4 Ups & 6 Downs From WWE Hell In A Cell 2021

Rating WWE PPVs is a tough deal at times. The wrestlers are almost all top-notch athletes, among the best at their craft, so the matches – if given the opportunity – have a really decent chance of being anywhere from good to great, regardless of how awful the storylines surrounding the matches have been.

So when you watch Hell in a Cell and see several pretty entertaining matches, it’s easy to say, “That was a pretty good PPV, if ultimately meaningless.” But that ignores the abysmal march toward HIAC, with mind-numbing angles that left you confused and frustrated more than anything.

Nothing encapsulated this dichotomy more than the Charlotte Flair/Rhea Ripley women’s title match. The entire feud – which we won’t try to recap in 50 words – has been horrendous. But their match hummed along nicely overall… right up until the end reminded us of the awful storyline and its many glaring problems. What should have been a pure and great rivalry that elevated both superstars has torpedoed interest in both wrestlers in record time.

In the long run, Hell in a Cell 2021 will be remembered as (hopefully) the last WWE PPV during the Pandemic Era, with the company slated to return to live crowds permanently next month. And that will be it. None of these matches will be seen on a “Best of…” compilation. And that really just sums it all up.

Let’s get to it…