WWE Hell in a Cell 2016: Most Intriguing Storylines to Track on Road to PPV
Coming off a controversial Clash of Champions pay-per-view, the stage has been set for WWE Hell in a Cell 2016 on Oct. 30, which is shaping up to be a blockbuster card with what has been teased thus far.
Although we are still several weeks out from the October staple, it appears several storylines from Clash of Champions will be carrying over. After all, Hell in a Cell has traditionally been the place where ruthless rivalries are blown off.
No matches have been confirmed for the card as of this writing, but it is all but guaranteed that Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins will rekindle their rivalry over the WWE Universal Championship. Rollins was cheated out of the title at the previous pay-per-view and is determined to get the gold back in his possession.
Meanwhile, Roman Reigns and Rusev also have some unfinished business following the inconclusive finish to their championship clash this past week on Raw. They, too, could find themselves settling their score once and for all inside Satan's Structure.
Let's look at all the intriguing angles worth keeping an eye on as the road to the pending pay-per-view gets underway.
Roman Reigns: The New Face of America
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For months, Roman Reigns has had his sights set on Rusev's United States Championship. It wasn't until Clash of Champions that he finally took that title from Rusev and kicked off his premiere reign with the star-spangled prize.
Reigns did what the likes of Kalisto, Zack Ryder, Cesaro, Mark Henry and Titus O'Neil couldn't: conquer The Bulgarian Brute and bring the belt back where it belongs. Reigns spoke candidly with Michael Cole this past week in an exclusive interview for WWE.com about how much winning the title meant to him and how he plans on restoring prestige to the prize.
As ruthless as Rusev was with the belt around his waist, however, he might perhaps prove to be even more dangerous without it. That pent-up frustration was on full display on Monday's Raw when he immediately invoked his rematch clause and unleashed his aggression on his longtime foe.
Both men were too focused on inflicting pain on each other that they cost themselves the contest, resulting in a double count-out. They continued to brawl, and one can assume that their feud is far from over.
After a disappointing few months, the pressure is on for Reigns to deliver as United States champion. But he must overcome the obstacle of Rusev before he can move forward.
Sasha Banks Continues to Chase Raw Women's Championship
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The sole goal on Sasha Banks' mind throughout 2016 has been to become the Raw women's champion. After coming up short on several occasions over the course of the year, she was finally successful in her quest to capture the championship on the July 25 edition of Raw when she conquered Charlotte.
That said, it didn't take long for her Cinderella story to come to an abrupt end at the hands of The Queen, as The Boss lost the belt back to her at SummerSlam. Despite seemingly suffering an injury in that match, Banks remained hungry, with her loss of the prestigious prize fueling her to regain it.
She earned a Raw Women's Championship opportunity at Clash of Champions, and although she fell short, it was Bayley who Charlotte pinned to retain her title. Banks made sure to point that out the next night on Raw when she challenged Charlotte for the strap.
The rematch has been set for next week's Raw, though it is fairly likely that Dana Brooke will interfere somehow and cost Banks the belt. Therefore, the feud will run through Hell in a Cell, where they can meet in one more match to determine who the superior wrestler is at long last.
The most compelling piece of the puzzle is that Hell in a Cell will emanate from Banks' backyard of Boston. Could it be there that she kicks off her second stint as champion to a thunderous ovation from her hometown crowd?
The Unlikely Alliance of Cesaro and Sheamus
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Both Cesaro and Sheamus were intent on making impacts upon their respective arrivals on Raw. General manager Mick Foley later deemed that the best way for them to do that was by battling in a best-of-seven series.
The two traded victories for weeks on end, culminating in a chaotic contest at Clash of Champions. They took each other to their absolute limits and pulled out everything in their arsenals, though the match was deemed a draw when neither man could continue.
Foley ruled on the subsequent edition of Raw that, instead of receiving separate championship opportunities, they would vie for the same title together: the WWE Tag Team Championships. Unsurprisingly, they weren't too thrilled about the decision and refused to coexist.
Despite their differences, they managed to stay on the same page when they annihilated their opponents that night. It would take time, but Cesaro and Sheamus could become a dominant force in Raw's tag team division.
Over the last 400-plus days, no one has been able to put an end to The New Day's reign as WWE tag team champions. Cesaro and Sheamus may not be the best of friends, but sometimes, it is the unlikely alliances that get the job done.
Bayley Begins Her Road to Redemption
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Bayley wasted no time in solidifying herself as a threat to the Raw Women's Championship when she confronted Charlotte on her first night on the main roster. She continued to stack up victories in the weeks that followed and even earned herself a title opportunity at Clash of Champions.
But because the bout was changed to a Triple Threat match with Sasha Banks, Bayley's chances of defeating Charlotte for a second time decreased significantly. Although she came close to clinching the championship, she was unsuccessful in her efforts and was pinned by The Queen.
Banks and Charlotte confronted each other on the next night's Raw ahead of their title rematch this coming week, but Bayley maintained her momentum with a win over local athlete Anna Fields. Afterward, she proclaimed that she was just getting started in her quest to capture the strap.
Lest we forget it took WWE's resident hugger well over two years to win the NXT Women's Championship, but when she finally did take the title, it was a monumental moment. There is little doubt she will be wearing the Raw Women's Championship around her waist one day, but first, she has to work her way back up to title contention.
The hurdles she will face en route to challenging for the championship again remain to be seen, however. Nia Jax or possibly another woman on Raw could test her mettle as Hell in a Cell approaches.
Can Seth Rollins Finally Reclaim Raw's Holy Grail?
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From holding the Money in the Bank briefcase to becoming a two-time WWE world champion to winning the Slammy Award for 2015 Superstar of the Year, Seth Rollins has virtually accomplished it all in WWE. But the one title that has alluded him thus far has been the WWE Universal Championship.
He had the privilege of potentially being one of the first men to hold the title when he vied for it at SummerSlam, but he fell short of victory versus Finn Balor. When he went after the gold again in a Fatal 4-Way eight days later on Raw, his former mentor, Triple H, cost him the championship.
Rollins has experienced nothing but bad luck since returning to the ring in the spring, and his Clash of Champions encounter with Kevin Owens was no exception. Due to interference from Chris Jericho, among other things, Rollins lost his latest shot at the strap.
As seen on Raw this past Monday, Rollins is adamant about winning what he believes is rightfully his. He is also out for revenge after Owens injured Rollins' ribs during their match, so The Architect has more motivation than ever before to reclaim his spot atop the Raw roster.
Whether he will be granted yet another title opportunity is an entirely different question, and we are bound to receive an answer sooner rather than later. In the meantime, look for Rollins to wreck havoc on Raw until he gets what he wants at Hell in a Cell.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is a Digital 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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