WWE Hell in a Cell: Charlotte regains Raw Women’s title over Sasha Banks in history making match
Roman Reigns retained his United States Championship with a win over Rusev. And Kevin Owens beat Seth Rollins in a brilliant Match of the Year contender
CHARLOTTE regained the Raw Women’s Championship with a history-making Hell In A Cell win over Sasha Banks.
In a brutal encounter – the first time women have featured in the highly-dangerous match – ended with the daughter of WWE legend Ric Flair winning the crown for the third time in her young career.
It would have taken something huge to top the sensational match between Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins earlier in the night – after the warring pair put in a Fight of the Year contender – and that’s what the two headlining women produced.
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Charlotte vs Sasha Banks – Raw Women’s Championship
Without the match even starting, the pair climbed the outside of the cell but Charlotte dropped down and plucked Sasha out of the air in an uncompromising position.
The Boss was then driven off the challenger’s shoulders as she drove home a giant powerbomb to stun Sasha.
It looked like the champion would be unable to continue as the medical gurney was sent out to carry her away from the action and a neck brace was placed under her purple hair.
But just as the win and title were about to be handed to Charlotte, Banks scrapped her way off the stretcher and pummelled the blonde two-time champion.
Charlotte handled the onslaught but then produced a brilliant monkey flip to fling Banks into the Cell wall.
Sasha hit her Banks Statement submission pin early but the challenger broke free and hurled her rival out of the ring. Banks then connected with two baseball slides with Charlotte trapped outside the ring and then she suicide-dived through the ropes.
Charlotte then hit a spiteful sidewalk slap onto a steel chair that seemed to have finished Banks. But then Banks hit a double-knee dive on the outside that floored Charlotte for six.
Sasha managed to drop Charlotte through a table on the outside but it was off a weak kick that did not do any serious damage. Charlotte's Figure Eight finisher would have secured her the title but a nearby chair hleped Sasha bludgeon her way free.
Charlotte then went for a moonsault with Banks stricken on a table but the champ wised up and moved out of danger. But Charlotte was striaght on here with a brutal final attack and a Natural Selection finisher to take the title back.
Rusev VS Roman Reigns - United States Championship
Roman Reigns kept hold of his United States title after withstanding a battering from the Bulgarian Brute before nailing him with a spear off a set of stairs in the centre of the caged cell.
The two big men exchanged heavy punches and head-butts before the Bulgarian was the first man to rattle the cell walls. Reigns barged the hairy giant off the ring apron and into the steel mesh which ripped a hole in Rusev’s arm.
The former Shield star then scooped him off the floor and drove him twice more into the metal. Rusev – in full mutton-chopped glory – then mounted a comeback, hammering the US champion into the ring posts.
There was a blatant lack of technical wrestling as the two giants hurled each other around the ring before the brief respite of a hip-toss. Reigns then drove nine clotheslines into his cornered opponent before the challenger skipped out of the ring and took control of the bout.
The challenger then picked up a set of the huge steps and smashed them twice into Reigns before hurling his favourite instrument of pain into the ring. The stairs were set upon the top rope with Rusev intent of throwing Reigns into the twisted construction.
The match was taken outside the ring and Reigns was in possession of a spiteful kendo stick he spanked over Rusev’s naked back and arms. But the tables were soon turned and, with Reigns trapped in the ropes, he was battered in the gut by the bamboo pole before Reigns broke free.
Reigns then landed a Superman punch out of nowhere that sent Lana’s husband flying through the air but Rusev beat the count. Reigns went for a spear but Rusev countered with a super-kick and an Irish Whip into the steel steps that were still settled on the top turnbuckle.
Rusev then locked in his Accolade finisher, contorting the back and shoulders of the champ. Even when Reigns broke free he was instantly scythed down by a giant head-kick.
Rusev laid his hands on a metal chain and rained blows down on the floored champ before going close with a two-count Reigns battled out of. But Rusev then sandwiched Reigns between the steel steps and the metal chain in a hardcore version of the Accolade.
A Samoan Drop onto the steps gave Reigns back the moment and with Rusev then perched upon the stairs, Reigns hit a spear and nailed the pin.
Dana Brooke vs Bayley
No one cared about this match before it started. Even fewer people cared about it while it took place.
Bayley’s billing as ‘The Huggable One’ might be the worst nickname in WWE history. And painting Dana Brooke as a heel just because she has purple lipstick is seriously shallow.
A corkscrew elbow from Bayley was a highpoint. But the Bayley to Belly finisher that secured the win was pretty pathetic.
Big Cass & Enzo Amore vs Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows
Anderson and Gallows have stunk the WWE out since they arrived as AJ Styles’ sub-standard buddies and setting them up against fans’ favourites Big Cass and Enzo Amore is a perfect fit.
Amore was a master on the mic before the action even started and once the bell rang the little and large team produced some Grade A team-work to batter the two bearded stiffs.
Cass then hit Anderson with a big boot and an Empire Elbow on Gallows. Enzo then tagged himself in and hit a massive top-rope cross body.
But Anderson & Gallows were given the win through their dismal Magic Killer finisher.
No one wants to see these guys win anything – let alone against a tag team as exciting as Amore and Cass.
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Kevin Owens vs Seth Rollins - Universal Championship
Over 16,000 fans inside the Boston stadium were banking on this two top technical wrestlers lifting the standard after another needless win for Anderson and Gallows and they got a total masterclass.
Rollins and Owens put on a main-event match with exquisite grappling as well as brutal spots and weaponry.
Owens took a risk by dashing outside the ring for a weapon but he was soon being whipped into the skin-ripping cage. After hitting some on-point attacks on Owens, the challenger went to set a table up in the unforgiving corridor between the ring and cell.
Owens wisely focussed on punishing the back injury he inflicted on Rollins on Monday night Raw. But by far the most vicious attack was Owens hurling his rival between the top two ropes and head-first into the cell wall, forcing his neck and body to bend back on itself upon impact.
The amazing pair then exchanged incredible kicks before a huge lariat from Owens left both men floored and the crowd equally breathless.
After Owens had gassed the referee with a fire extinguisher , the cell door was opened and Jericho was able to dash down and lock himself into the equation. Rollins soon sparked Jericho with a Pedigree and threw Owens through TWO tables sat outside the ring.
It was an incredible show of strength from the challenger who went to the top rope and hit a giant frogsplash but Jericho pulled the referee out of the ring a millisecond before he finished his three-count.
For his interference, Jericho was powerbombed into the cell wall but Owens recovered and hit the challenger with a pop-up powerbomb that Rollins somehow kicked out of.
After a set of chair shots were exchanged, Owens hit a DDT of Jake the Snake Roberts’ quality and then powerbombed Rollins through TWO steel chairs before getting the pin with Rollins left in agony.
The match was a thing of violent and concussive beauty.
Brian Kendrick vs TJ Perkins – Cruiserweight Championship
Brian Kendrick snatched the belt from his former friend with a ruthless piece if play-acting and trickery.
Faking a serious knee injury, Kendrick suckered Perkins and tapped him out for a crucial win for his career.
Kendrick was desperate to win this match as the older man but Perkins was far superior.
The Detonation Kick from Perkins is an unforgettable signature move but the match was almost won by Kendrick’s much more rudimental Fisherman’s Hook submission.
Perkins got in the same kneebar that helped win him the Cruiserweight Classic earlier in the year but Kendrick refused to tap before claiming to be suffer a serious knee injury that threatened his future in the match and the company.
But TJ was sucked in to helping his rival who was playing possum. Kendrick hit a head butt and grabbed his signature submission move a and Perkins had to tap.
New Day vs Sheamus & Cesaro – Tag Team titles
New Day closed in on the Legion of Doom’s record for the longest reigning tag-champions thanks to this bland win over the two heavyweights who can’t cut it on their own but don’t work in a team.
Xavier Woods’ diving elbow almost across three quarters of the ring did demonstrate athletic excellence.
Seamus tried to step it up a notch by jumping outside the ring from the top belt but this match was ever going to deliver much in a division that is desperately struggling.
The match ended in farce and the New day were disqualified, handing Sheamus and Cesaro the win but not the belts.
Fans were not happy with the outcome and any match coming after the Rollins v Owens showpiece was going to struggle.
The tag flop gave Boston fans a good chance to get refreshed before the groundbreaking main event as the women ruled the roost.