WWE Hell In A Cell 2016: 10 Things We Learned
9. Roman Reigns Vs. Rusev Kicked Off The Pay-Per-View
Before Hell In A Cell, there was a lot of discussion regarding exactly which match would go out first when the pay-per-view properly began. Some feared it might be Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte, something that would surely have been a mistake. As it turned out, Renee Young told fans watching the Kickoff show who was jerking the curtain.
Right before a video package for the bout aired, it was revealed that Roman Reigns would be defending the WWE United States Title against Rusev in the main show's opening slot. This seemed to be the best case scenario, saving the WWE Universal Title bout from having to open and keeping back the much-anticipated Raw Women's Title collision until later.
As Reigns and Rusev have been feuding together for a long time, it was a shrewd move to wheel their match out first. Arguably, this was the Cell encounter many were looking forward to the least, so getting it out of the way early came across as smart.
Going up first didn't mean that Reigns vs. Rusev was a bad match, not by any means.