June 28, 2021 Observer Newsletter: Hell in a Cell review, NJPW LA show announced

WWE’s final PPV offering without live fans was the 6/20 Hell in a Cell show from Tampa.

The show was based around matches that mostly looked good on paper, for the most part delivered, and under normal circumstances would have been considered a very good show.

It took a lot of good work from creative to drag the show down to a mid-level show. The Alexa Bliss vs. Shayna Baszler match was pretty much as expected so that was the “given,” but the finishes of the last two matches really took the show down.

In the Raw women’s title match, Rhea Ripley was defending against Charlotte Flair. Aside from a foot stomp spot that would have been a viral sensation had it been in AEW, the two were having a great match. Then, out of nowhere, Ripley hit Flair with the top of the announcers table. The bell rang and it was over, with a DQ called. The idea was to turn Ripley heel and build a rematch, although not turn Flair babyface. But, Ripley then laid Flair out with the riptide after the match, which made no sense given the direction of the storyline. Bobby Lashley retained the WWE title in the Hell in a Cell match main event over Drew McIntyre. The stipulation was that if McIntyre lost, he could never challenge for the title as long as Lashley is champion. This could easily build to a brand switch, which also gives Roman Reigns a fresh new opponent since he obviously needs one.

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