Examining Significance of Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte Hell in a Cell Match

The spectacle of savagery will no longer belong to the men when Sasha Banks collides with Charlotte inside Hell in a Cell.

When The Boss meets The Queen in that ominous steel structure at the WWE Hell in a Cell 2016 pay-per-view on Oct. 30, it will be the latest stage in an ongoing revolution. WWE continues to redefine the role of women's wrestling and venture into a future where female Superstars stand on the same stages as their male counterparts.

For 19 years, one steel-lined stage in particular eluded WWE's women. 

The Hell in a Cell first appeared at the Badd Blood: In Your House PPV in 1997. Undertaker chased Shawn Michaels around that cage, eventually slamming him against its walls, bloodying him and hurling him into the announcers' table waiting below.

In the years to follow, The Devil's Playground housed daredevil acts and can't-look-away brutality.

Undertaker dumped Mankind from the top of the cage in a shocking stunt. Triple H soaked the canvas with his blood in his Hell in a Cell war with Michaels. Shane McMahon dove off the roof to try to drive his elbow through Undertaker's heart.

Of the 33 Hell in a Cell matches in WWE history, not one of them has featured women.

That will change in a matter of weeks. Banks, fresh off winning the Women's Championship from Charlotte on last week's Raw, had a plan for her inevitable rematch with the second-generation Superstar.

On Monday's Raw, The Boss reflected on her title win. She talked of building on the legacy of women like Trish Stratus and Lita. And when she challenged Charlotte to a clash inside Hell in a Cell, the crowd erupted.

Raw general manager Mick Foley later confirmed the bout on the show.

And with that, history is set to be made. Again.

Banks battled Bayley in the first women's Iron Man match in 2015. The champion and Charlotte locked horns in Raw's main event last week, marking only the second time women have been in that position.

As they now prepare to step inside the infamous metal enclosure, Banks and Charlotte have a major opportunity ahead of them. But with that will come immense pressure.

WWE can sell a match that is the first of its kind, a natural means to add intrigue. That effect will be in full force with Banks vs. Charlotte on Oct. 30.

The novelty factor will be off the charts. Curiosity will bring in viewers, too. 

As Ian Gagnon of Vince Russo's The Brand wrote, "From a business standpoint, as far as putting on a real, compelling attraction, this thing is a home run."

Banks and Charlotte will have a shot at upping audience interest in the women's division. 

When Bayley outlasted Banks in their Iron Man match last fall, the magic those women created in the ring amplified the buzz around WWE's women. It was their second instant classic in a row, a clear statement that women's wrestling is capable of being a cornerstone of the product.

Success inside the steel at Hell in a Cell will further that statement. 

It will open more doors down the road. The women's division will feature more Hell in a Cell bouts. Banks, Charlotte and Co. will likely battle in Falls Count Anywhere matches or host their own Money in the Bank bout. 

That will be the natural progression. If fans are left in awe by Banks vs. Charlotte inside The Devil's Playground, it will inspire WWE to take more chances and send its women into more uncharted territory.

When asked about the possibility of wrestling more gimmick matches like Hell in a Cell, Bayley told Nick Schwartz of Fox Sports, "We want all the opportunities that the men have, and we want to be able to be put in those situations and know that we can handle it."

That appears to be happening, bout by bout. 

But the women's division is not assured an evolution that ends in equality. WWE brass won't be inspired to book more Hell in a Cell bouts if Banks and Charlotte don't produce.

Those who doubt whether women can thrive in the violent environment of Hell in a Cell will have plenty of ammo if Banks vs. Charlotte is underwhelming or mediocre. This match is a test run, a prototype.

Banks and Charlotte will be pressured to put their feet on the gas and wreck each other's bodies for the sake of making this bout memorable. They are, after all, representing an entire gender. 

Credit: WWE.com

History will be made in this match. That much is guaranteed. 

If Banks and Charlotte step up to the plate as successfully as they did at NXT, at WrestleMania 32 and in their two thrillers on Raw, the impact of that history will be far greater.

Their battle won't be a one-time adventure into Hell in a Cell. Instead, it will be the precursor to a changed WWE landscape where women will use steel and carnage to tell their stories, just as the men do.