Credit: WWE.com

Bleacher Report's WWE Staff Predictions for Hell in a Cell 2020

The Doctor Chris Mueller

The end of October usually means the leaves change color, kids dress up in costumes and Major League Baseball is preparing for the World Series. For WWE fans, though, it's time for Hell in a Cell.

The annual pay-per-view will be held at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida on Sunday and features no less than three HIAC matches on its card.

As of Friday morning, only four contest have been confirmed for the card, per WWE.com:

Let's see how the Bleacher Report staff members think everything will go down Sunday. Here's our lineup of contributors:

Donald Wood

Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso

Q: Now that we know Jey Uso is capable of great things as a singles wrestler, would you ever want to see WWE split The Usos up on different brands so both brothers can attempt to build their own legacy or should they go back to being a tag team as soon as Jimmy returns? 

As identical twins, Jimmy and Jey are better suited as a tag team for the rest of their careers, but that doesn’t mean they can't venture out on their own for periods. While they can have singles runs, they're a team for life.

Just as The New Day has remained together as a unit even as they switch brands and go for different titles, The Usos should always remain a tandem WWE can fall back on for reliable in-ring work and storytelling.

                                   

Elias vs. Jeff Hardy

Q: Is Elias more valuable as a heel or a babyface?

Elias is a better heel. The guitar player is at his best when he is running down the WWE Universe, the city they're in and the opponent challenging him. With the ability to use the guitar for dastardly attacks and a slower in-ring style, he is a classic heel who still generates legitimate heat.

                                 

Bonus Question

Q: What do you think is the greatest HIAC match of all time and what made it so special?

The match that made the Hell in a Cell stipulation mean something was Undertaker vs. Mankind from King of the Ring 1998.

From the iconic spots of Mick Foley being thrown off the structure and through the announce table to him being slammed through the roof to the mat below, that bout created the moments every other Hell in a Cell match hopes to achieve.

Erik Beaston

Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton

Q: On a scale of 0-10, where is your interest level for this feud? Are they keeping you invested in the storyline or has it completely fizzled out for you? 

The feud fizzled at the end of Clash of Champions. That was such a fitting and definitive win for McIntyre that everything after it has felt like an excuse to get to Hell in a Cell. It has not maintained the same level it had early on.

                               

Bayley vs. Sasha Banks

Q: Would you ever want to see The Four Horsewomen operate as a proper stable in WWE or should it remain a backstage group like The Kliq? 

Given the storylines we have seen to this point, including two highly personal betrayals, it would feel forced if they were to be brought together anytime within at least the next year or two. That is unless it was acknowledged that they don't like each other and are simply working for the greater good of the women's division.

                                    

Bonus Question

Q: What do you think is the greatest HIAC match of all time and what made it so special?

The Vengeance 2005 match between Batista and Triple H incorporated everything I want to see out of a Hell in a Cell match.

It left the unnecessary high risk behind in favor of raw physicality and violence. It was a great exclamation point on a hell of a feud and, most importantly, it was the push Batista needed to be really be accepted as one of the top stars in WWE.

Jeff J

Bayley vs. Sasha Banks

Q: Would you ever want to see The Four Horsewomen operate as a proper stable in WWE or should it remain a backstage group like The Kliq?

At this point, the only way I want a Four Horsewoman stable is if an equally strong stable opposes them. Think about a group of four women who dominate all three brands, eschew authority and hold all the gold in the company. Even though they all hate each other, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks, Charlotte Flair and Bayley would unite to save WWE and themselves. I think it works.

                                

Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso

Q: Now that we know Jey Uso is capable of great things as a singles wrestler, would you ever want to see WWE split The Usos up on different brands so both brothers can attempt to build their own legacy, or should they go back to being a tag team as soon as Jimmy returns? 

I think they should operate, ironically, like pre-brand split New Day. Still roll as a unit but also take singles opportunities when the situation arises. It works well for New Japan Pro-Wrestling, so why not The Usos?

                           

Bonus Question

Q: What do you think is the greatest HIAC match of all time and what made it so special?

Undertaker vs. Mankind. No other HIAC match holds the gravity, stakes, and gruesome visuals like that match.

When Taker tossed Foley off the top of the cell from 15-plus feet onto that table, it solidified that match as an all-time classic and legitimized the cell as the place to bury long-term grudges. No other cell match comes close.

Graham Matthews

Bayley vs. Sasha Banks

Q: Would you ever want to see The Four Horsewomen operate as a proper stable in WWE or should it remain a backstage group like The Kliq? 

The Four Horsewomen should never find themselves on the same brand, just because it would make the women's divisions terribly uneven.

The only way it could work as a formal on-screen stable is if they were to come together for a Survivor Series elimination tag team match and if their opponents were the Four Horsewomen of the UFC. However, that looks unlikely at this point with Ronda Rousey inactive and Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir nowhere near ready for such a spot.

                                

Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso

Q: Now that we know Jey Uso is capable of great things as a singles wrestler, would you ever want to see WWE split The Usos up on different brands so both brothers can attempt to build their own legacy, or should they go back to being a tag team as soon as Jimmy returns? 

Although I've been more than pleasantly surprised by what I've seen from Jey on his own, I still feel like it'd be a mistake to split up The Usos.

Yes, they've accomplished everything together several times over, but WWE desperately needs teams, not to mention that they'd likely flounder as singles stars or at least get lost in the shuffle if the story wasn't right. They're better off sticking together as tag team wrestling is their strong suit.

                              

Bonus Question

Q: What do you think is the greatest HIAC match of all time and what made it so special?

It's hard to top the original, Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker from Badd Blood: In Your House in 1997.

The story was strong going in, the in-ring action was exceptional, Michaels' selling was fantastic, they made great use of the structure itself, and that Kane debut is arguably the best ever. It's practically a perfect match, rivaled only by their WrestleMania 25 match over a decade later.

Jonathan Snowden

Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton

Q: On a scale of 0-10, where is your interest level for this feud? Are they keeping you invested in the storyline or has it completely fizzled out for you? 

If you'd asked me immediately after Clash of Champions, I would have given this feud a solid eight out of 10. Orton was cutting some of the best promos of his career, McIntyre looked like the kind of babyface champion WWE has been searching far and wide for to replace John Cena, and the Ambulance match just felt like the perfect blowoff.

It's entirely unclear to me why that wasn't the end of it. But it wouldn't be very WWE to quit while it was ahead. It apparently intends to put these two in the ring together until people are begging it to stop—and I'm almost there.

                                  

Bayley vs. Sasha Banks

Q: Would you ever want to see The Four Horsewomen operate as a proper stable in WWE or should it remain a backstage group like The Kliq? 

I love a good faction, so I'm torn here. I grew up on the original Four Horsemen and The NWO helped invigorate my fandom in the Attitude Era. But the Four Horsewomen simply wouldn't work in today's WWE.

Simply put, they are too good to combine forces that way. They are the most complete talents in the entire women's division. If they joined forces, who could believably stop their reign of terror?

                         

Bonus Question

Q: What do you think is the greatest HIAC match of all time and what made it so special?

You always remember your first, right? For me, nothing can top the exquisite match between Michaels and The Undertaker at Badd Blood 1997. The Heartbreak Kid was at the height of his powers, bumping around the ring like a lunatic and setting a standard for stunt work that Mick Foley would eventually try to top.

Even better, the Attitude Era meant the gloves were off. I can't ever truly love a cage match without blood—and Michaels delivered a wicked blade job in mid-air en route to a head-first collision with the cage. This match absolutely rules.

Anthony Mango

Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso

Q: Now that we know Jey Uso is capable of great things as a singles wrestler, would you ever want to see WWE split The Usos up on different brands so both brothers can attempt to build their own legacy, or should they go back to being a tag team as soon as Jimmy returns?

Jey's been great and should continue to be pushed as a single until Jimmy is back. Once The Usos can reform, though, they should team back up.

They're too important to the tag team division to lose another group for the sake of two midcard wrestlers, as it's doubtful they'd get world title runs. Being a team is their specialty and what they've built their Hall of Fame careers on.

                           

Elias vs. Jeff Hardy

Q: Is Elias more valuable as a heel or a babyface?

Elias has value at both, as he can make fun of heels or be the butt of the joke while he's a villain. Unfortunately, the act has worn thin and is no longer as valuable in either way as it used to be.

However, he tends to default to heel since his gimmick is more cocky than heroic. In particular right now, while no fans are in attendance, he's better off as a heel. His jokes against heels can't get pops, so they'd be pointless.

                           

Bonus Question

Q: What do you think is the greatest HIAC match of all time and what made it so special?

While there are better overall matches, Undertaker vs. Mankind at King of the Ring 1998 is by far the best. It's what established this as a brutal match, it's horrific and never gets old.

Without that match, Hell in a Cell is just another cage match and nothing particularly special.

Phil Lindsey

Bayley vs. Sasha Banks

Q: Would you ever want to see The Four Horsewomen operate as a proper stable in WWE or should it remain a backstage group like The Kliq?

I don't think The Four Horsewomen need to be a proper stable, but they should come together for one-off matches. All four members are better individually, and when they work together, it should feel like a big deal.

They don't need to coexist much on television as a real team, though, because the novelty would die down rather quickly. If WWE can ever pull off the Horsewomen of MMA vs. Horsewomen of WWE match, that would be a great way to see them compete as a team.

                                      

Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso

Q: Now that we know Jey Uso is capable of great things as a singles wrestler, would you ever want to see WWE split The Usos up on different brands so both brothers can attempt to build their own legacy, or should they go back to being a tag team as soon as Jimmy returns?

WWE shouldn't ever split up The Usos. They're one of the best tag teams on the roster, so their absence would create a major void in an already-thin division.

While Jimmy is out, Jey Uso should continue to be a presence on SmackDown and even challenge for the intercontinental title. The Usos must remain a force in WWE's tag team division, though.

                              

Bonus Question

Q: What do you think is the greatest HIAC match of all time and what made it so special?

The best Hell in a Cell match in recent memory is Sasha Bank vs. Becky Lynch. It was possibly the most inventive one I've ever seen.

However, Triple H vs. Cactus Jack from No Way Out 2000 is probably the best HIAC match of all time. It's memorable because it was a title vs. career contest, as well. Triple H put his WWE Championship up against Cactus Jack's career in this brutal affair.

This was before the days of annual Hell in a Cell matches too, so it felt more spontaneous.

Also, Mick Foley always brought an edge and unpredictability to this stipulation. The hardcore legend's resilience throughout this match was otherworldly, and it was a fitting end to his zenith with WWE. Of course, he later returned in other capacities, but this match still holds up.

Kevin Berge

Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton 

Q: On a scale of 0-10, where is your interest level for this feud? Are they keeping you invested in the storyline or has it completely fizzled out for you? 

I am at a six. For a time, I was massively invested in the story. Orton and McIntyre were working at the highest level of their careers. Few could touch them, especially considering their mic and in-ring ability. Their first match was a fantastic pure wrestling match that surprised with its straightforward finish.

However, these days, the story feels like it is dragging. The WWE champion has dominated so much that it is hard to understand why The Viper keeps getting title shots. The Ambulance match was a natural ending. Everything since that time has felt like WWE dragging its feet to end this rivalry.

                                

Bayley vs. Sasha Banks

Q: Would you ever want to see The Four Horsewomen operate as a proper stable in WWE or should it remain a backstage group like The Kliq?

The Four Horsewomen already dominate so much screen time every week. Putting the group together would only make their story too one-dimensional.

Each of the women has a unique story to tell. Beyond a one-off eight-woman tag team match, this group needs to remain separate.

                                

Bonus Question

Q: What do you think is the greatest HIAC match of all time and what made it so special?

There have been many great Hell in a Cell matches, including some physical recent clashes. Everyone's mileage will vary, but it's hard to not say the match that defined the stipulation the very first time out. Michaels vs. The Undertaker at Badd Blood 1997 holds up so well, even to the classics the two had later in their careers.

It was brutal, bloody, violent and ultimately established one of the most unforgettable dynamics in wrestling. Kane's arrival is one of the most iconic moments in WWE history on top of HBK and The Deadman never letting up in this classic battle.

Chris Mueller

Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso 

Q: Now that we know Jey Uso is capable of great things as a singles wrestler, would you ever want to see WWE split The Usos up on different brands so both brothers can attempt to build their own legacy, or should they go back to being a tag team as soon as Jimmy returns? 

I am torn because I have always felt like they were capable of more as individuals than most people give them credit for. But, with the state of WWE's tag team division these days, breaking them up would be a huge mistake. They should be able to go after singles titles and support each other while also remaining a duo. 

                         

Elias vs. Jeff Hardy

Q: Is Elias more valuable as a heel or a babyface?

He is much more valuable as a heel because that is what he is better at playing. He is fine as a babyface but he only turned face because his heel act was so entertaining that people began cheering for him.

Until fans return, he should keep being a bad guy who smashes guitars over the heads of our heroes. 

                                  

Bonus Question

Q: What do you think is the greatest HIAC match of all time and what made it so special?

My personal favorite is Brock Lesnar vs. Undertaker from No Mercy 2002, but I'm willing to admit it's not the greatest of these matches.

The best and most prolific HIAC bout was Undertaker vs. Mankind, and it's not even a close race. That match defined the stipulation, elevated Foley's career and produced one of the most replayed moments in WWE history. It is unforgettable. 

Predictions

All respondents' predictions are represented by their initials next to their choices.

   

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