Predicting how long each match will last at Hell in a Cell

The Hell in a Cell card has remained steady at a surprisingly compact eight matches. Aside from the ordering of these matches, to put on a good show, it's important to give each one the appropriate amount of time. The good matches should be given enough time to go, while the poorer matches need to be appropriately short.

Thankfully, there aren't a whole lot of poor matches on this card. Six of the eight should be good at worst, so allotting time gets harder.

Given the company's trends and how it sees performers, here's approximately how long each of these matches will last.

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#1 The New Day vs. Rusev Day (kickoff) ~15 minutes

These guys will have time.

Since this match will take place on the kickoff show, these guys will have the benefit of time, since there will be a lot to kill. The New Day always delivers in tag team title defences and they can be relied on to make the kickoff show worth watching.

Rusev Day has lost the lustre it had last winter, but they can also be relied on to deliver a fun, enthralling performance. Both teams can easily give this match legs to last 15 minutes and beyond.

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#2 Randy Orton vs. Jeff Hardy (Hell in a Cell match) ~25 minutes

Let them fight.

The main show will almost certainly kick off with the first of two Hell in a Cell matches. Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy will be given the appropriate time, as Hell in a Cell matches usually are.

There will be enough time to set up the crazy spots we're likely to see and to tell the tale of Randy Orton's descent into his present, sadistic form. 25 minutes will be a good portion of the time they need to tell their story.

#3 Dolph Ziggler and Drew McInytre vs. The Shield ~12 minutes

Enough time to do what they need, but not too much to drag.

At this time last year, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose were defending their tag team championships. They'll look to repeat that by winning tonight. They should have enough time to tell their story against McIntyre and Ziggler, who have instantly brought respectability back to the red straps.

12 minutes should be enough to give them the time they need, but not enough time to drag and make the rest of the card suffer by cutting it too short.

#4 AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe ~15 minutes

Round two.

At SummerSlam, these two had about 23 minutes, but that was a much longer show. They won't get the benefit of that time this go-around.

That might actually work for the better, as these two can deliver and even more intense match in a shorter time. 15 minutes will be plenty for them to go out and deliver what should be the best match of the night, and not enough for it to drag the other matches down.

#5 Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch ~15 minutes

15 minutes of intensity.

Like AJ Styles and Samoa Joe, a 15 minute showdown between these two would give them time to deliver an intense matchup but wouldn't take time away from the rest of the show. This one is arguably the most eagerly anticipated match tonight, so it needs to be given enough time to tell its story.

Some kind of non-finish is probably inevitable, but as we saw last month with Styles and Joe, that doesn't need to take away too much from the contest.

#6 Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella vs. The Miz and Maryse ~10 minutes

Ugh.

In truth, 10 minutes is too long for this, but I can't see the company giving it any less than at least that. For that reason, it's imperative that Bryan and Miz do most of the legwork here, as the longer Maryse and Brie Bella stay in the ring, the worse this match will get.

10 minutes with Bryan and Miz involved for most of them is perhaps an optimistic prediction, but I'll stick with it.

#7 Ronda Rousey vs. Alexa Bliss ~8 minutes

Twice as long, twice as meaningless.

This one won't be quite the squash that it was at SummerSlam, but with the outcome not in doubt, I'll be optimistic and say this one will be twice as long as it was last month. The less Ronda Rousey sells for Alexa Bliss' impotent-looking offense, the better.

8 minutes should be plenty for them to go through the motions, for Ronda Rousey to sell her rib injury, and then promptly obliterate Alexa Bliss again.

#8 Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman (Hell in a Cell match) ~35 minutes

Redo.

Main event Hell in a Cell matches are characteristically long and this one won't be any different. With Mick Foley present as the guest referee, there's even more of a story to tell.

Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns are going to brutalize each other as they have always done, and there will be plenty of time for them to do so. 35 minutes is well within the norm for these kinds of matches and will give them plenty of time to bring destruction in and out of the cell.