Grading Hype Level for Each WWE Hell in a Cell 2017 Fight

The build to a wrestling match adds emotion and anticipation for it.

Sunday night, SmackDown Live will present Hell in a Cell, a show with eight matches that have the potential to exceed expectations and provide fans with one of the better pay-per-views of the year.

To do so, it will have to overcome the most lackluster creative in recent memory.

The build to Sunday's matches, for the most part, has been subpar and created a general apathy among fans that the Superstars involved will have to combat.

What went wrong during the build, and why?

Find out with this preview of WWE Hell in a Cell 2017.

Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable vs. The Hype Bros

The descent into dissatisfaction and frustration for The Hype Bros began with a September 12 loss to Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable.

The continued losses have affected Zack Ryder and Mojo Rawley to the point that they are exploring a change in attitude that will, ultimately, conclude with a heel turn.

That little bit of background is more than some of the other, higher-profile matches on the card have been granted.

Grade: C

AJ Styles vs. Baron Corbin

Just 48 hours after SummerSlam, Baron Corbin entered the United States Championship picture. The special referee for a match between AJ Styles and Kevin Owens, he intentionally fast-counted Styles' shoulders to the mat, nearly screwing The Phenomenal One out of his title.

In the weeks that followed, Corbin repeatedly made his presence felt in matches involving The Phenomenal One. Primarily, those also featuring "The Perfect 10" Tye Dillinger.

Somewhere along the line, the rivalry not only pitted Corbin against Styles but also, in a side story of sorts, against Dillinger.

On the October 3 episode of SmackDown, Dillinger upset Corbin, using his hubris against him to score a rollup victory.

The feud has been a confusing one, to say the least.

At one point, it looked like Dillinger would make his way into the match at Hell in a Cell, turning the planned one-on-one bout into a Triple Threat match.

Instead, he has been a television feud to keep Corbin busy until he battles Styles at Hell in a Cell. While it is a nice change of pace from the repetitive matches that usually populate television, the build to the real match between Styles and Corbin was hampered as a result.

Grade: C+

Bobby Roode vs. Dolph Ziggler

Dolph Ziggler spent weeks condemning fans for their love of bold gimmicks and elaborate entrances.

His insistence that was the case was proved correct when Bobby Roode stepped through the curtain with his "Glorious" theme music and his sparkling robe. Ziggler denounced Roode, even claiming it took the Canadian-born Superstar long enough to backdoor his way into WWE.

Roode answered Ziggler's criticism the next week, defeating Mike Kanellis in short order, then promising his victory over The Showoff at Hell in a Cell will be glorious.

While the segments involving Ziggler in recent weeks have been overly long at times, he has done a solid job of making himself relevant after months of sitting on the sidelines. He has carried this program on his back through will power and venomous shots at older, established talent.

Grade: C+

The New Day vs. The Usos

The New Day and The Usos have been warring since this past June, when the latter group arrived on SmackDown Live.

At Money in the Bank, New Day picked up the victory but not the titles, thanks to a count-out finish. One month later, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods picked up the victory over Jimmy and Jey, winning the titles and igniting what they thought would be a monumental run as champions.

It was not meant to be.

At SummerSlam, the competitive fire of The Usos led them to another title reign.

A month later, on a special Sin City SmackDown in Las Vegas, The New Day regained the titles.

In between, the teams have taken shots at each other in promos and rap-offs, adding an edginess to the program that helped it evade monotony.

Sunday night, they will look to steal the show one last time inside Hell in a Cell, setting the bar extremely high for the other Superstars on the card to clear.

Grade: A

Randy Orton vs. Rusev

Does anyone even remember why Randy Orton and Rusev are fighting in the first place?

The feud began prior to SummerSlam, presumably because there was nothing else better for either Superstar to do. At the August 20 event, Orton defeated The Bulgarian Brute in nine seconds, essentially killing the last bit of credibility the former United States champion had.

By the time Rusev got his win back on a meaningless episode of SmackDown, following shenanigans, fans had already checked out of the underdeveloped program.

An RKO during a ridiculous in-ring promo and a side rivalry between Orton and Aiden English have done little to inspire excitement, to the point that either man's victory will hopefully, mercifully bring the underwhelming program to an end Sunday night.

Grade: D-

Charlotte vs. Natalya

Natalya's victory over Naomi at SummerSlam netted her a championship for the first time in seven years. It was a triumphant moment for the longest-tenured woman on the roster—one that was well-deserved.

The September 19 episode of SmackDown Live saw Charlotte win a Fatal 4-Way match to earn a shot at The Queen of Harts' title.

Just five days until their showdown, Natalya tapped her top challenger out to a Sharpshooter and earned some momentum.

Interweaving in their rivalry is Carmella, Miss Money in the Bank, who continues to tease a potential cash-in Sunday in Detroit.

Whether that happens or not, it is the suspense surrounding The Princess from Staten Island that continues to fuel the women's division action.

Grade: C+

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Jinder Mahal

At SummerSlam, Shinsuke Nakamura came within seconds of dethroning WWE champion Jinder Mahal and ascending to the top of the SmackDown brand. Interference from The Singh Brothers prevented that from happening.

Rather than telling a story that saw Nakamura focus his energy on picking off The Singh Brothers one-by-one and creating a scenario where he can challenge Nakamura one-on-one, WWE Creative opted to send Mahal to the ring week after week, cutting lame promos full of race-fueled jokes that earned backlash from fans and mainstream media, like The Washington Post, alike.

It was not until Tuesday's episode that the writers turned the attention of the audience to the numbers game and how it continues to be the downfall of Nakamura's title chase.

A disjointed, poorly structured and written story has doomed the feud to mediocrity and a decided lack of heat ahead of Sunday's pay-per-view.

Grade: C-

Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens

When AJ Styles defeated Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho to capture the United States Championship from The Prizefighter, Owens wasted little time complaining about the unfair treatment put forth by SmackDown commissioner Shane McMahon.

Since then, the disenfranchisement within Owens has intensified to the point that he has attacked Shane and his father, WWE owner Vince, in brutal displays of violence.

Shane has gotten his licks in, showing commendable guts in fighting back against the former universal champion.

While some will debate whether or not their match belongs inside Hell in a Cell, the build has been intense enough to warrant such a gimmick match.

Grade: A