WWE Hell in a Cell 2015: Top Talking Points Following Major Event

With two huge Hell in a Cell matches on tap and a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match pitting Seth Rollins against Kane also on the card, there was ample reason to be excited about October's annual Hell in a Cell pay-per-view spectacular, even amid the company's recent ratings crisis.

Just as some of the greatest events in company history had, Sunday's show sneaked up on the fanbase and provided it with three hours of wildly entertaining matches and moments. It even managed to deliver a few twists and turns along the way to create a buzz around the product for the first time in months.

From surprise returns to shocking assaults to successful title defenses, the show had a little bit of everything.

As WWE prepares for the first Monday Night Raw post-Hell in a Cell, there are a few subjects generating a ton of buzz around laptops and water coolers.

Credit: WWE.com

1. Revisiting Bray Wyatt vs. The Undertaker

From the moment that advertisements aired for Survivor Series 2015 which prominently featured The Undertaker's celebrating his 25th year with World Wrestling Entertainment, it was clear that The Deadman would play a major role in the November extravaganza.

By the end of the night, fans got a taste of what his role will be when he was on the receiving end of a beatdown at the hands of Bray Wyatt, who saw his quest to prove his status as The New Face of Fear in WWE ended by The Phenom back at WrestleMania.

It is a bold booking decision, for sure, in that it places the spotlight back on Wyatt and followers Luke Harper, Erick Rowan and Braun Strowman rather than saving The Deadman for a match with a fellow part-time performer.

Of course, as is the case with any Wyatt program, the second-generation star's reasoning for engaging Undertaker in another chapter of their feud will be key to its success. For now, though, Wyatt's unsuspected beatdown of the most respected star in WWE history brought Hell in a Cell to a close with a bang and helped generate buzz for Raw.

2. What's Next?

After a phenomenal victory over the aforementioned Bray Wyatt, Roman Reigns was greeted by best friend Dean Ambrose during a backstage segment. It was clear that something big was in store for Raw: the next step for both Superstars, if you will.

It was simply a tease, with no real hint of what the former Shield members had in store for the WWE Universe.

The mystery surrounding the vague statements has only helped to build anticipation for Raw, something that has been at an absolute premium of late.

Credit: WWE.com

3. Alberto Del Rio's Shocking Return

The biggest talking point of the entire broadcast was the completely unexpected return of Alberto Del Rio to World Wrestling Entertainment. Now aligned with former rival Zeb Colter, he strutted toward the squared circle and proceeded to defeat John Cena cleanly in the center of the ring to capture the United States Championship.

After a year away from the company, he suddenly finds himself in a high-profile position once again, as evidenced by the incredibly rare pinfall victory over the franchise star of Vince McMahon's promotion.

With a roster arguably more talented than it was when he left just 12 months ago, Del Rio has the potential to carry on Cena's United States Championship open challenges on Raw for months, working with fresh new faces he had not encountered in singles competition before.

Add the baffling partnership with Colter, and the possibilities for strong storytelling are endless.

Credit: WWE.com

4. Getting Color

Anytime blood is seen in a WWE ring these days, fans buzz about the impact it has on a match.

When used sparingly and only in the most fitting of circumstances, the use of blood creates incredible drama that simply beating someone with a Kendo stick cannot replicate. The sight of a Superstar fighting through the proverbial crimson mask to pick up a win is a sight seen in some truly epic matches.

Sunday night, Undertaker and Brock Lesnar went old-school, breaking out the red stuff for their final encounter. While some may have looked at it as excessive, especially parents with young children, the rest of the audience recognized it as a powerful agent to accompany the story the performers were telling.

The result was a dramatic and violent bout that lived up to expectations.