Match Predictions and Heat Index Anticipation Levels
Temperature Scale = Scorching > Hot > Lukewarm > Temperate > Chilly > Cold > Freezing
Heat Index is my assessment of how interesting the segment is, including how excited I am for the match and how intriguing the feud has been. The hotter, the better. Scorching translates to not being able to wait to see it, while Freezing means I couldn’t possibly care less and think it will be awful.
WWE CHAMPIONSHIP HELL IN A CELL MATCH:
Drew McIntyre (c) vs. Randy Orton
Heat Index = Hot
Prediction: Drew McIntyre wins.
Thoughts: I’m of two opinions about the outcome of this and I think the way it ends will greatly influence my overall thoughts. On one hand, this is a feud-ender and they’ve had enough battles that I can understand why this is happening. I’m rooting for McIntyre to retain and to take Orton out in a way that The Viper can take some time off. But if Orton wins, I’ll be annoyed. That’s not because of anything against Orton, who has been great this year, but because I don’t think he has as many people to feud with for the title. I don’t think they’ll have the best match of the night, but they might. Hopefully, WWE has a game plan, even if it’s just to have these two beat the hell out of each other and for Drew to come out on top.
UNIVERSAL CHAMPIONSHIP HELL IN A CELL I QUIT MATCH:
Roman Reigns (c) vs. Jey Uso
Heat Index = Scorching
Prediction: Roman Reigns wins.
Thoughts: Who would have thought this feud would be so good? I’m willing to give them every benefit of the doubt until they do something bad. I don’t quite understand why this is an I Quit match inside Hell in a Cell, but maybe there’s a reason for that. If it makes Reigns look awesome, it will be worth the confusion. I’m fully anticipating this to be my favorite segment of the show. I also like the added stipulation that The Usos will be kicked out of the family if/when Jey loses. Nice touch.
SMACKDOWN WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP HELL IN A CELL MATCH:
Bayley (c) vs. Sasha Banks
Heat Index = Lukewarm
Prediction: Sasha Banks wins.
Thoughts: Thank God they’re getting this over with. Now, it’s up to Bayley and Banks to prove that they had it in them to be worth all this time. For 3 years, this has been teased. Don’t mess it up. I’m worried they’ll have Bayley retain through some shenanigans as a means to keep this going as long as humanly possible. If it were my way, I’d have Banks win straight-up.
SINGLES MATCH FOR THE MONEY IN THE BANK BRIEFCASE:
Otis (c) vs. The Miz
Heat Index = Lukewarm
Prediction: Otis wins.
Thoughts: I’m glad this feud is getting some resolution and that the briefcase is actually on the line. WWE doesn’t do that as much as it should happen, in my opinion. More people should try to win the briefcase from Mr. and Ms. Money in the Bank on a regular basis. I don’t think Otis is dropping it here, though. He can be a sympathetic loser to Roman Reigns better than The Miz can be another heel who comes up short against Drew McIntyre. If Randy Orton wins, too, that’s even more of a reason for The Miz not to win.
SINGLES MATCH:
Elias vs. Jeff Hardy
Heat Index = Temperate
Prediction: Jeff Hardy wins.
Thoughts: Meh. It’s not the most exciting match out there, but it’s something. At least they’re following through on the story of Elias getting hit by the car. WWE typically forgets about those things, so I enjoy that they’re going back to that detail. My guess is this isn’t going to be anything particularly noteworthy. Jeff just wins and that’s about it after a few minutes of taking up some time. Not bad, but not great. Utterly forgettable in the grand scheme of things but nothing to complain about, most likely.
OVERALL PPV:
How excited am I for the event as a whole?
Heat Index = Lukewarm
Thoughts: I’m posting this at 11:20 pm on Friday night and we have 5 matches on the card. One of them is there just to promote a music album. That goes to show you how little WWE cares about anything but the top 3 Hell in a Cell matches. With that in mind, I think this event is going to be a lot of filler and I’m not super pumped for wasting my time on matches that mean nothing. The HIAC matches themselves could be great, though, so I can’t make this anything lower than Temperate, but I can’t go so high as Hot. Lukewarm is right smack in the middle of those.
What do you think is going to happen at WWE Hell in a Cell? Which matches are you most excited to see? Keep the discussion going in the comments below!
