WWE Hell in a Cell 2011: Grading Sunday's Matches and Performances

The 2011 edition of WWE's Hell in a Cell is in the books, and the landscape of the company really has not changed much.

There is a new WWE Champion in Alberto Del Rio. World Heavyweight champion Mark Henry continued his dominant and impressive run, cleanly pinning Randy Orton inside the demonic cell.

Elsewhere, Beth Phoenix finally wrestled the Divas Championship from Kelly Kelly; Sheamus pinned Christian; Sin Cara I (or whatever else Michael Cole can think of to further confuse the fans) defeated the impostor Sin Cara; and Air Boom successfully retained their Tag Team Championship against United States Champion Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger.

Which matches delivered and which did not? Which performers stood out and excelled on the big stage that is associated with a WWE pay-per-view production?

Find out as the matches and events that unfolded at Hell in a Cell are analyzed and graded inside.

Opening Contest: Sheamus Defeated Christian

With Randy Orton and Mark Henry competing over the World Heavyweight Championship on the Smackdown side of WWE, it has allowed Christian and Sheamus to settle in to what should be an interesting side program.

Heading into Hell in a Cell, many expected a quality match between the two, especially considering the role Christian has been on in terms of pay-per-view performances and the increased passion Sheamus has shown in recent weeks.

The match was a decent one—nothing more and nothing less. It had enough back-and-forth action to be considered a quality contest, but it lacked in-ring storytelling, and left no real doubt as to who would leave victorious.

Sheamus was his solid self, and at this point it's tough to say, but Christian appeared to be "off."

I would not go as far as to say Christian was sleep walking through his performance, but it was far from what is expected of "Captain Charisma."

Match Grade: B-

Sin Cara (Blue) Defeated Sin Cara (Black)

Sin Cara vs. Sin Cara at Hell in a Cell is undoubtedly a strong contender for worst match of the year.

That one, simple statement should be all you need to know about the match between the two masked wrestlers Sunday night.

Since arriving in April, Sin Cara has been a lightning rod for controversy.

Whether it's telling his peers that most of his matches in Mexico were a shoot, or whether it was being suspended 30 days for violating the WWE's Wellness Policy, Sin Cara has had his name in the headlines on one too many pro wrestling websites in a short period of time.

The match at Hell in a Cell was an exhibition in blown spots and repetitive nonsense. Neither Mistico or Hunico (the men portraying the characters, for those unaware) appeared to be on the same page, and it showed.

One can only imagine Vince McMahon sitting at the Gorilla position and screaming at the top of his lungs for the referee to give the "go home" orders to the two competitors.

It remains to be seen what happens between these two in the coming weeks, but if either or them are on the WWE roster at this time next year, I will be surprised.

Match Grade: D-

WWE Tag Team Title Match: Air Boom Defeated Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger

Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne have rejuvenated a tag team division that has been stagnant—left for dead even—for the last few years. They are a popular act fans can get into and an act that brings instant legitimacy to a tag team division that Triple H has shown interest in re-establishing.

Dolph Ziggler continues to be one of the really great in-ring workers in the business.

He is very much like Mr. Perfect in that he has his look, he can bump around the ring and make anyone look like a star. He is arguably as talented, if not more, than a number of main event performers. The scary thing about Ziggler is his constant improvement.

Jack Swagger finally appears to be back on track after a disastrous World Heavyweight Championship run in 2010 and a subsequent fall that saw him jobbing to the likes of Santino Marella.

A below-average interview, Vickie Guerrero is exactly what Swagger needs to continue regaining momentum and advance back up the card.

The match was textbook tag-team wrestling.

Swagger and Dolph worked over their opponents before the hot tag that led to a very fast-paced, high-impact finish.

As Swagger attempted a top-rope power bomb on Bourne, Evan reversed it into a huracanrana for the win. Dolph and Kofi continued a streak of very good-to-great matches against each other on pay-per-view, and Bourne and Swagger were their always-reliable, solid selves. Good match and easily the best of the night to that point.

Match Grade: B

World Title Hell in a Cell Match: Mark Henry Defeated Randy Orton

Randy Orton and Mark Henry continued their role of great story telling and in-ring action, having another very good match despite the lack of action involving the Hell in a Cell structure.

Thus far in the rivalry, the story and match activity between the two is very reminiscent of the critically-acclaimed series of bouts between Sting and Vader in the early-1990s. In that series, Vader was the unbeatable monster who steamrolled over his opponents and Sting was the baby-face hero—the one guy that had a chance to upset his larger, dominating opponent.

Mark Henry, like Vader, has excelled in the role. He is the man-beast who has defeated everyone put in front of him since arriving on Smackdown.

From big to small, he has dominated and put out of action some of the company's top stars. He is the heel so many wrestling fans have been waiting for. He does not cheat, he does not eek out victories. He wins matches and he does it on his own, cleanly.

Randy Orton continues to be one of the really great in-ring performers the company has. Whether Internet fans agree or disagree with his push as World Heavyweight Champion for most of this year, you cannot discount the matches he has been in and their high quality.

Orton has finally become the performer many expected him to be from the minute he stepped inside the squared circle. There is no more consistent main event performer than Orton and he appears to have adopted the role of the star of the Smackdown brand.

As for their match, it was very solid. Henry dominated until Orton kicked it into second gear, displaying his viper-like tendencies, and landed the RKO.

When Henry kicked out, it appeared as though Orton was left in awe. He set up for the running punt, the same punt that put so many out of action in the past. As he sprint across the ring, however, Mark made it to his feet, caught Randy in the World's Strongest Slam, and retained his title.

For the second month in a row, Randy Orton laid down clean for Mark Henry. He did not rely on 37 guys running into the match, nor did he have a stupid excuse—such as being locked outside of the cell while someone else took the pin (we'll get to that later).

Orton did the time-honored thing and simply lost, fair and square, in an attempt to get one of his peers over as a threat. It worked and more people buy Mark Henry as a main event star than they ever have before.

Match Grade: B+

Cody Rhodes Promo

While it is not a match, Cody Rhodes' promo deserves recognition.

In one promo, and by inciting the names of the members of the Hall of Fame that have held the title, Cody did more to make the Intercontinental Championship more important than the creative team and booking committee have done in years.

By revealing the old, prestigious championship, Rhodes actually received very audible cheers from adult fans who remember the days when the title was a crucial step towards the main event.

Promo Grade: A

Intercontinental Title Match: Cody Rhodes Defeated John Morrison

As excellent as Cody's promo prior to this unadvertised title match was, the match itself was decidedly lacking.

Perhaps it was the crowd's lack of response. Perhaps it was the restriction Rhodes' street clothes created. Whatever the case, the match proved to be little more than a serviceable match that would have felt more at home on an episode of Raw or Smackdown.

Cody continues to improve. Outside of Dolph Ziggler, he may be the most ready for a spot at the top of the card. He is a highly-talented, second generation star that has proven the ability to succeed where others have failed (see: Michael McGillicutty, Husky Harris).

John Morrison is the very definition of a treadmill star. He never seems to be moving forward or back, just in the same spot.

He is not overly charismatic. He has a flashy arsenal of moves, and he has his share of fans, but he is far from a main event star. Perhaps it may be time to put an end to the John Morrison Project and allow him to join Melina on the unemployment line.

Match Grade: C

Divas Championship Match: Beth Phoenix Defeated Kelly Kelly (New Champion)

For the third consecutive month, Kelly Kelly and Beth Phoenix have given WWE fans a taste of what can happen inside the squared circle when the Divas are given more than one, two, or three minutes to craft a match.

At Hell in a Cell, Beth Phoenix finally defeated the "Barbie doll" to become the new Divas Champion.

For months, fans expressed outrage that Kelly was able to defeat Beth at SummerSlam and Night of Champions.

They said it hurt Beth, that it made the "Divas of Destruction" look bad. But Kelly never decisively defeated Beth or Natalya. Instead, she constantly got lucky, using moves such as roll ups to steal upset victories.

If anything, Kelly looked bad for having to rely on fluke wins to keep her title.

The beauty of the Hell in a Cell match was how it recalled those roll ups within the frame of the contest. On several occasions, Kelly scored a roll up and had fans believing she may be able to pick up the win once again.

But Beth powered out. And she applied the new submission maneuver she and Natalya have been perfecting in recent weeks. Then, after a funny little cheap shot from Natalya (using a microphone on Kelly behind the referee's back, despite clearly not needing it at that point), Beth executed the Glam Slam and picked up her first Divas title.

Both ladies looked good, with Kelly putting in another solid effort and Beth guiding her to it. Whether the rivalry continues is the question. If not, a potential Beth versus Eve contest could be interesting.

Match Grade: B

WWE Title Match: Alberto Del Rio Defeated John Cena and CM Punk (New Champion)

Another WWE Championship match, another WWE Championship switch.

The match between John Cena, CM Punk and Alberto Del Rio was very good.

Punk and Del Rio excelled inside the cell and Cena was much better than he has been in the last month. For the first time in months,  Alberto Del Rio showed a fire inside the squared circle and an intensity he has been criticized for lacking.

The only complaint to be had with the match was the manner in which John Cena was—once again—able to lose the WWE Championship without being pinned or made to submit.

Now, allow me to preface this by saying I am not anti-Cena. I am actually a fan of John and consider him to be a far better wrestler than anyone gives him credit for. But. at this point, we understand that John Cena is the company's biggest star.

We understand he is the bread winner for the company and the he is the hero of kids everywhere. With that said, John Cena does not need to be protected from losing a match clean.

He does not need to be showered with championship reigns to make him look great. It is because of the constant favorable booking and nonstop pushes that fans have turned their back on the leader of the "Cenation" to begin with.

There was absolutely no reason for John Cena not to lose the match on Sunday. It was ridiculous booking to protect him from a loss to Del Rio, as well as a booking that left CM Punk to take the pin for the second consecutive month.

It was ridiculous and only makes Randy Orton look that much better for understanding what it takes to make his opponent look that much stronger in the fans eyes.

Compare Orton and Cena, and Randy's understanding that losing one, two, even 10 matches completely clean and putting over your opponent in the process only makes for a stronger product.

Match Grade: A

Miz and R-Truth Attack!

The post-main event activities, featuring The Miz and R-Truth attacking all three of the triple threat competitors, was brilliant.

The cell was mysteriously lowered, locking security, Triple H, and the rest of the WWE locker room out while the two rogue, unemployed stars beat down three of the company's top stars.

When the door was finally unlocked, and security entered the ring, Miz and Truth gave themselves up and were handcuffed and led out.

Triple H attacked and had to be pulled away by WWE security.

The entire angle was effective in that it allowed Miz and Truth to look like more than a comedy act. They were a dangerous and unstable duo that attacked WWE superstars in order to send a message to Triple H.

Rather than being victims of a conspiracy, they lashed out and, in one night, became bigger stars than they were previously.

Easily the most memorable moment of the evening.

Angle Grade: A+