Although the notion of regular PPV’s named after stipulation matches is not one we’re great fans of, there is still something a little bit special about the prospect of a Hell In A Cell match given that the majority of the time the action usually delivers. Would 2014 prove to be a continuation of the winning formula?
Few people were that interested in the prospect of yet another Randy Orton versus John Cena match, even if came within the confines of the Cell and had the added stipulation of the winner becoming Number One Contender to the WWE World Title. Now of course these two could have channeled the second coming of the Flair/Steamboat rivalry and certain people would still find fault with it but for all the complaints you could have about booking these two in their 975th pay-per-view match of the last decade there could be few complaints about the effort. Both men “brought it” as you might say and assembled a very good match. The first two thirds were entertaining and when the two started hitting their big moves and finishers in the final third it was very exciting.
The evening’s other Cell match pitted Seth Rollins against Dean Ambrose, and this actually went on last! It was, just about, the better of the two Cell matches even if there was an awful lot of extra curricular activity going on around this one. Joey Mercury and Jamie Knoble were involved and both participants were part-stretchered down the aisle before the match even officially began! The action once inside the Cell was high-octane but there is no getting away from the fact that the ending, with the return of Bray Wyatt, was a little disappointing in the context of the match and the Rollins-Ambrose feud. Still, those concerns aside it was still a very good match.
The undercard that accompanied the two Cell matches was generally entertaining too. Whilst the loss in two straight falls somewhat cut the legs from under the Swiss Sensation Cesaro, not least the swift nature of the first fall, his match against Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler was a sterling effort that proved that both men really could go much further than they are perhaps allowed to at the moment. Sheamus and The Miz was a decent enough effort that never really got going and whilst Rusev against the Big Show was never likely to be a five star classic, it was an effective showcase for the foreign heel. It would be a shame if he was given the usual “monster” push only to be jobbed out before really being allowed to establish himself as he is a lot better than many give him credit for. Everything he does is believable.
The tag match between the Dust’s and the Uso’s was very familiar in some senses (that was one feud that probably outstayed it’s welcome) but was still an entertaining effort. AJ against Paige was reasonable, and perhaps the best of their clashes but it was a little too short to really get going. The fact remains as well that as good as AJ is, she’s increasingly being left behind by the likes of Sasha Banks and Charlotte in NXT. Or alternatively doesn’t get the time they get on the “development” show. Even so that match was poles apart from the clash of the Bella’s; but give credit to the twins, they tried and their match was far from the worst thing we’ve ever seen on WWE television.
All in all Hell In A Cell was a good show. The two Cell matches delivered, there was enough entertainment on the undercard and there was nothing that was outright offensive. It gets the thumbs up from me.
In terms of extra’s the DVD gives us a the very brief Kickoff match between Mark Henry and Bo Dallas, a couple of segments with the Miz and Damien Mizdow and an interview with Goldust and Stardust.
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Thank you to our partners, WWEDVD.co.uk and Fetch.fm for providing our review copy of WWE Hell in a Cell 2014. WWE Hell in a Cell 2014 is available DVD & Blu-Ray from Monday, January 19th 2014. You can pre-order your copy from WWEDVD.co.uk now by clicking here.
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