WWE Hell in a Cell 2015: Biggest Missed Opportunities with Show's Booking

From top to bottom, WWE's Hell in a Cell 2015 pay-per-view was a relatively solid show. The event far surpassed the build it received in the month leading up to it and left viewers excited for what's next heading into Survivor Series.

As good of a show as it was, however, Hell in a Cell wasn't without its flaws—specifically from a booking standpoint. There were a few points during the night when WWE dropped the ball on match finishes or left viewers scratching their heads.

The following are the biggest missed opportunities from the event.

The Dudley Boyz Fail to Win WWE Tag Team Championships

Since The Dudley Boyz returned on the night after SummerSlam, their main goal has been to beat The New Day for the WWE Tag Team Championships.

They failed to do so at Night of Champions as well as on the live Madison Square Garden special due to interference from New Day member Xavier Woods, causing both bouts to be thrown out. The third championship clash saw Woods absent from ringside after being taken out by The Dudley Boyz on the Oct. 19 edition of Raw, which put the challengers at a distinct advantage.

With The New Day getting the better of the seasoned veterans more often than not going into the event, it was logical to assume that the Dudleys would be winning the belts at Hell in a Cell.

Ultimately, that was not the case as The New Day managed to eke out another victory over its rivals and maintain possession of the twin titles.

There's no denying that The New Day has been a hot act in recent months, but it'd be just as over with the audience without the straps. If there is any team worthy of holding the gold right now, it's The Dudley Boyz.

Not only were they deserving of the title win, but it would have freshened up the feud and established them as more than just a nostalgia act. It needs to be made clear that they aren't back simply to do the honors for up-and-coming tandems. They're in WWE to remind fans why they're one of the most decorated duos of all time.

All hope isn't lost for The Dudley Boyz, but WWE risked fans' losing interest in the championship chase by not doing a title change here.

As long as they don't fizzle out before then, it would be wise to hold off on them capturing the gold until December's Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view, where they can win the titles with their specialty: a Tables match.

Corporate Kane Is Fired, and No One Cares

When WWE world heavyweight champion Seth Rollins' match versus Kane was made official on the Oct. 5 edition of Raw, Stephanie McMahon announced that Kane would be fired from his post of Director of Operations if he lost.

Lo and behold, Kane fell short of victory at the pay-per-view when Rollins beat him cleanly. Adhering to the stipulation, he now finds himself out of a corporate job, yet no one in the audience or watching at home seemed to care.

And why should they? Kane was built strongly on television in the last month, but coming up short against Rollins was inevitable.

It was encouraging to see the WWE champion win in clean fashion for a change, but it came following a lackluster match for during which the Los Angeles crowd sat on its hands. The Big Red Monster was never a threat to the title, and Rollins' being booked to look like a chump in recent weeks didn't help matters.

This contest was without a doubt the biggest low point of the night. The only way it could have been handled differently is if it didn't happen at all.

John Cena Disappears from Programming

It was well-established going into Hell in a Cell that John Cena would be taking time off following the pay-per-view, according to PWInsider (h/t Wrestle Zone). Thus, it was strongly believed he'd be dropping the title at the event before being written out of storylines to explain his absence.

The reveal of his opponent was every bit as surprising as fans hoped it would be, with Alberto Del Rio making his grand return to WWE to accept the United States Championship open challenge.

He shocked the world when he connected with a kick to Cena and pinned him cleanly to capture the star-spangled prize.

Never before had Cena been beaten so decisively during his time on top, losing to The Mexican Aristocrat within seven minutes. But while Del Rio's title win was a moment fans won't soon forget, nothing was done to explain why Cena will be taking time off.

Instead of attacking Cena afterward or putting him on the shelf with an injury, Del Rio simply celebrated his championship victory and walked off.

No mention was made of Cena's status in the remainder of the show or on Raw the next night.

As refreshing as it was to see Cena put over a familiar face, fans are left wondering what's next for the 15-time WWE champion, and WWE did nothing on Sunday night to make that clear.

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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