Hell in a Cell final card and predictions

Prediction time is once again upon us, so let’s take a look at tomorrows final Hell in a Cell card.

Triple Threat Match for the WWE Divas Championship: Kaitlyn vs. Layla vs. Eve Torres (Champion)

This was a last-minute match added on this week’s episode of Smackdown!, so don’t be expecting a whole hell of a lot here. While the smart thing to do would be to keep the belt on Eve for a little bit longer, there has been talk of a title reign for Kaitlyn for almost six months now, so it could definitely happen. Kind of a long shot here, but considering there were rumors Kaitlyn was going to win the title at Night of Champions before she got injured (legitimately injured, not the storyline attack), I’m picking her to win her first Divas title on Sunday.

Intercontinental Championship: Kofi Kingston (Champion) vs. The Miz

This is a return bout from a few weeks ago on Main Event where Kingston defeated Miz for his fourth IC title reign. While Miz does have an upcoming movie to promote, that’s not enough of a reason to put the belt back on him so quickly. On the other hand, there seems to be renewed interest in pushing Kingston as a more major player, and having him hold the IC title for a few months certainly wouldn’t hurt the possibility of that happening. On top of that, Kingston’s only been champion for a couple weeks now, and we are seeing less and less short title reigns, so don’t expect that to change here. Kingston retains in this one.

Alberto Del Rio (w/Ricardo Rodriguez) vs. Randy Orton

I think the outcome of this match really depends on what happens in the World title match, which will likely take place before hand on the card. While ADR winning is certainly a possibility, I don’t see him feuding with either Show or Sheamus down the road. His feud with Sheamus was a bus t and too long, and a feud with Show seems pointless. Dolph Ziggler has been promising that he will cash in his briefcase at the end of the World title match. If he is able to do so successfully, he’ll have a built-in feud ready to go with Orton, which would have Orton winning make more sense, as it would give him added momentum towards a World title match. At the same time, there’s been talk of a Sheamus/Orton feud for the title, so the odds of Orton winning here are very high. I’m going with him.

WWE Tag Team Championship: The Rhodes Scholars (Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow) vs. Team Hell No! (Daniel Bryan and Kane, Champions)

This is kind of a toss-up, but either way, this has potential to steal the show on Sunday night. Bryan, Rhodes and Sandow are all young and hungry, looking to prove themselves, with Kane being the most entertaining he’s been in many years. Rhodes and Sandow are already being talked about as future World Champions within the next two years, so a strong showing here would certainly work in their favor. I’m picking the champions to retain, but only because I predict the Scholars will demand a rematch in a few weeks and pick up the win (and the titles) when Kane and Bryan finally implode.

Hell in a Cell Match for the World Championship: The Big Show vs. Sheamus (Champion)

No offense to Show, but the fact is he will always be a lame-duck title contender. In 13 years with WWF/E, he has been champion 3 times (not counting his ECW title reign), with those three reigns combined lasting less than 3 months. For whatever reason, there is absolutely no interest in making Show a monster champion. Sheamus, on the other hand, is in the midst of a nearly 8-month run as champion, enjoying the biggest success of his career thus far. Even with the HIAC stipulation added, which might favor Show, I don’t see any other result than Sheamus retaining. Now, that’s not to say Ziggler isn’t true to his word and finally cashes in his case, which is also a possibility after Sheamus retains against Show.

Hell in a Cell Match for the WWE Championship: CM Punk (Champion, w/Paul Heyman) vs. Ryback

This is the single hardest match on the card to predict, and apparently, those in WWE agree. This match was kind of a back-up in case the original plan of John Cena vs. CM Punk couldn’t go through due to Cena’s surgery. Unfortunately for him, Cena wasn’t cleared to wrestle by the time WWE did the contract signing bit, and so Ryback was the defacto choice. On one hand, Punk is not likely to lose the belt before the Royal Rumble, where he is scheduled to defend against The Rock. On the other hand, Ryback is undefeated and a favorite of Vince McMahon’s backstage. While Cena wasn’t cleared at the time of the contract signing, that doesn’t mean he won’t be by the time the show starts. Should that happen, I’m going to guess the match is changed to a 3-way, which would allow Punk to pin Cena, with Ryback still technically remaining undefeated, despite not winning the match. This is the only way I can see things working out the way WWE really wants them to. If this doesn’t happen, Punk will still retain, but you can expect some kind of screwjob finish.