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WWE Hell in a Cell is officially in the books, and it marks the final pay-per-view of the pandemic era. It's been a unique period in WWE history and one that fans may only truly appreciate as more time passes.
Hell in a Cell is a pay-per-view that has received mixed reactions so far. It's safe to assume that most matches were good, but a couple of terrible finishes may have changed that perception.
Whatever it may be, we're less than a month away from things returning to "normal" in WWE with fans back. Now that Hell in a Cell is done, we begin the road to Money in the Bank 2021. Here is what WWE subtly told us in the final pay-per-view of the pandemic era:
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#6. Drew McIntyre is officially out of the WWE title picture at Hell in a Cell, but what's next?
It was essentially 16 straight months of Drew McIntyre in the WWE Championship picture. It's an incredibly long time for somebody to be in the picture when their cumulative reign as WWE Champion was 300 days.
It's not that it wasn't justified either. For all of 2020, Drew McIntyre was the best superstar in WWE. Unfortunately, bad luck struck him twice at Hell in a Cell. Last year at Hell in a Cell, he lost the WWE Championship to Randy Orton.
This year at Hell in a Cell, he lost to Bobby Lashley, which means that he can't challenge for the WWE title as long as The Almighty one is on top of RAW. It was a great match with an awful finish.
Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley went all-out at Hell in a Cell, and it was entertaining from the start. Unfortunately, WWE made a big mistake with two title matches - this and the RAW Women's Championship bout.
First, Drew McIntyre is officially out of the WWE title picture after 16 months. Second, this could be a step closer to a dream SummerSlam match between Bobby Lashley and Brock Lesnar.
After reports from Fightful emerged about WWE having plans for Brock Lesnar's SummerSlam return, this could mean a dream bout against Bobby Lashley. Hopefully, we finally get to see it.
Does WWE want to start afresh with the RAW Women's title this summer after Hell in a Cell?
In the co-main event of Hell in a Cell 2021, Rhea Ripley faced Charlotte Flair in a WrestleMania 36 rematch. It promised to be a good, straightforward match, and up until the end, it was.
Charlotte Flair was 1-1 with Asuka on RAW and got a title shot at Hell in a Cell despite losing a week earlier. Whatever it may be, Asuka is fully out of the RAW Women's Championship picture, while Charlotte Flair isn't.
We're not sure what the direction of the RAW Women's title picture will be, but one thing is for sure - Charlotte Flair is still in it after Hell in a Cell. The match was going well until it ended in a disqualification.
But the nature of the disqualification was weird. Rhea Ripley used the commentary table cover on Charlotte Flair's head, and the match was called. There have been countless instances of superstars getting sent through tables, but this was somehow deemed a disqualification.
It was a mistake on WWE's part to extend the rivalry and include Charlotte Flair, especially with such a ridiculous finish at Hell in a Cell.
Seth Rollins' win at Hell in a Cell extends an extensive feud
Seth Rollins vs Cesaro happened once again at Hell in a Cell 2021, and it's been four months since their rivalry began. One would think that a rivalry that goes on for 1/3rd of the year would be enough to see a conclusion, but that wasn't the case at Hell in a Cell.
Cesaro and Seth Rollins always work well together, and this time was no different. However, the good match ended with a rather underwhelming finish. Cesaro seemed to be in the driver's seat, but a momentary mistake from The Swiss Superman cost him, as Seth Rollins pinned him with the small package.
The finish didn't do much apart because it would extend the rivalry beyond Hell in a Cell. But it begs the question - why? What difference does it make at this point?
It isn't a bad rivalry by any means, but it has run its course. Hell in a Cell should have been the conclusion of it, but that isn't happening. Perhaps the storyline will play into the Money in the Bank ladder match if both men are involved in it.
Bianca Belair finally moves on at Hell in a Cell
It's always nice when feuds end on a high note, and that's exactly what happened at Hell in a Cell. Bianca Belair faced Bayley in the opening bout inside Hell in a Cell in her second pay-per-view defense of the SmackDown Women's Championship.
Last year's Hell in a Cell classic between Sasha Banks and Bayley set the benchmark for women's matches inside the steel structure. This is probably why it was hard for Bianca Belair to live up to that.
But to the credit of the SmackDown Women's Champion, she continued to improve and put on one of her career-best performances at Hell in a Cell. She faced Bayley for the second pay-per-view in a row and defeated her in a match arguably better than her WrestleMania bout against Sasha Banks.
With Sasha Banks returning to SmackDown two days before Money in the Bank, it will be interesting to see what's next in the blue brand's women's division. Carmella has picked up momentum recently, minus her loss to Liv Morgan. We expect the feud to culminate with Carmella potentially becoming Bianca Belair's challenger post-Hell in a Cell.
Another twist in the tale at Hell in a Cell 2021
At Hell in a Cell, Alexa Bliss faced Shayna Baszler. The base of the storyline was the fact that Shayna Baszler called Lily a "stupid doll" and stomped her. It's almost as if WWE transferred the Fiend's gimmick to Alexa Bliss at WrestleMania and went running with it after that.
Alexa Bliss' run on RAW since then has been a bit odd. The latest story leading up to Hell in a Cell started with her interest in Natalya and Tamina before it eventually shifted to Reginald.
Then it went to Shayna Baszler, who insulted her, leading to a match at Hell in a Cell. At the pay-per-view, the two women had a short match that Alexa Bliss won. But there was a part in between where Alexa Bliss seemed to have control of Nia Jax. As she raised her left hand, Nia Jax raised her right. When Alexa Bliss screamed, so did Nia Jax.
A slapping motion caused Nia Jax to hit Reginald, which concluded with Alexa Bliss looking wickedly at the ring. While this was happening, Nia Jax seemed to snap out of it. From what it appears, Alexa Bliss has no fixed targets.
Where does the Sami Zayn-Kevin Owens feud go after Hell in a Cell?
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn faced off at Hell in a Cell, and it was their 13th bout in WWE. Again, it wasn't a feud or match needed for Hell in a Cell, but given the lack of depth on the pay-per-view, we don't blame WWE for putting it on the card.
In all likeliness, it would have been better if WWE had used both men in the Intercontinental title match. This time at Hell in a Cell, Kevin Owens lost to Sami Zayn. It all seemed to take place in a moment as Zayn was close to getting counted out.
However, this win comes with a problem. The Intercontinental title picture seems a bit shallower since Kevin Owens lost, and Big E was essentially eliminated from title contention. A triple threat direction involving Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, and Apollo Crews would have been the way to go.
It was another good match between the two men, but we're not sure what it accomplishes.
Ex WWE writer blasts Liv Morgan HERE
