We’re just days away from 2022’s edition of Hell In A Cell, and unfortunately for WWE, much of the chatter has been more about who is not on the card. Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, Ronda Rousey, Drew McIntyre, Randy Orton, Charlotte Flair and many others are all absent. Recent high profile walkouts Sasha Banks and Naomi are also, of course, nowhere to be found either.
Fortunately for those of us that would like to see some great wrestling, WWE has a really deep roster, and while all the biggest names aren’t here, many of the ones capable of delivering the best matches are. Seth Rollins, Cody Rhodes, Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair and Asuka are all on the card and capable of delivering something special. So, the haters can hit me with what chants all they want, but I’m still excited for this weekend.
So, let’s stomp a mudhole up and down this card Stone Cold style. We’ll go through each of the matches, and I’ll not only tell you who I think is going to win, I’ll even tell you where I think the storyline might be going afterwards. I don’t have any inside sources. Vince McMahon isn’t asking me for my ideas, but as a point of pride, I did predictions for WrestleMania and predictions for WrestleMania Backlash and am a combined 14 and 7. That’s not quite main event status, but it’s right there knocking on the door, like a prime Million Dollar Man Ted Dibiase.
Bobby Lashley vs Omos & MVP
This is the third consecutive premium live event that Lashley and Omos are fighting at, and this needs to be the end of it. Some things have worked; other things have not. It’s been a fine enough program, but I think we should all move on. Omos’ entire identity can’t be wrapped up in hating Lashley, and if Lashley is going to get back in the main event picture, now is the time. Roman Reigns is taking some time away. Brock Lesnar hasn’t been around since ‘Mania. Randy Orton seemingly has a kayfabe back injury.
As such, I expect to see Lashley take care of (hurt) business against Omos and MVP. Given it’s a handicap match and Omos is a massive human being, he’ll probably have to fight from behind and get a little good fortune, but if he wants to move back up the card, he needs to win here. I suspect he does and we see Omos return to the tag team scene or start a program with one of the other scary dudes WWE is building like Veer Mahaan or Gunther.
Predicted Winner: Bobby Lashley
Theory (Champ) Vs Mustafa Ali For The United States Championship
I think there’s a case to be made here for both of these guys. Let’s start with Mustafa Ali. He was off television for awhile thanks to a prolonged feud with WWE management that included him publicly asking for his release. He’s been back a little over a month and has been working a program with Theory in which he’s had to endure lots of unfair things like The Miz as guest referee. Now he’s finally about to get his fair shake with a straight up match, and it would make sense to pay that off with a victory. It would also signal to Naomi and Sasha Banks that just because you publicly feud with the company doesn’t mean you can’t be welcomed back and win titles.
But where would a loss to Mustafa Ali put Theory? The company clearly considers him to be a future star. He’s repeatedly referred to as Mr. McMahon’s protege on air, and he got a high profile match at WrestleMania 38. He’s now US Champion, and there are some lingering rumors about a possible match with John Cena at SummerSlam. Can you really have John Cena wrestle a guy who lost to Pat McAfee and Mustafa Ali during recent premium live events?
No. And while that match with Cena may or may not happen, I think WWE is a lot more invested in building Austin Theory. I think he wins, but there’s no reason this can’t be a skilled and highly competitive match of the night contender that would also elevate Mustafa’s status with fans and the company. Every big match is an opportunity, even if you’re putting someone else over.
Predicted Winner: Theory
Ezekiel Vs Kevin Owens
The Ezekiel vs Elias/ are they the same person storyline has been so much more fun than it had any right to be. Kevin Owens just jumps in and fully commits to whatever he’s doing, and giving him a chance to work alongside Chad Gable has been a delight. I’m invested in this storyline, which is high praise for something that is objectively so stupid.
I’m not really sure who WWE is going to have win here because I’m not sure what the plan for Ezekiel is long-term. Is he going to eventually be accepted as Elias’ brother and just be a normal character on the show – like as in, he has matches and segments where his identity doesn’t come up? It’s not as if gimmick changes are uncommon in wrestling. He could just be Ezekiel long-term. Or is the identity of Ezekiel always going to be, predominantly, about his true identity and who his brother is. If so, the character himself is probably two arm drops down on a Brutus The Barber Beefcake sleeper hold.
My guess is Kevin Owens takes the win here, and while he’s celebrating on Raw on Monday, Elias comes out to confront Kevin Owens and challenge him to a match, injecting a new round of life into the storyline. At least that’s how I would write it.
Predicted Winner: Kevin Owens.
Madcap Moss Vs Happy Corbin
A late addition! This article has already been rolling for a day, but I had to jump back in here and add Madcap Moss vs Happy Corbin. It probably would have made more sense to throw this prediction on the top of the article or on the bottom, but since it feels like the most midcard match that has ever mid-carded, I decided to throw it in the middle. Seemed fitting.
After a few weeks off with his kayfabe injury, Madcap Moss returned on Smackdown last night with a new attitude and new gear. The suspenders are gone, and he's no longer willing to take anyone's crap. The crowd seemed semi into it, and really into it whenever Happy Corbin was on the receiving end. I still think the jury is out on whether Madcap Moss is really over with the crowd or Corbin is just so despised as a heel (in a good way) that anyone delivering him punishment will be cheered like Riddle flipping his flip flops off.
Regardless of what I think, however, it seems like WWE is really trying to push Madcap. A win here would elevate him to go do something else, and it could also give us another Sad Corbin period, which could provide some fun moments with his character as he slowly loses his self confidence again.
Predicted Winner: Madcap Moss
Finn Balor, AJ Styles and Liv Morgan vs Edge, Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley.
This has been a good, back-and-forth feud over the past month or so. Everyone involved is a skilled worker, and there’s been enough variance in results and finishes to make the outcome here compelling. Regardless of what happens, I really hope both three person groups stay together for awhile.
That being said, I still think the end result here is reliant on how high the WWE writers see Edge going with Judgment Day. If they’re going to want him in the main title picture, it’s important to keep this stable looking really strong. That would also help Rhea Ripley and maybe Damian Priest too. I could envision a future in which Edge was fighting for the WWE Championship, Rhea was the women’s champion and Priest had some kind of mid-card belt. Then again, I could also see a future in which everyone involved here is doing something totally unrelated in six months.
I think they’re going to keep Judgment Day strong and will give them the victory, maybe with Rhea pinning Liv Morgan. There's something here with this stable, beyond just Edge yelling at the crowd that they're sheep each week. I think they're slowly finding it, and I'd like to see the trio get stronger.
Predicted Winner: Judgment Day.
Cody Rhodes Vs Seth Freakin’ Rollins
Seth Rollins is doing incredible work right now. His manic, unhinged energy is must-watch TV, and his in-ring work is still elite. I’m glad he always has a relevant storyline, but it’s also kind of frustrating that WWE so often uses him to make other guys look good.
That’s been the case during his feud with Cody Rhodes. The superstars have delivered two spectacular performances at WrestleMania 38 and WrestleMania Backlash. It seems ridiculous to give Cody three consecutive wins, but having Seth win means this feud will need to extend. And I don’t think WWE is going to want to extend it anymore. I’ve loved these matches, but I don’t even want to see them wrestle on four consecutive premium live events.
Cody needs to keep building toward his eventual match for the WWE title that’ll likely happen next year at WrestleMania. I think it’s going to be a slow burn, with a Royal Rumble victory that will allow them to tease out his chance at glory for months. But even so, he needs to move on and start wrestling other people, and that means he needs a victory here.
Predicted Winner: Cody Rhodes
Bianca Belair (Champ) Vs Becky Lynch Vs Asuka For The Raw Women’s Championship
Even with Charlotte Flair being off for awhile, some uncertainty surrounding Ronda Rousey and whatever is going on with Sasha and Naomi, the women’s division in WWE remains really compelling and really strong. This triple threat match should be incredible, and whether it goes on last or not, it should be considered the main event. Belair and Lynch delivered, in my opinion, the best match at WrestleMania 38, and Asuka should be an exciting shake-up to this sort of rematch.
You could certainly make a case for any of these superstars to walk out of Chicago with the title, but personally, I think Asuka makes the least amount of sense. She’s hasn’t been back from injury that long, and I think there’s a lot more story to be told between Lynch and Belair. Their feud started at SummerSlam when Lynch made a surprise return and squashed her. Belair got her vengeance and won the title back at WrestleMania 38. I think it makes sense for the two to face off again at SummerSlam and put a nice little bow on this feud.
I’m not entirely sure who is going to win between Lynch and Belair. I think one of them will pin Asuka, and they’ll extend the program to SummerSlam. My guess is Belair retains the title and stays champion until then, but we’ll see.
Predicted Winner: Bianca Belair
