WWE Hell in a Cell Review (2022) - Best Hell in a Cell Match ever?

WWE Hell in a Cell Review

Another year, another Hell in a Cell show. This year's Hell in a Cell premium live event was supported mostly by Raw brand storylines. The major feud going into this year's Hell in a Cell was Cody Rhodes vs Seth Rollins. This was their third match in a three-match series - the first being at Wrestlemania & the second being at Wrestlemania: Backlash. I was fortunate enough to attend this year's show which took place at the All-State arena in Chicago, Illinois.

GIF of Asuka Entrance

The show opened with a great triple thread match with Becky Lynch, Asuka & the Raw women's champion Bianca Belair. This was one of my favorite matches live at the show. I've never seen any of these women perform in person and walked away knowing that I've seen three of the greatest women'ss wrestler in the world perform. Growing up, I didn't see many black women wrestling on TV and seeing how over Bianca Belair was brought a smile to my face. Bianca Belair had one of the largest pops of the night and the match between the three women was great, lasting a bit under 20 minutes. 

The rest of the undercard had a bit of something for everybody. The handicap match with MVP & Omos kicked off with a hokey rap from MVP detailing his beef with Bobby Lashley. This match was a straight forward handicap match, but WWE seems to be missing the mark with Omos. Bobby Lashley was super over with the live crowd. My least favorite match of the night was the No Holds Barred match with Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss. The WWE United States title match was telegraphed from a mile away because the hometown hero never wins in WWE. Simply because Ali was from Chicago, he got the biggest crowd reaction of the night.

One of my favorite matches of the night was Ezekiel vs Kevin Owens. I love the Ezekiel character just because the entire narrative of the older brother, Elias, is so bizarre. Ezekiel (i.e. Elias) vs Kevin Owens was a great popcorn match. I think the cosplay as Randy Savage by the character, Ezekiel is a fun homage. If WWE was still in the Thunderdome, there are so many creative things that could have been done with the Ezekiel character. The Ezekiel character is a byproduct of the pandemic. Unfortunately, I think we'll see the end of Ezekiel before the end of the year.

The six-person, mixed tag team match with The Judgement Day vs AJ Styles, Liv Morgan and Finn Balor felt like a fever dream. Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest looked like a million bucks. This was my second time seeing AJ styles perform in person and it's amazing that someone with a storied career as long, can do so much in the ring at this point in his career. In addition to that, seeing one of the top heels of my childhood, Edge was pretty fun - he's having a great return run and that's another wrestler I'll be fortunate to say I saw in person decades from now.

Match of the Night - Cody Rhodes vs Seth Rollins - Hell in a Cell

This is going to be one of those matches that people will talk about for 20 years. Cody Rhodes vs Seth Rollins was a showcase of so many of the wacky hardcore wrestling tropes. Cody Rhodes performance was another notch in a growing list of events that re-affirm he's one of the greatest wrestlers on TV today. The feeling of the live crowd through the match was ominous, beginning at the moment Cody took his jacket off as a rumble of whispers roared through the crowd. So many adults and children asked hushed questions on the severity of Cody Rhodes' injury - a highly visible torn pec. 

Picture of Cody Rhodes

Cody Rhodes finally hit a pedigree after teasing the move for years. The structure of the match included many classic WWE tropes such as a table spot, kendo stick and a sledgehammer. A blast from wrestling past was brought out too - a bull rope with a cowbell, which required Seth & Cody to fight in the ring with an impromptu bull rope duel. I was surprised this match was over twenty minutes long, but Seth and Cody used a number of brutal theatrics that protected Cody from his injury. Unlike so many other people in wrestling today, Cody embraces how grand professional wrestling can be: watch how he interacts with the crowd, the grandeur of his entrance, and even his Homelander inspired costume.

This was the fiftieth televised Hell in a Cell match and I believe Cody Rhodes vs Seth Rollins is going be remembered as one of the best. This match has so many memorable moments - you'll come across many different opinions of the best Hell in a Cell match. Cody Rhodes brought grit to this match which will be looked back on for years (WWE is going to milk this for a very long time). I don't want to minimize the impact Seth Freakin' Rollins has had on Hell in a Cell over the years. There's been controversial, good and great Hell in a Cell matches with Seth Rollins which has included Jon Moxley, Kevin Owens, Edge, and now Cody Rhodes. I do not believe this match would be as good as it was without Seth Freakin' Rollins.

Semi-permanent WWE Signage at Rosemont Arena

I walked away from WWE Hell in a Cell happy. This show was bit over 3 hours, but exiting from any of the venues in Rosemont, Illinois is always a challenge. Hell in a Cell reaffirmed my personal belief that WWE puts on the best wrestling production in the world. This was my second televised WWE show and third WWE show overall. I'm ecstatic that I was able to see Cody Rhodes vs Seth Rollins in Hell in a Cell live. Each time I go to a pro-wrestling show in Chicago, I get to watch an amazing wrestling match.

Go watch Hell in a Cell on Peacock. 

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