WWE Hell in a Cell 2015: Biggest Themes Established in Build to Event

Coming off the relatively well-received Night of Champions pay-per-view, WWE Hell in a Cell will have its work cut out for it Sunday. Although the quality of Raw has taken a turn for the worse in the last month, the build to the show has been nothing short of strong.

All of the advertised matches on the card are compelling in their own way due to the storylines surrounding them. From Roman Reigns' war with The Wyatt Family to Kane's WWE World Heavyweight Championship pursuit, WWE has done an effective job of making fans invest in what will be at stake on the show.

The themes of the event that have been established since September will without a doubt play a major factor in many of the matches at this year's installment.

The Evening of the Odds

The numbers game has been a major focal point of the Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt rivalry in recent months. While Wyatt has recruited more and more members into his exotic family, Reigns has had the help of longtime friend Dean Ambrose in fending them off.

Reigns still finds himself outnumbered by The Wyatt Family, but it won't matter once they step inside Hell in a Cell. The steel structure hasn't stopped The Eater of Worlds from entering and exiting at a whim before, but the match will ensure Reigns finally gets his rival one-on-one.

The Dudley Boyz have found themselves at a similar standstill in their rivalry with The New Day. Every time they've come close to capturing the WWE Tag Team Championship, Xavier Woods has gotten involved and cost them the twin titles.

Knowing that they won't win the belts with Woods at ringside, Bubba Ray and D-Von removed him from the equation by putting him through a table on the Oct. 19 edition of Raw. Now, they'll finally be able to have their way with the champs without any outside interference.

Of course, nothing is stopping Woods from returning to ringside, but perhaps The Dudley Boyz have a backup plan just in case. A return from Spike Dudley at Hell in a Cell could be exactly what they need to even the odds against New Day.

Hell in a Cell Remains the Be-All and End-All for Feuds

When WWE gave the illustrious Hell in a Cell match its own pay-per-view in 2009, there was criticism from fans that it would devalue the meaning of the match. Sadly, that ended up being the case as several matches have taken place inside the cell in past years for no rhyme or reason.

Instead of bringing back Satan's Structure when necessary, it's been used every October simply because it's that time of the month and it's the name of the event. That being said, the headlining Hell in a Cell matches for this year's installment feature feuds that are in need of a big blow-off.

Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt have had a well-built feud since June, exchanging countless victories in singles and tag team action and engaging in many brutal brawls. It's time for both men to move on to fresh feuds, but first, their feud will come to a head inside Hell in a Cell.

Not only could the rivalry use a Hell in a Cell match, it's perfect with the story they've been telling. It disallows interference from The Wyatt Family and anyone else, leaving Reigns and Wyatt no choice but to settle their differences alone.

Meanwhile, Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker are no strangers to each other, either, including inside the cell. They first faced off in a Hell in a Cell contest in 2002 that saw Lesnar emerge victorious and walk away in one piece.

In the decade since, they've clashed on several different stages, but their ruthless rivalry will culminate at long last on Sunday. It also promises fans there won't be a controversial conclusion like there was in their last meeting at SummerSlam.

The Art of Unpredictability

It's a tough task to "swerve" viewers with a pleasantly surprising finish to a match in 2015, especially long time fans of the product that have essentially seen it all. However, the feud between The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar has been anything but predictable.

Although a majority of the WWE Universe figured Undertaker would extend his undefeated streak to 22-0 at WrestleMania 30 against Lesnar, The Beast Incarnate beat Undertaker in one of the most genuinely shocking moments in history. Then, no one could have ever expected their SummerSlam encounter to end the way it did with Undertaker winning by resorting to cheap tactics.

There is no question that Undertaker vs. Lesnar will be the hardest bout to predict on the Hell in a Cell card, making it the night's most anticipated matchup. Both icons have an equal chance of winning, so expect to see the crowd sitting on the edge of their seats during this heated affair.

Simultaneously, John Cena will face his toughest challenge to date in the form of a surprise on pay-per-view. He knows as much about his opponent as the audience does, as fans haven't been given any hints as to who could accept the U.S. Open Challenge.

From Daniel Bryan to Tyler Breeze, several Superstars have been speculated to be taking on Cena for the title, but it could be just about anyone at this point. Considering Cena will reportedly be taking time off following the event (h/t Wrestle Zone), the outcome of the contest is uncertain yet exciting.

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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