Welcome to another edition of WWE Heat Index, wherein we discuss the interest level for the various feuds heading into the pay-per-view events. This time around, we’re focusing on Hell in a Cell 2019 coming this Sunday night.
The way this works is a pretty simple three-way breakdown of Hot, Lukewarm and Cold. If you like something and you’re very interested in how WWE is setting up the program, it’s Hot (aka Good). If you’re a bit on the fence about it and see some problems, but it’s not awful, then it’s just Okay or Lukewarm. The ones that are the most problematic that you have no interest in are Cold (aka Bad).
Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section to let everyone know what your thermometer reads for each feud as I tell you what my thoughts are below!
Without further ado, let’s get started!
Universal Championship Hell in a Cell Match: Seth Rollins (c) vs. Bray Wyatt = Lukewarm
Damn it. I really wish I was Hot on this. However, I just can’t shake the feeling that this match is going to be underwhelming. Maybe it’s because Bray Wyatt is largely a bust for me more often than not. Perhaps, it’s because I think WWE has phoned it in on this feud and could have done so much more than just “I don’t know, Wyatt pops up and scares Rollins for four weeks in a row?”
I’m more intrigued about how WWE is going to handle a title change than anything in the match itself. Specifically, I’m perplexed about the potential Wyatt vs. Lesnar match at Survivor Series, or if they’ll just be abandoning the Raw vs. SmackDown theme this year. But neither of those really points to me being pumped for this to be one of the 3 only selling points of this card.
Prediction: The Fiend wins.
Raw Women’s Championship Hell in a Cell Match: Becky Lynch (c) vs. Sasha Banks = Hot
This match has a lot of potential to be the best on the card and the most talked about of the night. I’m anticipating they’ll want to steal the show and give it their all, and that they won’t go on last, so there won’t be any burnout from the audience.
I also expect The Boss to leave with the title, which will be a point of contention for a lot of fans who will settle down once The Man goes to SmackDown in the draft. That might be a rare instance where I’m in the camp of “relax and wait to see if WWE screws up, rather than knowing they will.”
Please, pretty please, don’t turn this into a kendo stick match.
Prediction: Sasha Banks wins.
Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns vs. Erick Rowan and Luke Harper = Lukewarm
I’ll tell you right now that if Daniel Bryan turns on Roman Reigns and aligns himself with Erick Rowan and Luke Harper, I’ll hate this segment with a passion. I don’t want to see that at all, as I don’t think there’s a future in Bryan teaming with those two. It also wouldn’t make any sense for him to have taken so many beatings these past few weeks just to play gotcha with Reigns for a random tag team match with nothing on the line.
I would be more into this and give it above a Lukewarm if this were a gimmick match. Keeping it a standard tag team match limits it and gives me the impression they’ll just do a Street Fight or something on SmackDown next week to end the feud. In that scenario, this is not the priority match—it’s just filler to stall until Fox gets the real climax.
It’s hard for me to get really excited about something that gives me the impression that it’s already not as good as what will come after it and they’ll hold back on this.
Prediction: Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns win.
SmackDown Women’s Championship Match: Bayley (c) vs. Charlotte Flair = Cold
When you do a match on a pay-per-view and it’s really short with an odd finish strictly so you can wait a month to do the same match again, and you don’t even bother to build it up with anything interesting, but literally just kind of stall with the bare minimum effort, what is there to be excited about?
There’s no hook here. This match has no gimmick and the stakes are mostly surrounding the draft to follow, rather than this particular segment.
As I think Banks beats Lynch and The Man moves over to SmackDown, I’m anticipating Flair goes to Raw in the draft and thus, can’t win this title.
Prediction: Bayley wins.
Those are my thoughts, but how do you feel about these particular feuds? What’s hot and what’s cold in your mind? Fill us in on your point of view in the comments below!
