Ryan Dilbert's 10-Count: Sasha Banks, Charlotte Will Shine Inside Hell in a Cell

1. Don't Bet Against Banks and Charlotte 

Elephantine pressure will be on Sasha Banks' and Charlotte's shoulders as they become the first women to ever compete inside Hell in a Cell.

But their history has shown that they feed on moments like that. There is no doubt that The Boss and The Queen will deliver inside the steel structure.

Ahead of the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view on Oct. 30, many have been unconvinced that they or any other women belong in The Devil's Playground. The match is meant to be a showcase of savagery, something that has not been a hallmark of the women's division.

Eric Bischoff, for one, doesn't like the idea.

The former WCW head man said on his podcast Bischoff on Wrestling (h/t Geno Mrosko of Cageside Seats), "I am suggesting that the audience may not necessarily want to see that type of entertainment and that type of match out of that type of an athlete."

Bischoff may not have been listening when Raw general manager Mick Foley officially made Banks vs. Charlotte a Hell in a Cell match and a "Yes!" chant broke out.

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful has been hearing another kind of criticism, one that Bischoff mentioned, too, about women not being able to live up to the standards of the bout:

That's ridiculous. 

Banks and Charlotte have been putting on stellar matches together since their NXT days. They are fully capable of outclassing the many clunkers that are part of Hell in a Cell history.

Did Mark Henry vs. Randy Orton in 2011 live up to some great standard? Did Ryback and Paul Heyman vs. CM Punk in 2013? Absolutely not.

Banks and Charlotte deserve a chance to prove themselves in that steel structure. It's about time one of the women's feuds got vicious and violent enough to travel into Hell in a Cell. 

Besides, the Raw women's champ and the No. 1 contender at her heels have come through when the lights are brightest.

When NXT booked Banks to main event TakeOver: Respect against Bayley in the inaugural women's Iron Man match, The Boss killed it. When Charlotte, Banks and Becky Lynch battled in the most high-profile women's match in WrestleMania history, they put on the best match of the night.

When Banks vs. Charlotte headlined Raw on Oct. 3, becoming just the second pair of female rivals to do so, they tore the house down. And ratings went in the right direction.

Can they now tell a more barbaric story, with their flesh rubbing against the steel, with steel chairs clanging across their backs? There's little reason to think otherwise.

Banks and Charlotte know the world will be watching, doubters and critics included, and will be putting the pedal down to the floor in an effort to make the most of their historic opportunity.

2. The Lone Wolf's Continued Rise

WWE is presenting Baron Corbin as the wrecking ball he was born to be.

On Tuesday's SmackDown, he steamrolled over Jack Swagger in their rubber match. He pounded the former world champion's head against the security barricade with forearm shots. And in less than two minutes, the fight was over.

That put his main-roster record at 26-8-1, per CageMatch.net.

Many of those wins have come on the little-seen Superstars and Main Event. Throttling Swagger on SmackDown is a more important result. An early loss to Dolph Ziggler had many worried that WWE would flub Corbin's rookie year, but he's been the beneficiary of better booking of late.

Corbin has won four straight PPV matches. He's knocked off the likes of Rhyno, Swagger and Apollo Crews.

The victories need to keep coming. Corbin is showing himself to be a major asset for SmackDown, and the more powerful WWE makes him out to be, the truer that will be moving forward.

3. Throwback Video of the Week: Ric Flair

In celebrating the powerhouse's return, announcer Michael Cole billed Goldberg as "the greatest champion in WCW history."

That kind of hyperbole is commonplace in wrestling, but it's hard to ignore such an erroneous statement. The Nature Boy was WCW's foundation for a long time, its pre-eminent star and champion.

For a reminder of the kind of charisma that helped him claim that spot, travel back to 1987, when Flair laid out the WCW world title picture:

Goldberg never compelled on the mic like that. 

4. A Most Welcome Surprise Showdown

After dominating the NXT women's division, Asuka awaited a worthy challenger. One arrived from WWE's past.

Former women's champion Mickie James is set to return for a clash with Asuka at NXT TakeOver: Toronto on Nov. 19:

This is a brilliant move. NXT can now keep the anticipated Ember Moon-Asuka match in its pocket for when Moon has torn through the other competitors. And James' return is sure to electrify the show, elevating its importance.

NXT continues to find ways to adapt, improve and keep fans guessing. This latest intriguing matchup is the latest example.

5. Paige Put a Ring on It 

Leave it to Paige to dropkick a centuries-old tradition.

The former Divas champ got down on her knee and asked her boyfriend Alberto Del Rio to marry her at a World Wrestling Council show in Puerto Rico. A grinning Del Rio accepted the proposal.

The Wrestling Guy shared a clip of the moment:

"

BREAKING NEWS:Paige proposed to Alberto Del Rio,he said yes.So they will be getting married.

pic.twitter.com/ATVmjw1aHE

— The Wrestling Guy (@WrestlingGuyRB) October 17, 2016"

Rumors and bad news have swirled around the couple so much recently that it's great to see something positive emerge concerning them. 

6. Another Detour 

Drugs might close another door for Matt Sydal (previously known as Evan Bourne).

After missing several New Japan Pro Wrestling shows last month, fans wondered what was going on with the high-flying star. It turns out that trouble with the law prevented him from performing.

Nikkon Sports (h/t Joseph Currier of Figure Four Online) reported that Sydal was arrested in September at the Kansai International Airport for cannabis possession.

Fans will remember that drugs were a big reason that Sydal's WWE career fizzled out. He twice violated the company's talent wellness policy, which covers both narcotics and performance-enhancing drugs. After WWE suspended him for the second time, he soon faded from the spotlight.

He recovered from a broken foot, but WWE simply didn't put him on TV, then released him.

He had a hell of a thing going as Ricochet's tag team partner in NJPW. And now he's likely done with that promotion. Japan's strict drugs laws may even get him banned from the country.

Sydal is now forced to find another stage, to continue his story elsewhere.

7. The Gold in the Background

Rusev will challenge Roman Reigns for the United States Championship at Hell in a Cell, but it's easy to forget that. The feud has not focused on the title in the least.

The rivals collided on Monday's Raw with barely a peep about Reigns' gold. In a 12-minute segment, there were just six mentions of the U.S. title. The announcers were responsible for five of those. Lana brought it up once.

Reigns referenced it zero times, as did Rusev.

As Rusev battered Reigns inside the ring, announcer Byron Saxton said, "It's not about the United States Championship; it's about about hurting each other."

Why can't it be both? The championship offers high stakes for the bout. It makes victory and defeat mean more.

And what's the point of having Reigns dethrone Rusev if the title is not a treasure he holds dear, a part of him he can't bear to give up? Bad blood and personal issues are key to this story, but the championship has to be as well.

There's something wrong when the challenger mentions his family dog more than he does the prize he's seeking. WWE needs to adjust those proportions in a hurry.

8. TNA's Top Matches

Financial issues have to be leaving TNA fans worried about the promotion's future.

Before the Bound of Glory pay-per-view on Oct. 2, Richard Morgan of the New York Post wrote, "The wrestling organization spent much of the week negotiating with WWE and [TNA president Billy] Corgan for a cash infusion to pay for "BFG.'"

The ownership situation remains up in the air. There has been lots of speculation about WWE buying TNA's video library.

As Dave Scherer reported for PWInsider.com, American Express Travel Related Services is suing the company for over $250,000. 

If all that spells the end for TNA and Impact Wrestling, fans can at least relive or discover some of the best action the promotion produced:

• America's Most Wanted vs. Triple X: Turning Point 2004 (Steel Cage)
• AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels: Bound for Glory 2005 (Iron Man)
• AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels vs. Samoa Joe: Unbreakable 2005 
• Motor City Machine Guns vs. Beer Money: Victory Road 2010
• Bobby Roode vs. Austin Aries: Destination X 2012

It's interesting how many of the names on that list are with WWE today.

Joe, Aries and Roode are part of the NXT brand. Styles remains WWE's world champion.

If the situation worsens for TNA, we will soon see Ethan Carter III and others make the transition into the WWE world, too.

9. The Delayed Debut

Curt Hawkins' gimmick is that he trolls fans into thinking he's going to finally wrestle. He continued that act on Tuesday's SmackDown when he refused to fight Crews.

That followed his failure to wrestle at No Mercy, as promised.

This shtick has little potential. He may get some added heat for the first match he actually competes in, but then what? This story will soon be forgotten.

Fandango did the same thing before he officially debuted.

Whenever announcers failed to pronounce his name correctly, he stepped away from the ring in protest. That didn't work out so great for the ballroom dancer. Three years later, he's starving for TV time.

WWE has a lot of work to do to get the audience invested in Hawkins. Teasing his arrival isn't the answer.

10. James Ellsworth on His Opportunity

In three months, Ellsworth has gone from no-name jobber to the main event of SmackDown.

His underdog story has been one of the most surprising things to happen in WWE all year. Ellsworth battled Styles for the WWE World Championship on Tuesday night in a surreal meeting.

Ellsworth knows how unlikely this whole ride has been. That's surely why he got so emotional in an backstage interview with Renee Young on Tuesday night:

"No matter what, my life is going to change forever. Because one day, I'm going to be tell my grandchildren that their grandpa competed for the WWE World Championship on SmackDown Live," he said.

The emotion coursing through him in that moment is a reminder of how magical and crazy wrestling can be. And as we have seen with Ellsworth, those elements can come from the most unexpected sources.