacked afterward, but it would benefit whoever he works with that he lose the strap the traditional way via pinfall, even if it means they resort to dirty tactics to do so.
Seth Rollins vs. Kane (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
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Seth Rollins has overcome every obstacle in his way during his reign as WWE World Heavyweight champion. From Randy Orton to Dean Ambrose to John Cena to Sting, he's beaten them all, but Kane poses an entirely different challenge.
Their feud since Night of Champions has had its peaks and valleys, but it's apparent that there's no need for it to continue past Hell in a Cell. It's a good match to do on a pay-per-view that will be headlined by two more important matchups, but going into Survivor Series, Rollins shouldn't be facing a veteran who has no business being in the main event scene in 2015.
That said, Kane is remotely more interesting with the mask than without it, which is why he must lose here and put an indefinite end to the Corporate Kane character. The stipulation states that if Rollins retains, Corporate Kane will be removed from his position as the Director of Operations.
It would be one thing to give Sting or even Undertaker a brief title run from a nostalgia standpoint, but Kane definitely won't be a draw on the live event circuit as champion. With the product as dead as it is at the moment, Kane as champ is the last thing WWE needs.
Perhaps Rollins gets himself disqualified and Kane keeps his job, but that'd be a weak cop-out finish. Here's hoping WWE does the right thing by giving Rollins a relatively clean win so he can establish some credibility for himself.
Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt (Hell in a Cell Match)
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Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt have been embroiled in a rivalry for the the ages over the last four months, but it will finally reach its end at Hell in a Cell. For the first time in the careers of both men, they will step inside Satan's Structure to do battle, but only one will walk out in one piece.
Say what you will about Hell in a Cell no longer having as much meaning as it once did, which is a fair assessment, but at least this is a feud that is worthy of culminating inside the cell. It's also logical from a storyline standpoint since Dean Ambrose, Randy Orton and The Wyatt Family can't get involved (or so we hope).
They've exchanged several victories since Battleground, so there isn't an obvious winner, but Reigns has been the popular candidate among fans to come out on top. Both of them are in need of victories, but the hero finally conquering his arch-nemesis after many months is the direction they seem to be headed in.
Additionally, he's talked at length recently about Wyatt costing him a shot at the WWE World Heavyweight Championship back in June, so the title scene should be where he goes next. In order to do so, he'll have to overcome the one obstacle that has stood in his way, that being Bray Wyatt.
Their in-ring wars have increasingly gotten better with each event, and given the steel structure that will be surrounding them Sunday, this should be a solid main-event caliber match.
The Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar (Hell in a Cell Match)
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It has been a long winding road for the storied Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar rivalry, dating as far back as 2002, when they first stepped inside Hell in a Cell to do battle. Now, they face off for the final time Sunday with the winner ultimately solidifying their superiority over their opponent.
This match is without a doubt the most difficult to predict because their future plans beyond Hell in a Cell are uncertain, so there is virtually nothing to go off of. It's all but confirmed they'll be in action at WrestleMania 32, but it was wise for WWE to blow-off the feud on this show so they can instead go against fresh faces in the spring.
Lesnar will likely be working more dates before The Show of Shows, so he'd benefit more from a victory here than 'Taker would. Plus, he has yet to be beaten decisively since breaking The Streak last year, so having him suffer his first official defeat to The Deadman would be a waste of the rub it would provide.
We've witnessed interference in Hell in a Cell before, even as recently as last year, but whomever wins must do so in clean fashion. Their last match at SummerSlam ended in controversy, and it would be foolish to go to the same well twice.
Therefore, Lesnar is my pick to win, seeing as how he hasn't emerged victorious on pay-per-view since the Royal Rumble. Regardless, the unpredictability of it will make it an exciting affair, along with the carnage that will come with it.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is a journalism major at Endicott College. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.
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