WWE went ahead and made history in more than one way tonight (Sun., Oct. 30, 2016) at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view (PPV) at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, as a women’s match went on last (as the true main event) while also taking place inside Hell in a Cell. It was Sasha Banks, in her hometown, defending the Raw women’s championship against Charlotte.
They both got special entrances, Charlotte getting carried out like a queen and Sasha showing up with bodyguards in an SUV. It felt like a big deal, made even more so by the fact that they didn’t lower the cage before they were actually in the ring, instead waiting and making it an even bigger deal.
Except that was also their way of ensuring the action started outside the cage.
Charlotte launched a sneak attack while the cage was coming down and tossed Sasha to the outside. The cage finished coming down with the two outside it. Naturally, they climbed up it and that led to the first big bump: Charlotte powerbombing Banks off the cage and through a table ringside.
That led to a stretcher job angle.
The medics are attending to @SashaBanksWWE as @MsCharlotteWWE gloats in the ring... #HIAC pic.twitter.com/uZQZJiGFyC
— WWE (@WWE) October 31, 2016
They played it out for a long time, making like Banks was going to have to forfeit the title to Charlotte but right as they were announcing it, Banks got herself up off the stretcher and more or less forced the start of the match proper.
They did plenty of great spots, like a catapult into the fence that saw Sasha landing on her neck (again, as usual) before they incorporated everything they could find in and around the ring for all their trademark spots.
A fun double knees off the cage spot:
#TheBoss @SashaBanksWWE and @MsCharlotteWWE have brought their own brand of VICIOUS to this historic match inside #HellInACell! #HIAC pic.twitter.com/1trXq73tmt
— WWE (@WWE) October 31, 2016
Later, Charlotte would bridge up in the Figure Eight and Banks only got out of it by blasting her with a chair multiple times.
They set up a table in the ring and Banks made like she was going to pick Charlotte up from the top turnbuckle before running all the way across the ring to put her through it. She never made it. Her back, injured earlier in the table bump at the start, simply couldn’t hold up.
Charlotte took advantage by throwing her onto the table and hitting Natural Selection to get the pin to win the championship.
For complete Hell in a Cell results and coverage of every match on the card click here.