Hell in a Cell 2013 generated uncertainty, creating clouds of confusion that the last WWE Raw of October will hopefully clear away.
After a night where Sweet Chin Music led to Randy Orton winning the WWE Championship, John Cena made the most of his return and CM Punk left Paul Heyman writhing atop the Hell in a Cell, Monday's Raw will prove to be an intriguing one.
WWE.com's five-point preview by Anthony Benigno hints that Shawn Michaels, not surprisingly, will appear to explain his actions. Michaels was a key figure in Orton's win, but his attack on Daniel Bryan may be more complicated than it looks.
Michaels appeared torn when he had to count Bryan down.
Is this because he hated having to turn on his former student or because his swift kick to the head was instinctual and not premeditated? Expect to hear Michaels' side of the story, Triple H give his usual spin and for Bryan to do some yelling into a microphone.
I'm gonna go out on a limb & say this whole "having fun on twitter" is probably gonna be over for a while. #thatsortablows #iunderstand- Shawn Michaels (@ShawnMichaels) October 28, 2013
Who Bryan directs that anger toward will tell us a lot about how Survivor Series will look.
Many fans are hoping for an eventual Bryan and Michaels confrontation, but Bryan may blame Triple H more for the WWE Championship being on someone else's waist. A traditional Survivor Series elimination tag team match could also be in the works.
The other new champion who emerged from Hell in a Cell will be a huge part of the show as well. Challengers Looming
Cena defeated Alberto Del Rio despite Del Rio going after his recently repaired arm and now returns to Raw for the first time since his surgery, World Championship in hand. The Champ's celebration may not last long, though.
WWE has been hinting strongly that Damien Sandow will cash in on Cena.
Sandow called out Cena while walking to the ring at Hell in a Cell, calling him "a false idol." Cameras later cut to Sandow watching the Cena vs. Del Rio match while clutching his Money in the Bank briefcase to his chest.
Sandow calls out Cena before his match.
Benigno asks in the aforementioned Raw preview, "Will Mr. Money in the Bank Damien Sandow decide to make his move on The Champ?"
Should Cena put more strain on his arm in a match on Monday's Raw or suffer an ambush from Del Rio, the chances of Sandow swooping in are extremely high. Sandow is riding a winning streak that includes a victory over Dolph Ziggler on last week's Main Event and against Kofi Kingston at Hell in a Cell.
This could be WWE's way of preparing fans for Sandow being champion by making him far stronger than he has looked in recent months.
The Intercontinental Championship and Divas Championship pictures need addressing as well.
Curtis Axel didn't defend his title against Big E. Langston at Hell in a Cell as scheduled due in an injury. PWMania.com reported that the injury occurred on last week's Raw when Axel "blew out both his hips in what's being called a 'freak accident.'"
WWE hasn't shared details of Axel's injury, but the early reports point to this being severe. One of Axel's recent tweets hinted that he was "probable" for Hell in a Cell. - Curtis Axel (@RealCurtisAxel) October 27, 2013
Monday's Raw will help clear that situation up. If Axel can't go for an extended period of time, expect WWE to find a way to crown a new IC champ, be it a tournament, Battle Royal or something else.
As for the Divas Championship, there doesn't seem to be an end in sight for AJ Lee's reign.
AJ knocked off Brie Bella for the second straight pay-per-view. WWE.com's preview for Monday's Raw hints at AJ looking elsewhere for her next defense.
Benigno writes, "With the Divas division long on potential challengers, will another step up to make a run at her championship?" Look for AJ to find a new foe, either taking on Nikki Bella or perhaps Aksana, whom WWE officials reportedly think highly of. New Rivals And Allegiances
Monday's Raw will answer if CM Punk's feud with Paul Heyman is officially over. Seeing Punk throttle Heyman atop the Hell in a Cell seemed like a fitting end to that story, but fans will have to see if there is more to it or if Punk moves on from here.
F4WOnline, via WrestlingInc.com, reported in late September that Punk was "scheduled to be a part of the WWE Title picture following the current feud with Paul Heyman and Ryback."
With Bryan's anger and frustration so focused on Triple H, that leaves a spot open for Punk. Punk vs. Orton is a logical move, one that gives Orton a formidable opponent for his newest reign and varies things up after a two months of Orton and Bryan.
During that time period, we have not seen Kane, as the big man has been holed up somewhere after an attack from The Wyatt Family.
He made a surprise return to Hell in a Cell, throwing some haymakers at Erick Rowan and Luke Harper, but also chokeslamming The Miz. Has Kane decided to follow the buzzards and join the Wyatt Family? Expect some clarity on this situation from Monday's Raw.
I'm back... #NoMoreBuzzards #HellInACell- Kane (@KaneWWE) October 28, 2013
Making the Wyatts a four-man squad leading up to Survivor Series would be perfect timing, allowing WWE to book them for a traditional elimination tag team match.
If there was to be one giant showing up at Hell in a Cell, many would have bet on it being Big Show, not Kane.
Big Show was barred from ringside for the pay-per-view. He won't stay gone for long, though.
Many have speculated that Vince McMahon is behind Big Show's attacks, and at least one backstage report points to Mr. McMahon making his return to Raw Monday. WrestlingInc.com writes on the episode, "It's expected that Vince McMahon will be returning."
Should he do his famous strut to the ring and Sandow lunge at an injured Cena, Monday's Raw will be an episode not to miss.
No comments:
Post a Comment