WWE Hell in a Cell 2015 had a pretty poor build-up after some lacklustre weekly WWE programming. But even those who had high expectations for the pay-per-view were left speechless as the curtain fell in the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Lesnar and Undertaker took each other to the limit, with both men bleeding profusely from their heads, and ringside doctors called into the match on more than one occasion to clean up the wounds. After multiple chair shots to the head and the ring literally being torn apart right down to the wooden planks, “The Beast Incarnate” reigned supreme in their second encounter inside Hell in a Cell. One which will no doubt be proclaimed as one of the greatest Hell in a Cell matches in WWE history.
Undertaker gave Brock all he had, including Chokeslams, a Tombstone Piledriver and even Hell’s Gate. But it wasn’t enough. After multiple F5’s, a long trip to Suplex City and steel steps to the face, it took a final F5 onto the bare wood of the ring structure to keep The Deadman down for the 3 count.
After a brutal loss to Brock Lesnar in a war which took us right back to the height of the Attitude Era, The Undertaker received a standing ovation from the LA crowd. It didn’t last long though, as The Phenom was greeted by the Wyatt Family and subsequently decimated before he had any opportunity to leave the ring. As the event came to a close, a broken and bloodied Undertaker was carried out of the arena on the shoulders of the Wyatt’s like a human sacrifice.
The leader of the Wyatt Family, Bray Wyatt, had a war of his own to contend with as he was defeated by Roman Reigns in a match that although wasn’t as good as the main event, was still very entertaining. The cell itself merely existing to keep the rest of the Wyatt clan out, Reigns was victorious after a thunderous Superman punch. This was after both men had been put through tables and beaten down with kendo sticks.
There were shocks throughout the night, as in the opener, John Cena defended his United States championship in his “US Open Challenge”, which has quickly become one of the most must-see segments on WWE TV. This particular match was absolutely no exception, as answering the challenge was the returning former World Heavyweight Champion, Alberto Del Rio. Del Rio had been absent from WWE for well over a year after a backstage incident in which he slapped a colleague for allegedly making racist remarks. It seems however that he and WWE were able to put that incident to rest, as he was introduced as the new protege for Zeb Colter, who also returned at Hell in a Cell. Del Rio defeated John Cena to become the new United States Champion in which would be the only title change of the night.
Nikki Bella and Charlotte impressed in the Divas Championship match in a bout which, although not on the same level as the NXT ladies, was easily one of the best female main roster matches we’ve seen for a long time. Charlotte was victorious with the Figure 8.
In the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match, Seth Rollins was victorious over Kane in a contest which seemed to come to an abrupt end when Kane seemingly got injured after a powerbomb to the Spanish announce table. The table didn’t break, and instead the Demon landed awkwardly on the base of his back causing the referee to immediately throw up the dreaded “X”. The match ended via pedigree not too long after that.
In the other matches of the night, The New Day retained their Tag Team Titles with a victory over The Dudley Boyz after Big E hit Bubba Ray with a trombone behind the referees back, and Kevin Owens retained his Intercontinental Title with a victory over Ryback. On the kick-off show, Dolph Ziggler, Cesaro and Neville were victorious over Rusev, Sheamus and King Barrett in what was a thoroughly entertaining contest.
Match of the Night: Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar
Pictures courtesy: WWE