Hell in a Cell 2018, with just 8 matches combined from both the brands, has shaped into one of the smallest, yet the best cards of the year. With only the two secondary titles not being defended on the show, this show can deliver by all means if it is presented in a good way, just like WWE did with Summerslam a month ago.
As shown in the poster, Universal Champion Roman Reigns will battle Braun Strowman inside the Cell in his Money in the Bank cash in. Amalgamated with this feud is the rivalry between Roman's fellow Shield Brothers Ambrose and Rollins and Braun's buddies Ziggler and McIntyre for the Raw Tag Team Title.
However, the main emphasis has been on the storylines on Blue Brand, with the rivalry between AJ Styles and Samoa Joe for the WWE Championship, along with Charlotte and Becky Lynch for the Smackdown's Women Championship and Hardy-Orton clash inside the Cell, generating a lot of buzz. Here are the predictions for every match on the Event's card.
The New Day(c) vs Rusev Day- Smackdown Tag Team Championships
In what became almost inevitable the moment they were announced as a part of the tournament, Rusev and Aiden English, also known as Rusev Day, defeated The Bar on Smackdown Live to earn a title shot against The New Day this Sunday at Hell in a Cell. However, one can make a very strong argument that this is as close the duo will ever come to the gold in the near future.
This sudden emergence of Rusev and English as viable contenders on the blue brand is an exact copy of what WWE did with the B-Team on Raw, which, as we all know, tanked big time. Moreover, The New Day won the titles merely 3 weeks ago, and having them lose the titles again would make absolutely zero sense. This Sunday, it won't be a Happy Rusev Day.
Predictions: The New Day retain their titles.
Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre (c) vs Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins - Raw Tag Team Championships
Why is Seth Rollins not appearing with the Intercontinental Title on Raw? I mean, I understand that he is a part of the Shield again and is embroiled in a heated feud with the Tag Team Champions, but that doesn't mean he is prohibited to carry the prestigious title. Ever since his victory at Mania 34, Rollins has raised the prestige of the title to a whole new level, and the fact that he is not defending the title at a pay per view is just baffling.
For this match, it has all the ingredients to steal the show on any night. All the four men involved are proven headliners and are capable of putting a great match with any superstar, let alone each other.
Holding the Tag Team Championships is probably the best way to keep Ziggler and McIntyre relevant till the time they turn on each other, or maybe till either of them regains the IC Title from Rollins.
Ambrose and Rollins might win the title in the future, but Hell in a Cell in a little too early for that big moment.
Predictions: Ziggler and McIntyre sneak past with the win
Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella vs The Miz and Maryse (Mixed Tag Team Match)
I am still not sure how I'm supposed to react to the storyline surrounding this feud so far. The build to the Summerslam match between
The Miz and Bryan was just phenomenal, but the match surprisingly fell short of expectations.
To make the matters worse, instead of just keeping them apart till the end of the year, WWE decided to include their respective better-halves, two part-timers in Brie Bella and Maryse, to give us this match for Hell in a Cell.
While WWE has done a good job in the last few weeks to build the hype for this match, it doesn't feel like that big a deal anymore.
The in-ring work would not be even close to the match at Summerslam, and the two 'Divas' could end up getting more in-ring time as an indirect promotion for Evolution.
As for the feud between Miz and Bryan, The Flying Goat will get his revenge on the A-Lister here, before losing to at the grand show in Australia.
Predictions: Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella win.
Jeff Hardy vs Randy Orton (Hell in a Cell Match)
Before Summerslam, this rivalry was 'THE RIVALRY' on the blue brand, courtesy of some great work by both Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy.
Now, four weeks later, it is just another rivalry on the blue brand that is, for some reasons known to only WWE, getting the Hell in a Cell stipulation this Sunday.
WWE had the perfect chance to add Orton to the US Title match at Summerslam but, as always, they resisted, leading to the cooling down of this rivalry.
However, that doesn't mean that this rivalry is no longer interesting. Both Orton and Hardy are industry veterans who have had sensational chemistry with each other in the past.
Add to that the brutality that we have witnessed so far and the added ingredient of the demonic structure, and you have a Match of the Year candidate at your footsteps.
Expect a violent, brutal match whose highlight will be a failed bump from the top of the Cell by Hardy.
Predictions: Orton pins Hardy after he crashes through the announce table.
Ronda Rousey(c) vs Alexa Bliss - Raw Women's Championship
This rivalry is easily the least interesting feud right now in the WWE. After how she decimated Little Miss Bliss in under 5 minutes at Summerslam just 20 days ago, it makes zero sense to again have these two battle again.
However, the fact that every former WWE champion gets an automatic rematch on the next pay per view no matter what happens means we will get to see Ronda decimate Bliss again in the squared circle.
Even then, it is all but confirmed that the two will be going separate ways after this Sunday. Alexa is already scheduled to face Trish Stratus in a cross-generational match at Evolution, and, if the rumours are true, Nikki Bella will turn on Rousey in the coming months to set up a match between the two at the same event.
It will be interesting to see if Bella will turn on her this Sunday or not, but there is no way Rousey is losing this early in her title reign
Predictions: Rousey again decimates Bliss
Charlotte Flair(c) vs Becky Lynch - Smackdown Women's Championship
Right when everyone thought WWE was screwing this feud up with the typical heel-face dynamics, WWE threw a giant curve ball by keeping both Charlotte and Becky tweeners and raised the excitement of this rivalry to a whole new level.
Week after week, the segments featuring the two have been the best part of the blue brands programming, and their showdown this Sunday is one of the matches of the night contenders.
With the change in her attitude, Becky Lynch has emerged as the king of anti-hero that the Women division in WWE needed at this time.
However, if WWE's typical booking is taken into consideration, her sneak attack on Charlotte on the go home show means that she won't be leaving Hell in a Cell with the championship.
She can not afford to take the pin, so the most logical option here is to have her lose by disqualification by beating the hell out of Charlotte with a chair and lay the stone for her title win at Evolution in October.
Predictions: Charlotte wins the match by Disqualification.
Roman Reigns(c) vs Braun Strowman - Hell in a Cell Match for Universal Championship
Despite this being the center of focus on the Red Brand, this phase of the rivalry between Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman lacks the excitement and buzz that it has had in the past.
This is not a separate rivalry but is just a part of a bigger rivalry that involves all the male champions on Raw.
Despite being the Universal Champion and the Money in the Bank Holder, both Roman and Strowman have constantly appeared in the company of their partners, which has taken the attention away from the individual rivalries.
This match, which is the second of the two matches that have the Cell stipulation, will surely be the main event of the night, again.
Even though both Reigns and Strowman are currently playing opposite roles, the match will be, as all of their matches have been so far, brutal and physical. Mick Foley's addition as the special referee will have not impact on the result of the match, nor will the interference from Ziggler and McIntyre.
Roman only won the title four weeks ago and is destined for a lengthy reign with the title, maybe till the WrestleMania season.
Predictions: Roman Reigns wins; Retains the Title.
AJ Styles(c) vs Samoa Joe - WWE Championship
WWE deserves a lot of praise for the way they have presented this feud so far. What earlier seemed like a typical, cheesy, family-members involving feud is now easily the best WWE Championship feud that WWE has presented in recent times.
The sneak attacks, the mind games and the brawls have not only brought the best out of Samoa Joe, it has also given a new life to Styles' title reigns after a period of lackluster championship feuds.
Although it is a shame that this match is not being contested inside the Cell even though it deserved to, Joe and Styles have shown in the past that they don't need special stipulations to deliver fantastic matches. It may not get the last slot on the card, again, but it will surely be near the top on the quality level.
Considering that WWE has already advertised another rematch between the two at Melbourne's Super Show Down, it is hard to expect any other result but a Styles' victory here this Sunday.
Predictions: Styles barely manages to defeat Joe and retain the title.