WWE Hell in a Cell 2011 Review

Match 1: Christian vs. Sheamus
A very strong way to open up the night as Sheamus continues his hot streak. The crowd is really getting behind him and his build is growing nicely. A great back and fourth contest which saw Sheamus get the better of Christian. Both should be having strong roles on the Friday show. 
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: ***¼

Match 2: Sin Cara vs. Sin Cara
This very odd feud hopefully comes to an end here as Sin Cara Blue takes on Sin Cara Black. Yes, that’s the names we are going by. The match was the normal Sin Cara match you’d expect and the crowd wasn’t into the action at all. A bland match with a pretty cool finish by Blue.
Winner: Sin Cara
Rating: *

Match 3: WWE Tag Team Championships - Air Boom © vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Jack Swagger
Another match that felt as if it were a television contest. It’s cool to see that the tag team division is being rebuilt supposedly but matches like this don’t do much. Things just seemed rushed and clustered.
Winners: Air Boom
Rating: **

Match 4: World Heavyweight Championship - Hell in a Cell - Mark Henry © vs. Randy Orton
Still awesome to see Henry walk down the aisle with the belt on his shoulder. His matches have been great and this one surpassed everyone’s expectations. Great psychology from bell to bell with Henry showing off his dominance as Orton fought but just couldn’t beat him. However, Orton did manage to fend off Henry after the match with a steel chair to keep the ball rolling.
Winner: Mark Henry
Rating: ***

Match 5: Intercontinental Championship - Cody Rhodes © vs. John Morrison
Rhodes reveals the rebooted Intercontinental Championship before learning that he must face John Morrison for the belt. Some good back and fourth action and a nice way to get both men some PPV time. Cody gets the quick win to retain his gold and upset Morrison.
Winner: Cody Rhodes
Rating: **½

Match 6: Divas Championship - Kelly Kelly © vs. Beth Phoenix
Gotta give credit where it needs to be given. This match was not only much better than their last bout on PPV, but the action was actually pretty entertaining. Phoenix wins after Natalya gets involved. Definitely a pleasant surprise.
Winner: Beth Phoenix
Rating: **

Match 7: WWE Championship - Hell in a Cell - John Cena © vs. CM Punk vs. Alberto Del Rio
For the first time ever, a triple threat Hell in a Cell match will be contested for the WWE Championship. A lot of uncertainties were going entering this match but this was really a fun match. However, the ambiance for this match has been lost and the big match feel was definitely lost. The action was there but the innovation and creativeness has seemingly disappeared. Ricardo Rodriguez becomes a crucial factor in the match when he unlocks the cage door which leads to Del Rio locking Cena out of the match as he then went on to pin Punk for the win. The celebration leads nowhere when Miz & R-Truth come out and eventually get handcuffed by the police as Triple H makes an appearance and lets out his frustrations.
Winner: Alberto Del Rio
Rating: ***¾

Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Just like I stated in my review for the main event, the innovation and creativeness for this match is just about gone. The two Hell in a Cell matches had no right of being inside the cage. WWE continues to pour out pointless and meaningless PPVs that only lead to cliffhangers. I’m pretty sure this entire show will be forgotten in the next couple weeks.
Rating: 6/10