7 WWE Hell In A Cell 2021 Impulse Reactions

2. Rhea Ripley (c) Vs. Charlotte Flair

Alexa Bliss
WWE

Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair had spent the last two months arguing over who was the stupidest of the two before heading into a singles pay-per-view rematch that could have once been considered "long awaited". The answer, as always, was "us".

The booking of this story has been so utterly rudderless that - much like Ripley's victory over Asuka at WrestleMania - the match had been undermined before the two locked up.

Maybe those that devised a truly horrific finish were mindful of that? An only-okay contest was rendered totally pointless as Rhea Ripley gladly accepted a DQ loss. A pandering and plodding clash was predicated by Flair's attempt to let over-confidence be her guide. Dishing out "lessons" to 'The Nightmare', 'The Queen' forgot one of the most important of the lot - her place of work is often a risible f*cking joke that punishes even the most minuscule bit of investment.

As with several others on this show, the result promised at least one more go-around too. Ensuring the continuation of the company's worst storyline was an even bigger crime than booking an clandestine announce table spot for a disqualification escape.

 
Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett