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WWE returns to pay-per-view (PPV) -- if your cable provider is carrying the event, of course -- tomorrow night (Sun., Oct. 8, 2017) live from the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan with its Hell in a Cell event starting at 7:00 p.m. ET with the Kickoff show leading right on into the main course at 8 p.m. ET on the WWE Network.
Set for the card: Shane McMahon and Kevin Owens have a Falls Count Anywhere Hell in a Cell match, The New Day and The Usos settle their differences once and for all, and more!
Luckily for you Cagesiders, our staff of learned wrestling blowhards is here to help figure out just how the event is going to play out with predictions for each match on the card.
Let's get to it.
Hell in a Cell predictions
Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens
Geno Mrosko: You know, I don’t know. In one sense, it’s hard not to agree with Kevin Owens in his original argument, and Shane McMahon is absolutely not the kind of babyface I want to cheer for. But he is the babyface, and this isn’t, as they say, a heel territory. It’s a McMahon territory more than anything else. Plus, they can do more with Shane winning than they can with him losing. Pick: Shane McMahon
Sean Rueter: Because something unexpected needs to happen (and a crazy stunt by Shane (or someone who looks like him) is expected), because Shane has to win sometime or they need to stop having him work matches, because KO can do a lot of damage and still get his comeuppance and because there’s a good story to be told from his losing. Pick: Shane McMahon
Kyle Decker: Shane McMahon doesn’t win matches. But he’s high profile enough to make it a big deal when Kevin Owens viciously beats him. Pick: Kevin Owens.
Cain A. Knight: Owens is my favorite wrestler on the roster and I would normally be outraged by a loss to Shane, but sometimes good just needs to triumph over evil. Owens is a despicable man who has committed some really heinous acts of late, and I think it's time for the bad guy to get his comeuppance. The Falls Count Anywhere stip gives Shane a chance to end this match with a spectacular stunt somewhere else in the arena after they escape the cage. Pick: Shane McMahon
Reverend Kain: Regardless of what you think of his theology, Kevin Owens has promised a beating such that it’ll determine his life after death in a single swoop. What’s more, WWE tossing a seemingly-nonsensical falls count anywhere stipulation into the mix promises violence without end, unlimited by the confines of the cage. All things considered... Pick: Kevin Owens
Jinder Mahal vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Geno Mrosko: Not only has Jinder Mahal’s run with the title made it clear there isn’t anything all that interesting about Jinder Mahal, but they’ve actively dragged down the star potential of one of Japan’s brightest over the past however many years. Nakamura was legitimately interesting upon his arrival and even a clean win over John Cena wasn’t enough to save him from the writing in this feud. A title win won’t do it either, and it sure doesn’t feel like they’re ready to throw in the towel yet. Pick: Jinder Mahal
Sean Rueter: They can begin to course correct in early October and still make sure The Maharajah is wearing the strap come December. Pick: Shinsuke Nakamura
Kyle Decker: I can make an argument for Nakamura winning - mainly that I think sooner or later, Kevin Owens will be in the championship picture and it’d work better for him to fight a babyface. That being said, this has been such an underwhelming feud that I can’t imagine the title changing hands. So more Jinder! Pick: Jinder Mahal
Cain A. Knight: Mahal has done nothing in the ring to make me think he's going to put on great championship matches. But Randy Orton is often boring as hell and there is no such thing as a good Punjabi Prison match, so I'm not sure how much of the blame to assign to Mahal. Here is one more chance for Mahal to change my mind, and it would really help if WWE came up with a better finish than the Singh brothers causing yet another simple distraction. The timing doesn't feel right for a title change given this match is buried underneath the two much more intriguing cell matches. Maybe they will take the cowardly way out and give Nakamura a DQ win. Either way, Mahal is retaining the gold. Pick: Jinder Mahal
Reverend Kain: It’s incredible how this feud has ground my sense of wonder at Shinsuke Nakamura being in WWE into the dust. Styles, Joe, about half the cruiserweight division, hell, even Owens still get that occasional visceral “wait, is this really happening?” response from a match graphic or an entrance (to say nothing of like 3⁄4 of NXT right now), but for the King of Strong Style... Sigh. Pick: Jinder Mahal
The New Day vs. The Usos
Geno Mrosko: This is going to be a lot of fun, and I have no idea who is going to win because if they’ve taught us anything with these two it’s that they’re on equal footing and either team could be better on any given day. On this day, in this particular match type, let’s go with... Pick: The Usos
Sean Rueter: Hmmm. Looking at the lay of the land in SmackDown’s tag division, either this feud has to continue - which is fine by me - or they’re gonna need a heel champ while they establish some other rudo squads. Cue the “Fight Forever” chants. Pick: The Usos
Kyle Decker: It feels like this is it for these two teams. Most feuds end in Hell in a Cell. (Not all. See: Charlotte vs. Sasha) For it to end, the New Day would need to retain. More importantly, I predict this to be the match of the night in a landslide. Pick: New Day
Cain A. Knight: This feud has delivered in the ring every single time, and the cell match should be a fitting culmination to a wonderful series of matches. I don't have any clue who will win, so I'll just stick with the champs. Pick: New Day
Reverend Kain: The only way this could be more in the Usos’ bag is if WWE had bought TNA and it was happening on a Lockdown, because the Cell is the Uso Penitentiary given life. Plus, y’know, been a lot of switches lately, what’s one more? Pick: The Usos
Natalya vs. Charlotte
Geno Mrosko: The powers that be couldn’t think any more highly of Charlotte Flair and her last name carries some added value right now. Pick: Charlotte
Sean Rueter: WWE likes this rivalry, but it’s historically been super one-sided. Here’s a chance to shake that up... possibly with a cash-in that can be used to turn Natty and give Charlotte a different heel to chase. Pick: Natalya
Kyle Decker: I don’t really have a feeling how this will turn out, mainly because of the Carmella factor. If it weren’t for Carmella, I’d say Charlotte easily. But I also don’t see Carmella successfully cashing in on the Queen, meaning both MITB winners would have failed their cash in. That being said, Carm can hold the case for awhile, allowing Charlotte to get a win here. Pick: Charlotte
Cain A. Knight: Charlotte tapped out last week to the Sharpshooter, so that means Natalya is probably tapping out at this PPV. And this seems like a pretty good time for Carmella to cash in too. Pick: Charlotte Flair
Reverend Kain: Ah, torn between the Scylla and Charybdis that is “Cat bros stick together” and “Charlotte Flair doesn’t lose on PPV”! But I have to make a pick, so... hell with it, cat life. Pick: Natalya
AJ Styles vs. Baron Corbin
Geno Mrosko: This is WWE. There doesn’t need to be a good reason. Pick: Baron Corbin
Sean Rueter: Don’t know why you’ve spent your career losing in high-profile matches, BC, but I don’t see you breaking out of that rut here. Pick: AJ Styles
Kyle Decker: I like the AJ Styles open challenge and I don’t want to see it go away this soon. Plus, Corbin right now is kind of too dumb to win. He’ll get distracted by a fly or something. Pick: AJ Styles
Cain A. Knight: AJ Styles is one of the most talented performers on the WWE roster and has a good match every single night. Baron Corbin is really tall and once had a good match with Kalisto in 2016. Please don't overthink this one, WWE. Pick: AJ Styles
Reverend Kain: Briefcase dork, briefcase dork / out of ideas for this song / all good things, they must end / Briefcase dork loses again Pick: AJ Styles
Dolph Ziggler vs. Bobby Roode
Geno Mrosko: Unless the idea is to put Ziggler in a hole he won’t climb out of he pretty much has to win here. That way he can claim he’s right and the “chase” for Roode will be the prove, with his later triumph, that Ziggler was wrong all along. They can and should get more out of this than one match and a Roode win ends the story. Pick: Ziggler
Sean Rueter: This time next year, the former NXT champ will probably be the first guy future NXT champs beat when they come to SmackDown. But for now, that’s Dolph’s job. Pick: Bobby Roode
Kyle Decker: It’d be something if Bobby Roode lost his first real feud. Not that I’d be that surprised. Pick: Bobby Roode
Cain A. Knight: Remember that time when Nakamura's WWE PPV debut was a victory against Dolph Ziggler? That's exactly what this match will be for Bobby Roode. Dolph Ziggler just doesn't have what it takes to overcome these NXT guys with the fancy entrances. Pick: Bobby Roode
Reverend Kain: Feel like what we should actually be predicting here is “how many different entrances will Dolph have?”, but... Pick: Bobby Roode
Randy Orton vs. Rusev
Geno Mrosko: I’m not sure there’s a single category that exists where Orton is more interesting than Rusev but he’s always going to come out on top in a company like this, with his positioning. Pick: Randy Orton
Sean Rueter: I’ll be making my prediction in the form of a re-interpretation of an exchange between Gary Oldman and Paul Bates from the ‘93 classic True Romance... with The Artiste as Alabama’s pimp, Drexl Spivey, and The Handsome One as his right hand man, Marty. Aiden English: He must have thought it was Randy Orton day. It ain't Randy Orton day, is it? Rusev: Nah man, It ain't Randy Orton day. Pick: Rusev
Kyle Decker: Randy is at that point of his career that he is putting more and more guys over. But for some reason, I just don’t see Rusev on that list right now. But we’ll always have Rusev Day. Pick: Randy Orton
Cain A. Knight: I would like to think it is time for WWE to do more interesting things with Rusev and make him seem like a big deal again, but Vince McMahon has this strange fascination with Randy Orton that I don't really understand. If I built a sports entertainer from the ground up, it would look a hell of a lot more like Rusev than Randy Orton. Well actually it would look like CM Punk. But you get the idea. Pick: Randy Orton
Reverend Kain: Rusev is fighting for our right to live. To exist. And should he win the day, the eighth of October will no longer be known as a Bulgarian holiday, but as the day when the world declared in one voice: We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight! We're going to live on! We're going to survive! Sunday, we celebrate our happiest Rusev Day! Pick: Rusev
Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin vs. The Hype Bros
Geno Mrosko: Insert violent shoulder shrug. Okay, maybe this is the straw that breaks the camel’s back and Mojo Rawley and Zack Ryder realize it’s time to go their separate ways.
Sean Rueter: One of the heel teams I hope the blue brand plans to build up as future New Day rivals is Ryder and Rawley. Taking a ‘L’ here helps that along, or the more likely (and more boring) break-up. Pick: Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin
Kyle Decker: The Bros look destined to break up and Gable and Benjamin will probably move up as contenders here. Pick: Gable & Benjamin
Cain A. Knight: The Hype Bros are breaking up soon, which means that they will probably lose this match. Pick: Benjamin & Gable
Reverend Kain: I’m pulling for a turn rather than a breakup for the Brothers of Hype, so wishful thinking ahoy... Pick: Hype Bros
Will WWE actually bother with Fashion Files?
Geno Mrosko: THEY BETTER.
Sean Rueter: Yes. Will it be a two minute pre-tape that doesn’t address the mystery of who trashed their office, kidnapped Fandango, put stuff in pies, etc.? Also yes.
Kyle Decker: They will, but it still won’t conclude any story about who attacked them. That’ll be teased out for another year.
Cain A. Knight: If they don’t, I’m going to punch Kyle in the face.
Reverend Kain: Nope, the Ascension are gonna do a hostile takeover and we’ll get an episode of Wasteland Watch instead.
That’s how we see the card playing out.
How about you?