WWE Hell in a Cell Review - June 5, 2022

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Raw Women's Champion Bianca Belair def. Asuka and Becky Lynch in a Triple Threat Match

What a tremendous Triple Threat. All three of these women are exceptional, so did we really expect anything less? I'm not saying Naomi and Sasha Banks walking out was in any way a positive for WWE, but this was definitely better than anything Belair and Naomi would have done together. This was an awesome opener with an electric atmosphere and fantastic performances from everyone involved. Belair retaining the title made the most sense and now Lynch and Asuka can continue their feud without the title involved.

Bobby Lashley def. Omos and MVP in a 2-on-1 Handicap Match

I've been as anxious as anyone to see Lashley move on from this feud, but to be fair, it has progressed logically in the last two months. Lashley beat Omos at WrestleMania 38, MVP betrayed Omos that Monday on Raw to join Omos, Omos avenged the loss at WrestleMania Backlash with help from MVP, and Lashley was able to beat them both here in a two-on-one situation. In other words, it's hard to complain. This was what it needed to be with the correct outcome. What really stood out to me was just how over Lashley was in front of this crowd. They were hot for him and I hope his post-match tease about wanting to challenge for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship is ultimately where WWE is headed.

Kevin Owens def. Ezekiel

This storyline has been way more enjoyable than it has had any right to be, at least in my opinion. This has been a total guilty pleasure of mine as both men have played their roles perfectly and they've kept it interesting. That said, I never had high hopes for the actual match because Ezekiel has never been anywhere above average in the ring. Sure enough, this ended up being a fairly standard albeit well-worked outing. Owens hasn't won on TV a ton in recent months, so this was a necessary victory for him.

The Judgement Day (Edge, Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley) def. Finn Balor, AJ Styles and Liv Morgan

Judgement Day work wonderfully as a unit, while the babyfaces had terrific chemistry to boot. Thus, it was no surprise that this was such a strong six-person tag team match. The action was exciting and it got even better once they picked up the pace heading into the second half. Everyone had their time to shine, but especially Ripley and Morgan who were extra impressive. Judgement Day winning yet again was the right call to keep them looking strong.

Madcap Moss def. Happy Corbin in a No Holds Barred Match

This feud has largely been lame and I can't say I was looking forward to this match at all. That said, they gave it a good effort and had a decent match as they made effective use of the stipulation. Moss' intensity was appreciated and I hope he can maintain this serious side going forward. It's time to move on from this feud, though I'm not sure where either guy goes from here. Can Corbin ditch the "Happy" stuff please? I think he's also ready for a character change.

United States Champion Theory def. Mustafa Ali

Ali having the hometown advantage in Chicago certainly helped and this crowd was more into him than most others would be. That's not a slight on Ali himself but rather his booking, which has been questionable since he returned to Raw. Hey, at least he's being used at all. I didn't think he'd take the title here and he ultimately didn't, but it was a well-wrestled affair and I'm glad they got some time to do their thing. Theory is undoubtedly the future and he's well on his way to super stardom.

Cody Rhodes def. Seth "Freakin" Rollins in a Hell in a Cell Match

Rhodes is an absolute madman. It was announced earlier in the evening that Rhodes had legitimately suffered a torn pectoral muscle, which is a serious setback and could keep him on the shelf for a significant amount of time. However, because it's a full tear and not a half tear, apparently that's why he was cleared to compete here. I have to question the company for letting Rhodes wrestle in that condition, but holy hell, Rhodes only added to his legacy with his phenomenal performance here given the circumstances. I was worried that the match would be kept short and sweet and Rhodes would dominate a majority of it, but this was very competitive and honestly one of the best Hell in a Cell matches I've seen, specifically due to the storytelling and the attention to detail. This was spectacular stuff and a perfect conclusion to one of WWE's greatest all-time trilogies. Rhodes winning three straight times over Rollins solidifies his star status and gets him one step closer to the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

Overall Show

Similar to WrestleMania Backlash, the expectations and buzz heading into this pay-per-view were quite low and WWE once again exceeded them. This was a fun event on the whole with three standout matches that are well worth going out of your way to see. The other four matches were good as well and I had no issues with any of the booking. The show wrapped up in under three hours and the Hell in a Cell main event delivered. What more can you ask for? It continues to be bizarre to me that the weekly product (specifically SmackDown) is so abysmal and yet they've knocked it out of the park with their pay-per-views this year. I'm very curious to see what the fallout to this show will consist of starting Monday night on Raw.

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