8 Biggest Missed Opportunities From WWE Hell In A Cell 2018
5. Stop Me If You've Seen This One Before?
The bout between AJ Styles and Samoa Joe was a lot like their previous clash at SummerSlam. It was a slow-burn that saw both men attempt to out-wrestle each other, with the volatile tension exploding every now and again. There was plenty of engaging action and a great story behind it.
It was all going so well until the closing moments, which saw Styles counter Joe's Coquina Clutch into a pinning predicament - only for him to tap out right before his inevitable victory. Of course, the referee didn't see it, so Styles retained the WWE Championship while Joe was enraged at the decision.
This may have provided WWE with a way of keeping the feud alive and setting up a rematch but it just cheapens the victory, makes the champion look bad and comes off as completely contrived. The whole screwjob finish is such a tired old concept by now that it doesn't accomplish anything other than inciting groans and sending the audience home unhappy.
If prolonging the rivalry was WWE's intention, there were a ton of others ways to do it - all of which would have been a lot more satisfactory than this one.