WWE: Luke's Hell in a Cell 2011 Predictions

2011 has mostly been a breath of fresh air in the WWE when compared with the overall disaster that was 2010.

We have seen the return of The Rock, we have seen CM Punk grab the company by the throat and make history at Money In The Bank, and perhaps most relevant to this upcoming PPV we have seen the strict PG rules be relaxed a little.

Last year, when WWE was in full PG mode, this event was awful. It featured two Hell in a Cell matches, and neither of them lived up to legacy of that structure due to the overboard restrictions in place at that time.

Things have changed this year, we have definitely seen more brutality and creative weapon use, which has been prominent in nearly every gimmick match in 2011. Remember Undertaker vs. HHH from WrestleMania? The Elimination Chamber PPV in February? John Cena vs. Miz from Over The Limit? Or perhaps more recently Christian vs. Orton from Summerslam?

All of those were more the sort of thing we would expect from gimmick matches, and it is therefore with hope that I look upon this Sunday's PPV to finally live up to its name.

The last good Hell in a Cell match we witnessed was Undertaker vs. Edge from Summerslam 2008, and arguably it was one of the best of all time. It did not feature blood, but the action was intense and enjoyable from start to finish. If you haven't seen that match, I suggest you watch it before the PPV tonight to get you in the mood.

Personally I hope we see the action spill outside the cell for once tonight, and possibly onto the roof which is something we have not seen for many years and would now be a lot safer due to the new reinforced cell.

Last two PPV ratings:

Summerslam 2011: 8/10    Night Of Champions 2011: 7/10

WWE announced only five matches so I'm guessing another will be added on the night, but the card is looking solid nonetheless.      

World Heavyweight Championship: Mark Henry (c) vs. Randy Orton (Hell in a Cell)

This match should suit both men down to the ground and hopefully we will see a strong back and forth contest between the two.

Orton dropping the belt to Henry at Night of Champions was a bit of a surprise to me, though I do think he has shown he deserves it since moving over to Smackdown!

As for how I see this one going, I cannot imagine Orton losing cleanly again to Henry because quite frankly him losing cleanly once is a yearly event so twice in a row seems unlikely. Therefore I can see interference in this match which will enable Henry to get the win.

How will this go down? Well, I see Henry using his massive strength to either rip the door off of the cell or put Orton through the side of the cell with a running worlds strongest slam in similar fashion to how Edge speared Undertaker through the cell a few years back.

Somehow, Orton gets the advantage back outside the cell and is preparing to RKO Henry through the announce table when Cody Rhodes shows up, beats down Orton and gives him the Cross-Rhodes to effectively cost him the match.  

That way a new feud is set up between Rhodes and Orton (which should be fantastic) and Henry can move on to his next challenger, which in my opinion will be The Undertaker.

Think about it. Everyone has been talking about how Henry is unstoppable and that there isn't a man alive who can stop him. Let's face it if Orton can't do it then there is only really one option left on Smackdown! and that's The Undertaker.

It was speculated in a recent WWE Magazine that Undertaker might return at an October PPV, and even if he doesn't return tonight he can do so in three weeks time after Henry has decimated another challenger with his strength and body odour.

Undertaker has had six months off since WrestleMania so he should be as close as is possible for a 46 year old to 100 percent fitness, and his hair has probably grown back somewhat making him ready to return and destroy Mark Henry.

Winner: Mark Henry (Still Champion)

Projected rating: ***1/2 

Misti-Cara vs. Huni-Cara (Sin Cara vs. Sin Cara)

I should be looking forward to this match as it pits two very talented high-flyers against each other, but I'm not so much because of one thing: Botches.

There is no doubt that Misti-Cara was one of the best high-flyers in the world in CMLL, but since coming to WWE he has struggled to perform a single move without botching.

To make matters worse, Misti-Cara was suspended due to a wellness violation and Huni-Cara took his place on Smackdown! Now, here is a guy you would think would be unlikely to botch given the time he has had in FCW to adapt to WWE's style, yet it turns out that nerves get the better of him as well and he botches nearly as much as Misti-Cara.

One thing that has nonplussed me about this is the "confusion" about who the original is, even from IWC members. I don't see what's confusing as they both have totally different physiques and anyone who therefore views a picture or has memory of the Sin Cara that first debuted with WWE can surely easily tell that Misti-Cara is the original?

It's a shame Booker T did not comment on that instead of constantly changing his mind based of an apparent "black mark" on one of the Sin Cara's boots, much to the chagrin of the home viewers who didn't have a clue what he was talking about and I am led to believe  that Booker didn't know what he was going on about either. Somebody call the PO-LICE! 

Anyway, I see Misti-Cara getting the win here and Huni-Cara getting the next victory until Misti-Cara banishes his evil double in the rubber match.

Winner: Misti-Cara

Projected Rating: *1/2

Divas Championship: Kelly Kelly vs. Beth Phoenix

Of all the things in WWE currently, the most annoying of them all for me is quite possibly WWE's booking of Beth Phoenix.

At Summerslam, Kelly managed to upset Beth with a roll-up victory that sort of made sense to continue the feud and have Phoenix win the title at Night Of Champions in her hometown of Buffalo.

However, what happenings at NOC was not Beth winning the title, it was in fact Smelly Kelly getting another roll-up victory, causing a crowd which had been worshipping Phoenix throughout the match to chant "Bullsh*t" for a minute before losing its voice for the remainder of the PPV.

It was utterly awful nonsensical booking by WWE, and that was a shame at an event which up until that point I thought had been rather excellent.

Even worse that humiliating Beth in her hometown, the people in the broadcast both are starting to make out that Beth underestimated Kelly and that Kelly is a worthy champion to which I echo the sentiment of that Buffalo crowd after Beth got rolled up.

A roll-up is not a finisher, it is a pathetic way for a champion to retain and if anything the longer this goes on the more it is hurting Beth's credibility.

Beth had better win the belt at this event, another roll-up win for Kelly and I give up on the divas.

Winner: Beth Phoenix (New Champion)

Projected Rating: **1/2   

Sheamus vs. Christian

By all accounts, this has every chance of stealing the show tonight at Hell in a Cell, which is saying something seen as it is not even taking place in the steel structure.

I have been impressed with Sheamus ever since he first came to WWE, and I think he possesses natural charisma along with some good mic skills. On top of that I also think he is the best big guy in-ring worker to come into WWE since The Undertaker. He's quick, he's agile and he has some kick-ass manoeuvres in his repertoire.

Quite frankly, Sheamus is the total package.

Christian has been utterly brilliant since he turned heel in June, his work on the mic has been excellent and he has really sold his character as a "whiny little b*tch".

Now, I know this may get me some stick from CM Punk fans, but I do not believe CM Punk is the best wrestler in the WWE because I believe that title has to go to Christian.

Ever since he returned to WWE in 2009 on ECW, he has been putting on terrific matches every single week. His move-set in the ring is broad and wide ranging, everything he does looks completely smooth and he is without doubt a fantastic seller. In addition, I do not believe I have seen him botch one move in the last three years.

This year he has put on more clinics in the ring against Randy Orton every time they have faced, and the match between the two at Summerslam stole the show from Punk and Cena.       

I'm not saying Christian is the best mic worker in the company, but from an in-ring standpoint I think he is on a level with Chris Jericho.

This match therefore should be terrific and if WWE gives them 20 minutes, it could be a contender for match of the year.

Who do I think will win? Christian has been on a bad run lately, with multiple losses to Randy Orton and a loss to Mark Henry last week, so I think he could really use a win.

Obviously the win won't be clean, but I see Christian coming out on top with Sheamus getting revenge come Vengeance.

Winner: Christian

Projected Rating: ****   

WWE Championship: John Cena (c) vs. CM Punk vs. Alberto Del Rio (Hell in a Cell)

Apart from the ridiculous booking of the divas title match at Night of Champions, the other piece of stupidity came in the WWE title match where John Cena won his record tenth WWE title and essentially buried Del Rio who has been champion for just four weeks.

Don't get me wrong, I am not a Cena hater, and I can perfectly understand him needing to win at Night of Champions after two consecutive losses at prior PPV events.

However, WWE should not have put the title on Del Rio in the first place if they were going to take it off of him four weeks later. It made Del Rio look weak. Smart booking would have seen these three face off at Night of Champions with Del Rio winning after Punk and Cena get into a rut with one another and Del Rio picked up the pieces.

Having the WWE title change hands at every PPV event causes it to lose its credibility.

Anyway, this is what we have to go with and again this is a potentially show stealing match with the contrasting styles and sound ring chemistry these three have.

If you didn't like the finish of the Punk vs. HHH match from Night of Champions I doubt you'll like the finish to this either.

There is bound to be outside interference from The Miz and R-Truth, and I wouldn't be surprised if Nash showed up as well.

My betting is that we reach a point in the Cell match where CM Punk is on top, and then the troops will descend, break their way into the cell and attack Punk, effectively eliminating him from the match. They'll probably attack Cena as well, but not as severely just to stop him from defending Punk. 

After this, Cena will become Super-Cena and make a massive comeback to beat Del Rio and retain the title.

This keeps Punk in with the conspiracy storyline, keeps the belt with Cena and Del Rio I'm afraid will come out worse for wear if my prediction comes true. 

Winner: John Cena (Still champion)

Projected rating: ***3/4