WWE Hell in a Cell 2016: Smart Builds for PPV's Top Feuds

As enemies prepare to battle inside a steel enclosure at WWE Hell in a Cell 2016, Raw's top feuds must increase their ferocity.

The Oct. 30 pay-per-view will feature three trips inside Hell in a Cell. These matches are best built on a robust supply of bad blood. That should be the focus during the last stages of the PPV's build.

For Roman Reigns vs. Rusev, the United States Championship should be the catalyst for their animosity to grow.

Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins can deepen their story through subplots as their collision inside the steel awaits. And before Sasha Banks and Charlotte become the first women to clash inside Hell in a Cell, their rivalry will be best served by turning up the savagery. 

The following is a look at those matches and more, breaking down the best options to generate hype ahead of the upcoming PPV.

T.J. Perkins vs. Brian Kendrick

T.J. Perkins has stumbled of late when Brian Kendrick stands across from him in the ring. Kendrick knocked off the cruiserweight champ on Oct. 3 and, two weeks later, was on the winning side of a six-man tag team bout.  

It's a mistake to have such a fresh face fall like that.

Vaughn Johnson of Philly.com tweeted, "I know a better way to build up Kendrick for another title shot. Have him beat other people not named T.J. Perkins."

He's right. WWE's best bet before Hell in a Cell is to showcase how much of a threat Kendrick is to Perkins. The No. 1 contender should topple another cruiserweight by clocking his foe with an illegal object behind the referee's back.

That will drive home how unscrupulous and desperate the veteran is to reclaim glory. 

In a backstage interview afterward, Kendrick should get in Perkins' face, gloating and promising to make the champion his next victim. Pushed too far, Perkins can start brawling with his enemy.

Their title match at the PPV would suddenly have more animosity to draw from.

Roman Reigns vs. Rusev

It's easy to forget that Roman Reigns and Rusev are battling for the United States Championship at Hell in a Cell. The two rivals have barely mentioned that prize.

Before their PPV clash, their bout will benefit from more focus on the title.

Rusev was elated when he reclaimed it from Kalisto in May. He promised to hold the belt for seven years. WWE needs to tap into that passion again.

The Bulgarian Brute's next promo shouldn't be about his family, as it was on Raw on Oct. 17; rather, it should be about how badly he wants to be champion again. He can reveal that he hasn't slept since losing the title. He can talk about how he's willing to do anything inside Hell in a Cell to get it back.

Reigns' response should be brief and powerful. The champion should evoke the late Charlton Heston and scream something to the effect of, "You will have to pry it from my cold, dead hands."

And in keeping with how intense this feud has been for months, the final image before their PPV battle should be a good, old-fashioned, pull-apart brawl.

The New Day vs. Sheamus and Cesaro

WWE announced that Sheamus and Cesaro will take on The New Day in non-title action on Oct. 24, just days before the PPV.

This is a chance to amplify the dysfunction between the challengers. When the match starts, Cesaro should enter alone and announce that he can't find Sheamus anywhere. He can decide to wrestle The New Day regardless and will do impressively well despite the disadvantage.

Cesaro can look like a beast in taking on two men, but The New Day's chemistry will be on display as Big E and Kofi Kingston start overwhelming The King of Swing.

That's when Sheamus can show up, claiming to have been stuck in traffic. 

He won't even get a chance to tag in before The New Day pins Cesaro. The Swiss Superman should be furious and floor his tag team partner with a huge European uppercut.

This odd-couple squad's issues will be at an all-time high heading into their biggest match while The New Day mocks them.

Enzo Amore and Big Cass vs. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson

WWE almost had it right with Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson.

After their ill-advised venture into "comedic" territory, the two bruisers promised to end all the silliness in the tag team division. They wanted to end all the fun and games around them.

But their new attitudes didn't change their fortunes.

They again looked like doormats. Big Cass only defeated Anderson on the Oct. 17 edition of Raw but did so in a blink of an eye.

As Wrestling Inc tweeted, "Anderson shouldn't be squashed like that, even by their next big thing, Big Cass."

It's hard to take the heels seriously. WWE needs to rehab their image in a hurry.

On the next Raw, Gallows and Anderson should emerge furious about losing. They should steamroll over a lower-rung team such as The Golden Truth and then beat on it after the bell.

Anderson and Gallows need to look like bullies and barbarians.

Then Enzo Amore and Cass can run out and make the save. And to give the audience a lasting image of The Club's power, Anderson and Gallows should lay out the would-be cavalry with steel chairs. The babyfaces will then have reason to be fired up when these teams collide in official action. 

Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins

The path to Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins needs to be all about foreshadowing. The audience should be anticipating the story's many moving parts to collide once the WWE Universal Championship match unfolds.

For one, we need to see Owens' best friend, Chris Jericho, tease going after that title for himself.

WWE has revealed cracks in their alliance of late. As Wade Keller wrote for PWTorch, "Jericho continues to flash glimpses of turning against Owens once he tires of playing backup singer to his lead." Moving further in that direction would be smart.

While Jericho and Owens patch things up on the go-home Raw, Y2J should hint at being Owens' next challenger once he's done with Rollins. It can be brief and subtle, but we need to know that trouble is brewing between these two by way of Raw's top prize. 

And Triple H needs to be involved in the narrative soon. There has still been no explanation as to why the COO betrayed Rollins and helped Owens win the title.

Teasing his arrival will increase intrigue surrounding the PPV. After Rollins puts on an impressive performance and wins a match on Raw, Owens should give him a slow clap and dismiss the feat. The champ will reveal that he has a secret weapon at Hell in a Cell.

Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte

The missing ingredient in the Sasha Banks-Charlotte rivalry is viciousness.

There has been talk of making history inside Hell in a Cell and plenty of passion over the Raw Women's Championship. To make this feud befit The Devil's Playground, things have to get nastier.

Charlotte should look to soften up her opponent by attacking her backstage. The Queen can again go after Banks' recently injured back. She can smash her into sound equipment and rattle her spine with a steel chair.

A cackling Charlotte towering over a motionless Banks would be plenty powerful.

To further crank up the personal issues between those two and advance the rivalry between Dana Brooke and Bayley, Charlotte should issue another ambush that same night. Bayley and Brooke will lock up in singles action, but the heel will avoid her, constantly retreating.

Charlotte can then come out and team with Brooke in a two-on-one beatdown. The heels can bark that Bayley doesn't belong before a limping, injured Banks comes down to chase them off.

WWE can turn up the temperature on Banks vs. Charlotte just before the pair set the steel ablaze at Hell in a Cell.