Hell In A Cell 2016

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 184 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: January 2 2017

(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)

Hell In A Cell 2016 was a historic night in WWE, as it would be the first time ever that a Pay-Per-View event was headlined by an all-female encounter, which is a testament to the talent and popularity of Sasha Banks and Charlotte, the two combatants in said match. But does HIAC 2016 measure up as a major show in terms of quality?

The event starts on a decent note with Roman Reigns vs. Rusev inside the Cell for the United States Championship; whilst it is not as good as Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt from HIAC 2015, it's still an enjoyable brawl, and a fitting way to cap off their fairly lengthy rivalry. Next up, Bayley battles Dana Brooke in a match which is unspectacular, but still better than their previous Raw match where Dana's inexperience and inferiority to Bayley were extremely evident (in the Raw match, Brooke pinned Bayley clean when she was meant to use the ropes to secure a win by nefarious means, which made Bayley look ridiculous).

Enzo Amore and Big Cass vs. The Club is decent but nothing more; it essentially exists as a way to promote Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson rather than being a memorable match in its own right. Fortunately, Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins inside HIAC for the Universal Championship is an improvement upon their main event at Clash Of Champions, with a couple of particularly high-risk spots wowing the Boston crowd. It won't be remembered as a classic Cell match, but it is the best match on this particular event.

Unfortunately, TJ Perkins vs. Brian Kendrick for the Cruiserweight Championship only demonstrates why the Cruiserweight division has struggled since its return to Raw following the highly-successful Cruiserweight Classic; the talents work hard and try to tell a story, but without being able to use many high-flying moves that are synonymous with the division, the crowd is clearly disinterested, and the Cruiser matches are no different to bouts involving anybody else on the roster (imagine the Hardcore division, which is a fond memory of the Attitude Era, returning to Raw in 2017 but without any weapon-related combat whatsoever, and you get an idea of why the Cruiserweight division is in need of rehabilitation). The New Day vs. Cesaro and Sheamus is alright but has a cop-out finish, partly to keep the record-breaking New Day reign as WWE Tag Team Champions going beyond HIAC (otherwise, I suspect that we would have had a title change here).

The main event, as stated, was Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte in HIAC. It is more enjoyable on second viewing because of the wild rumours as to what the ladies had planned prior to the show, meaning that watching it live was a bit of a nerve-wracking experience. Fortunately, Sasha and Charlotte (who had both taken massive chances in previous encounters, with at least one almost resulting in serious injury) do provide enough thrills and spills, and a surprising amount of violence for an all-women's match in the PG era, to justify both the stipulation and their main event slot. A slightly blown finish and what some considered to be an anticlimactic outcome dampen the fan reactions to what should have been one of the year's most memorable matches, but so long as you're not a die-hard Sasha supporter, you'll probably enjoy this match for what it is. (By the way, there are no DVD extras due to the card running long; in fact, a few minutes from the show have been trimmed off in order to make the running time of the DVD.)

In many ways, Hell In A Cell is a perfect embodiment of Raw in the post-Draft era (not unlike the previous red brand PPV event Clash Of Champions). There are several enjoyable matches, and the talent are clearly grafting, but some strange booking decisions, a lack of crowd interest during a number of bouts, an overly-long card, a lack of high-flying spots in the Cruiserweight showdown and filler encounters between the crucial matches all serve to make the show seem worse than it actually is. If you're a new fan to WWE, or if you're a first-time viewer, you'll probably consider this to be a strong effort by the Raw crew, but those who watch the product week in and week out will class this to be little more than a PPV version of Raw itself. It's a commendable effort by the red brand, but it won't be winning any Card Of The Year honours for 2016.

Overall Rating: 6.5/10 - Okay

Hell In A Cell 2016 coming soon on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Fetch Publicity

The following story is courtesy of Fetch Publicity ...

For the first time ever, the leaders of the Women’s Revolution make history inside Hell In A Cell as WWE Raw Women’s Champion Sasha Banks defends her title against Charlotte Flair. “The Bulgarian Brute” Rusev and United States Champion Roman Reigns bring their rivalry to an end inside the demonic structure. WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens enters his first Hell In A Cell match and looks to continue his Kevin Owens Show against “The Undisputed Future” Seth Rollins. Plus more as the Superstars of Raw go to hell and back at Hell In A Cell!

Synopsis:

Match Listing:

Hell In A Cell Match for the WWE Raw Women’s Championship
Sasha Banks (c) vs. Charlotte Flair

Hell In A Cell Match for the WWE Universal Championship
Kevin Owens (c) vs. Seth Rollins

Hell In A Cell Match for the WWE United States Championship
Roman Reigns (c) vs. Rusev

WWE Raw Tag Team Championship Match
The New Day (c) vs. Cesaro & Sheamus

WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match
TJ Perkins (c) vs. Brian Kendrick

Bayley vs. Dana Brooke

Plus more action, extras and Blu-ray exclusives!

We like it because:

It’s been a year of firsts for WWE, but nothing has been as groundbreaking as the first ever women’s Hell In A Cell match - a history-making moment that makes this one of the year’s must-own pay-per-view events.

Hometown hero Sasha Banks and Charlotte rise to the occasion too, in a match that’s as heated, intense, and brutal as any Hell In A Cell showdown from recent years. The ending is shocking too, creating another jaw-dropping moment in the Sasha vs Charlotte feud - WWE’s hottest rivalry of 2016.

There’s more sizzling Hell In A Cell action from Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins, who deliver an innovative, high-risk battle. Meanwhile, Roman Reigns and Rusev engage in a stiff and hard-hitting brawl that can only be contained by the unforgiving steel of the Cell.

It’s also a historic night for the Cruiserweight Championship, as TJ Perkins and his former mentor Brian Kendrick clash once again for the title - a match in which Kendrick lives up to his reputation as one of sports-entertainment’s craftiest veterans.

Elsewhere, Cesaro and Sheamus cement themselves as one of WWE’s top tag teams - even if they can’t get along outside of the ring. But can they strip The New Day of the Raw Tag Team Championship?

Don’t miss your chance to own this incredible event!

Hell In A Cell 2016 will officially be released on DVD and Blu-ray on Monday January 2 2017.

For more information, click here.

Hell In A Cell 2012

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 166 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: January 28 2013

Unlike previous years, where WWE would overload the Hell In A Cell card with too many HIAC matches (there were three in 2009, none of which were particularly necessary), the 2012 event kept things simple with just the one Cell bout, a well-built collision between longtime WWE Champion CM Punk and the undefeated, Goldberg-like Ryback. That being said, it is another match which stands as the main reason to see this DVD.

Starting chronologically: Randy Orton vs. Alberto Del Rio is a good opener, if not the best match that the two could put together, followed by an entertaining yet forgettable bout pitting Team Hell No (arguably WWE's hottest act at the time of this PPV) against Team Rhodes Scholars. Kofi Kingston vs. The Miz is good, though, and a reminder that both men can deliver a thrilling contest despite each man's reduced status in recent times. Conversely, while well-executed, Antonio Cesaro bvs. Justin Gabriel isn't a PPV-calibre match, nor is Rey Mysterio & Sin Cara vs. The Prime Time Players

Fortunately, we get quite the unexpected treat in Sheamus vs. Big Show, which ends up being the best or second-best World Heavyweight Championship contest of 2012. The finish is a shocker, but in a good way, and Sheamus enhances his reputation by being able to get such a great match out of Show at this point in the giant's career; however, Show deserves credit for his performance, which rounds off what has been his best year in a long time. Eve Torres vs. Kaitlyn vs. Layla is a flat follow-up to Sheamus vs. Show, and despite the exciting build-up and intrigue as to who would win, WWE was in a no-win position to book CM Punk against Ryback in a Cell match (Ryback replaced the injured John Cena), as a defeat for neither man sounded particularly useful. As it is, WWE delves into its back of tricks to try and enhance both men's characters regardless of the result, but suffice it to say, Ryback's momentum hasn't quite been the same since he was fast-tracked into losing a PPV main event, just three months after beating Curt Hawkins and Tyler Reks in a PPV filler attraction. Match quality is okay, but it's nowhere near as memorable as The Undertaker vs. Triple H in the same structure nearly seven months earlier at WrestleMania XXVIII.

Mind you, Hell In A Cell 2012 is still an adequate show. Would I recommend buying it on DVD? Erm, not really: Sheamus vs. Big Show is well worth watching, and there are some good bouts elsewhere on the card, but I would only suggest that you buy this DVD if you see it at a discount price. A fun event, but not a must-own.

Overall Rating: 7/10 - Respectable

Hell In A Cell 2013

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 182 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: January 27 2014

Hell In A Cell was WWE's best PPV event since SummerSlam, with several matches that either delivered great action or concluded major storylines, not to mention having a big return. That being said, the strange drop in standards over recent months means that the DVD of the show is still no more than adequate.

The opening match between The Brotherhood, The Usos and The Shield is fantastic, and is the unquestionable highlight of the event. Conversely, The Great Khali and Natalya vs. Fandango and Summer Rae is weird filler, and Big E vs. Dean Ambrose is notable only for a dangerous-looking spear through the ropes by Big E and a nasty cut opened up under Big E's eye just before the (dodgy) finish.

CM Punk vs. Ryback and Paul Heyman under HIAC rules is disappointing, but at least we get a memorable post-match scene to finally draw a line under the Punk-Heyman conflict. Los Matadores vs. The Real Americans is, unsurprisingly, forgettable. John Cena's return match against Alberto Del Rio is okay, but would have meant more had Cena been out for 6-9 months rather than 10 weeks. AJ Lee vs. Nikki Bella is only average, and the Cell match for the WWE Title which was in "abeyance" between Randy Orton and Daniel Bryan - with Shawn Michaels as referee, no less - is good, but not unlike other Orton-Bryan main events on recent shows, it is missing something that would make it a truly memorable encounter. The bonus match is Kofi Kingston vs. Damien Sandow, held one day before Sandow's failed cash-in of Money In The Bank on John Cena.

Whilst Hell In A Cell is one of the better WWE supershows in recent months, only one of the matches is of a very high standard. The DVD for this show is worth a look, but don't expect it to be as good as the likes of Money In The Bank or SummerSlam.

Overall Rating: 7/10 - Respectable

Hell In A Cell 2014

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 183 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: January 19 2015

The sixth annual HIAC PPV featured two Cell matches, a couple of entertaining mid-card bouts and a return of sorts, but no appearance by WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar. That being said, Lesnar's absence doesn't really harm one's enjoyment of the show, and therefore the DVD.

Inside the Cell, both John Cena vs. Randy Orton and Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins are impressive battles, particularly the latter contest based on the greater risks taken by Ambrose and Rollins. Cesaro vs. Dolph Ziggler is a fun Two Out Of Three Falls bout with a somewhat surprising result (or score, at least). Nikki Bella vs. Brie Bella exceeds expectations, and Damien Mizdow's antics enhance the clash between The Miz and Sheamus.

On the downside, Stardust and Goldust vs. The Usos is inferior to their previous PPV meeting. Paige and AJ Lee's latest Divas Title match suffers from an early injury to the challenger. Rusev vs. Big Show is a bit short and too predictable, considering that we were meant to believe this was Rusev's toughest challenge to date. And whilst the show concludes with an unexpected reappearance, the presentation is quite hammy, so you may not find the big moment to be that believable.

Mind you, the stronger points definitely outweigh the weaker ones. Though few will remember this card six months from now, Hell In A Cell 2014 is still an entertaining show on the whole, and so it makes for an entertaining wrestling DVD.

Overall Rating: 6.5/10 - Okay

Hell In A Cell 2015

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 183 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: January 4 2016

(To read a full event review of WWE Hell In A Cell 2015, click here.)

Hell In A Cell was one of the better WWE PPV events in 2015. Watching it back on DVD, the impact of some encounters is lost, but the show as a whole is still worth giving a second look.

The opener between John Cena and Alberto Del Rio for the United States Championship is the bout which loses the most impact upon second viewing. This is because, at the time, Del Rio's return appearance was a huge shocker, largely because of the circumstances in which ADR left WWE, but obviously that isn't a factor on DVD when you know it's coming. Also not helping is how Alberto quickly became just another wrestler again, and how his Mex-America alliance with Zeb Colter was quickly abandoned after general apathy. The match is fine but quite short, and as stated it lacks the significance that it had when it was originally held.

Fortunately, that doesn't apply to match two, a very good HIAC clash between Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt. Reigns is booed by a lot of fans (which isn't unusual at this point), but he gets many on his side with the big bumps and smoothly-executed spots against Wyatt, who is at his evil best here. On another card, this would be the best match of the night, but it's still an underrated steel-enclosed battle, at least by the standards of the PG era.

From there, the show loses steam slightly with a mildly disappointing Tag Team Title match between The New Day and The Dudleyz; the highlight is the pre-match promo by New Day (the botched spot involving D-Von Dudley legdropping Big E is left in, but the commentary lines which emphasise the blunder are taken out). In contrast, Charlotte's Divas Title defence against Nikki Bella is an improvement on their Night Of Champions battle and is a really good bout, although the spot where Nikki falls backwards off the top rope almost onto her head is hard to watch knowing that she had neck surgery shortly afterwards.

Seth Rollins vs. Kane is a decent WWE Title match which brings the Corporate Kane/Demon Kane storyline to a suitable finale. Conversely, Kevin Owens vs. Ryback is a fairly dull match to watch, with the crowd not necessarily helping matters by booing the Big Guy out of the building.

The main event justifies a purchase of this DVD. Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker inside Hell In A Cell is a brutal war, and as violent a match as you could get in the PG era. Some spots are nasty (like Taker driving a steel chair into Brock's throat), and the bloodshed is unedited (Lesnar's initial cut is pretty gruesome). The brawl is one of the best WWE matches of 2015, and provides a strong ending to a rivalry that had its ups and downs dating back to when Lesnar killed the Streak at WrestleMania XXX. There is a final segment which I don't spoil here, although it didn't achieve much in the long run.

The only DVD extra is a very entertaining six-man match pitting Neville, Cesaro and Dolph Ziggler against Sheamus, King Barrett and Rusev. The babyfaces have a great showing here, especially Cesaro who receives a main event-level reaction as the match enters the finishing sequence.

In the WWE Network era, it's harder to justify a full-price purchase of a DVD release for a Pay-Per-View, besides WrestleMania. But if you are still collecting supershow DVDs, the Cell matches provide a good enough reason to buy this. The remaining content isn't really worth owning, so get this for the two HIAC bouts.

Overall Rating: 7/10 - Respectable

Hell In A Cell

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 500 Minutes
Certificate: 18
Number Of Discs: 3
Studio: Clear Vision Ltd/Silver Vision
Released: November 10 2008

Before WWE went PG, the ultimate battleground in the company was Hell In A Cell. A huge steel cage structure with a roof that also surrounded ringside, HIAC not only created a no-holds-barred forum for the most personal scores to be settled, but the structure itself could also come into play, even if the action spilt out of the cage and onto its top. This, in turn, led to some of the most memorable moments of the Attitude Era and of later years, which are captured in this anthology of the Hell In A Cell match.

The first Cell bout between Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker at In Your House: Badd Blood in 1997 is a true classic. Held at a time when the WWF was still marketing towards a younger audience, this war which led to Shawn being busted wide open was a huge step towards the group going TV-14. The match is a barnburner, but perhaps the most memorable moment is the arrival of Kane, months in the making, as he confronts and Tombstones Taker for HBK to win.

Two short Raw matches (Undertaker and Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Kane and Mankind, and Kane vs. Mankind) are divided by the most famous Cell match of them all, The Undertaker vs. Mankind at King Of The Ring 1998. You know what happens: Taker throws Mankind off and slams him through the Cell roof, and later drills him twice onto thumb tacks before Tombstoning him for the win. An astonishing battle which will never be forgotten, or topped, and for which Mick Foley will always be remembered.

Taker's poor HIAC match against Big Boss Man at WrestleMania XV isn't here (some would be happy with that), so next up is Triple H vs. Cactus Jack at No Way Out 2000, a terrific brawl that ends Mick Foley's full-time career and elevates HHH as an all-time great villain. Disc one ends with a brilliantly chaotic six-man from Armageddon 2000 as Kurt Angle somehow successfully defends the WWF Title against Stone Cold, HHH, Undertaker, The Rock and Rikishi.

For unknown reasons, the Cell didn't return until Judgment Day 2002 when Triple H fights Chris Jericho. This hard-fought clash begins the process of eradicating the career-threatening (and at times life-threatening) bump off the roof in Cell matches; the following bout between Brock Lesnar and Undertaker at No Mercy 2002 is gripping enough that it need not leave the cage, and sees Taker lose an obscene amount of blood. Kevin Nash vs. HHH at Bad Blood 2003 is okay but nothing special; The Game's 47-minute showdown with HBK at Bad Blood 2004 definitely doesn't disappoint and, to me, this culmination of an epic two-year rivalry is one of the most underrated supercard matches in WWE history.

Disc 3 covers 2005-2007. Triple H vs. Batista at Vengeance 2005 is a barbaric fight that was much better than expected, whilst the enjoyable Randy Orton-Undertaker fight from Armageddon that year is notable for being the last match in the 'old' Cell (and because Cowboy Bob Orton, Randy's dad and then-manager, bleeds on Taker before it was discovered behind the scenes that Bob had hepatitis, which led to one angry Undertaker, and played a part in Bob leaving WWE in early 2006). It is a bigger Cell for the DX vs. McMahons and Big Show grudge match at Unforgiven 2006 which is as good as can be expected, and we finish with a great Batista-Undertaker main event from Survivor Series 2007, which ends one classic feud and begins another, as Edge returns to deny Taker the victory in villainous fashion. This rivalry also ended in the Cell at SummerSlam 2008, which unfortunately was too late to make this DVD.

This was released at a time when the Hell In A Cell match still had a very high reputation with fans. Due to the PG rating and a stipulation-based PPV which meant multiple HIAC matches on one night, some with little reason to exist, the format no longer has the same appeal. It could change in future, and the two Cell bouts at the 2014 show were good, but as things stand the best Cell match of the PG era was Undertaker vs. Triple H at WrestleMania XXVIII, a brutal-by-current-standards match which ended a major grudge and which didn't have another HIAC clash to be alongside. Coincidence?

That aside, the anthology DVD of Hell In A Cell (hosted by Foley, incidentally) is a terrific one. At least half of the matches are great and most of the others are good or better. It does get a bit repetitive, and it is rather violent, but when it comes to a wrestling DVD which delivers hard-hitting combat on a big stage to settle huge rivalries and deliver great matches and unforgettable moments, there aren't many you will find which are as good as Hell In A Cell.

Overall Rating: 9/10 - Outstanding