Customer Reviews

WWE: Hell in a Cell 2009

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Hell In A Cell Match: World Champion C.M. Punk vs. Undertaker - After that "teaser" at Breaking Point, we saw them pick up where they left off. This went back & forth with Taker using his power & using the Cell to his advantage by having Punk rammed into it at various times along with giving one hell of a "Last Ride" that looked more like a "Border Toss" (for those TNA/Hernandez fans) while Punk targeted Taker's legs & used his various kicks as well. With various weapons like a chair & steel steps, they put on a good performance & my favorite Cell match of the night with the only downfall in that the match was kept short.

Intercontinental Champion John Morrison vs. Dolph Ziggler - This was a very past faced athletic encounter with Dolph pulling off various creative counters to Morrison's signature moves & pulling out a page out of Billy Gunn's old playbook with the fameasser at ont point. This was a great contest between both men eventhough they would go on to have better ones on free TV.

Divas Champion Mickie James vs. Alicia Fox - Alicia just wasn't ready for a PPV quality match here as this wasn't a horrible match but just very dry & dull with the only thing noteworthy was the DDT that Mickie gave her at the end...OUCH!

Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & Big Show vs. Batista & Rey Mysterio - Eventhough it was heavily put over that Mysterio & Batista were former WWE Tag Team Champions, the little known fact is that they were only champions for a week & have teamed up together so many times that you can count them on one hand & hadn't teamed together in years. Knowing that fact, this match was the shock of the night because Batista & Mysterio worked really well together here as they did great teamwork & kept Jericho away from Big Show various times in the match and working him over. Watch out for the kick Mysterio gave Jericho at one point that looked like it was out Tajiri's old playbook and just how massive Show is to Mysterio as he palmed his head on the outside & lifted him into the ring. This played match played out well as it worked towards everyone's strengths & there wasn't a dull moment. Definately the best performance in both of these teams history.

Hell In A Cell Match: WWE Champion John Cena vs. Randy Orton - For those trivia fans, not only is this John Cena's first HIAC match but also the first Cell match that didn't involve either Undertaker or Triple H (Taker was involved in the Kane/Mankind Cell match for the record) and despite Jerry Lawler either making a mistake or trying to rewrite history, Randy Orton didn't win his previous Cell match. This match was put over as very serious from the start as Cena didn't even do his usual "play to the crowd" entrance & with New Jersey being one of the more vocal crowds than usual, Orton had more fan support. I felt like this match heavily resembled their previous match at Breaking Point where it was more "character driven" than it was with the inring performance. It was very slow paced as whenever Cena began to build momentum, he would break it & slow things down with Orton's "Viper" character being very cold & calculating such as his sadistic look when he had Cena in a headlock tied in the ropes while also taking a chair to his injured neck. Cena was able to take advantage of Randy at times like when Randy kneedrop onto the chair backfired & even locked the STF at one point with Randy not being able to use the ropes to break the hold. Again, it was a good match for the story they were telling for it but this was completely different from the first match in that the Cell itself didn't really pay much of a factor in this match. I haven't seen their Ironman match yet so I would rank this as my third favorite one on one match between these two right behind their two previous SummerSlam encounters.

R-Truth vs. Drew McIntyre - Eventhough this match had a better buildup to it than the average undercard "filler" match usually does, where it was on the card only hurt more than helped as you heard "boring" chants within the opening moments. This match was pretty short & decent as it did it's job in giving Drew his first PPV victory.

United States Champion Kofi Kingston vs. The Miz vs. Jack Swagger - This was your basic triple threat match with both Kofi fighting the odds while Miz & Swagger worked together to take Kofi out before one heel decided to go into business for himself. Just like how Kofi's two other "multiman" PPV title matches have been this year, it was good for what it was but this was definately a stepdown from the unexpected great match Miz & Kofi had at Breaking Point as there was nothing really noteworthy here except to look out for this one kick Kofi gave Swagger that looked really stiff.

Hell In A Cell Match: D-Generation X vs. Legacy - This match definately stood out from others as it started off as a brawl on the outside of the with Legacy jumping DX on their way to the ring while using the method that worked in their favor at Breaking Point which was "divide & conquer" with Triple H being knocked out on the stage while Shawn was locked inside the Cell with Legacy. From there, it was an exact copy of what happened at Breaking Point with Shawn being tortured by both men with Triple H unable to make the save for several minutes using a chair & the cage to their advantage. Triple H was able to enter the cage & dominate before using Legacy's methods against them in route to victory. I just really didn't like this match past the opening brawl as their previous matches were encounters that left both teams leaving with a strong performance while this one had Dibiase & Rhodes looking heavily inferior to just Triple H alone and unlike how they tortured Shawn at Breaking Point, you didn't know if Triple H was going to be able to save Shawn even if he made it to the ring while here where you just knew Triple H was going to somehow get in the cage, dominate & raise hell...it was just very predictable for me. Just again, after the previous matches were great strong performances...this did a poor job of following those two & the only person come out strong in this case was Triple H (and I'm not one of those anti-Triple H internet marks). I'm guessing that I'm in the minority here but I felt like this was the weakest match out of their series & probably my least favorite HIAC match of all time.

The only DVD extra on here was the aftermath of the match with Cody Rhodes being stretchered out. In the end, this was one of those cases where too much of one thing was a bad thing as WWE has proven with their previous PPV's revolving around gimmick matches in that you can be successful with one (Taker/Punk) and get away with two (Cena/Orton) but you can't pull off three without one coming off looking heavily weak in comparison (DX/Legacy). While the undercard had some standout matches like Morrison/Ziggler & the Jericho/Show vs. Batista/Mysterio match...there was still too much on here that was just average & nothing worth rushing out to see so I would recommend this as a rental or if you have a few spare bucks.

Another concept PPV by the WWE in which they actually used the Hell In A Cell to end their main event matches but I would give the same point that I addressed at Breaking Point at the end of this review.

Hell In A Cell: World Champion CM Punk vs The Undertaker. After the disappointing result from Breaking Point, this match actually delivered here as Taker tried to use his power & even attacking Punk various times with the Cell itself. Punk was able to use his speed & quickness to the point where he heavily focused on Taker's leg that ended up becoming a factor at times in the match with weapons like a steel chair & even the ring steps getting used as well. If you can take under consideration that this match was short due to Taker's condition at this point in his career, this was my favorite Cell match of the night as both men put on a good performance with the crowd heavily into the action.

Intercontinental Champion John Morrison vs Dolph Ziggler. The continuation of the WWE pushing the Intercontinental Championship to where it belongs as these two hard workers had a very athletic contest with the action being fast paced at times as Ziggler just keeps impressing each & everytime I have seen him while I already know how great of a performer Morrison is. It's not a classic like the Mysterio/Jericho series earlier in the year but a very enjoyable encounter.

Divas Champion Mickie James vs Alicia Fox. The only part that got my attention during this match was the sick DDT that Mickie delivered at the end as this match was very dull & boring for me.

Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & Big Show vs Batista & Rey Mysterio. Once again, I'll admit that I am no fan of the Jeri-Show tag team but each time I have seen them on PPV, they deliver & this was no exception. A very good tag team match as it seemed that all four men just stepped their game up for this match with Batista & Show meshing well with their power offense while we already know what to expect when Jericho works with Mysterio based of their series earlier in the year. I would rank this as the best match I have seen from the Jericho/Show tag team so far.

Hell In A Cell: WWE Champion John Cena vs Randy Orton. Just like their Breaking Point match, this was more of pushing the storyline & characters than putting on a good match while at the same time, this match came off more as a No Disqualification match than being a Cell match as this match had a slow pace with both men trying to play mind games with the other along with Orton doing his usual but great "Viper" attack even using a chair at one point or another. This would have been better as a No DQ match but I'll give it credit as this did tell a good story but overall, I thought it was a weak Cell match.

R-Truth vs Drew McIntyre. This was one of those matches that was placed on the wrong spot as if it was the opener, the crowd would have enjoyed it more as this was just a decent match but the crowd was really not into it as they chanted "Boring" during it.

United States Champion Kofi Kingston vs The Miz vs Jack Swagger. Just like the previous match, this match was at the wrong place at the wrong time. A good match for what it was but it was nothing really memorable which was a shame considering the surprise match that Kofi & Miz had the previous month.

Hell In A Cell: D-Generation X vs Legacy. Unlike how their SummerSlam & Breaking Point matches turned out, this was easily my least favorite out of their matches because I just found this match to be very predictable from start to finish. The beginning starts as a brawl between all four men before Cody & Dibiase tried to use the same tactics that payed off to them at Breaking Point by taking out Triple H & locking Shawn in the Cell to be tortured before Triple H was able to eventually get in the Cell to turn the tables on Legacy. Their previous matches had both teams exchange wins but everyone came off strong in the end where this match was more about showcasing Triple H's dominance than anything else. I know I am in the minority but I am just being honest in that I really didn't care for this match at all.

Overall, as I mentioned in the beginning of my review, this event was similar to Breaking Point in which a one time use of the concept will work (ex. DX/Legacy at Breaking Point & Taker/Punk here) but you can't get away with creating three of them & having every single one come off as a success. The undercard had some good matches here & there but this is really just another event that is good for a rental or WWE Classics On Demand but I would go out of my way to buy this.

Overall, i was pleased with this solid ppv, dispite no blood. The hiac matches didn't dissapoint and suprised me with their odd postions in the card. One suprising highlight of the event was jerishow vs. rey/batista, which was a better match than i expected it to be. Thanks for reading!

Hell In A Cell Match for the World Heavyweight Championship
CM Punk vs. Undertaker
I was very suprised with this being the opener! This match had way better action and booking than their encounter at breaking point. Taker began the match with some nice offense, throwing punk into the cage. Punk then turns things around and throws taker into the steel steps. Punk was in control for the next few minutes, getting in alot of offense. Later in the match, taker is on the outside and punk dives through the ropes and the deadman goes hits the cage. They go back in the ring, trading punches and headbuts, taker goes for a chokeslam, but punk kicks him in the back of the head. Punk brung in a chair and nailed taker with it, only to get a 2. Punk went for another chair shot, but got a boot in the face. In the end, undertaker chokeslams punk and then connects with a tombstone to win the world title! The match was kept short, only about 11-12 mins since taker is somewhat hurt. Overall this was a good opener and the crowd was really into it. Match Rating:3.5/5

Intercontinental Championship
John Morrison vs. Dolph Ziggler
Lots of good action in this one, but was outshined by the cell matches. Good offense by both ziggler and morrison throughout the match and some really creative moves. A good edition of mat wrestling aswell. Morrison failed to hit the starship pain throughout the match, but finnaly hit it in the end to beat ziggler and retain the ic belt. Match Rating:4/5

Divas Championship
Mickie James vs. Alicia Fox
This was a very sloppy matchup. Fox wasn't ready for a title shot on ppv and mickie just couldn't carry her to a good match. Mickie james reatains with a ddt. Match Rating:2/5

WWE Unified Tag Team Championship
Chris Jericho and Big Show vs. Rey Mysterio and Batista
This was a very impressive match, which took me by suprise. Rey and Y2J started the match off with some nice offense. Jericho tagged in show and big show dominated mysterio for a while, until mysterio tags in batista. Batista cleans house, but out of nowhere, jericho stops him with a codebreaker! Y2J and big show work on batista back and forth. Mysterio eventually tags in and gets a nice ddt on show and another cool moment with batista spearing both jericho and show on the outside. When it looked like mysterio and batista had the win, show countered rey's follow up from the 619 into a knockout punch. Overall, a very solid tag match and the best showing by far from the jerishow tag team. Match Rating:4/5

Hell In A Cell Match for the WWE Championship
John Cena vs. Randy Orton
So far this is their best encounter this year, surpasing summerslam and breaking point. Lots of brutality in this one. Cena had a mixed reaction with the nj crowd mostly sidding with orton. Lots of back and forth action with cena hitting the attitude ajustment early, only to get a 2. Orton executed some nice spots with the steel chair, with cena making a comeback and locking in the stf, but orton got out and rolled to the outside. Later, orton got a rko on cena, but at this point the ref was knocked out. A clever ending with orton trapping cena in the ropes and chokeing him, so the ref pulled cena out and orton connected with a punt for the win. The crowd was anti-cena here and even after the match when cena walked out, he got somewhat booed. Overall, this was a very good encounter. Match Rating:4.5/5

Drew McIntyre vs. R-Truth
I saw this match coming. Nothing special, just a filler with drew getting his first ppv win against r-truth. Noticable boring chants from the crowd throughout. Match Rating:2/5

Backstage, there was some tension between dibease, rhodes and orton, which is proboly leading up to the dibease face turn, later in the year.

Triple Threat Match for the U.S. Championship
Kofi Kingston vs. Jack Swagger vs. The Miz
Average match. Throughout the match the miz and swagger double teamed kingston. Miz makes the first turn, giving a clothesline to swagger. In the end, swagger hit the gutwrench on the miz and then kofi got a trouble in paradise kick on swagger to get the win. Kofi once agian, gets a suprising retain. Match Rating:3.25/5

Hell In A Cell Tag Team Match
D-Generation X vs. The Legacy
I was suprised this was the main event, instead of the two world title cell matches. Overall, with the action, this defiently had the main event feel. Legacy attacks dx on their entrance. Dx turns things around by giving a suplex to rhodes on the announce table. Lots of back and forth action after that as rhodes and hbk fought by the cell and hhh and dibease foughout on the ramp. Later, rhodes gave a crossrodes to triple h on the ramp. Dibease and rhodes put michaels in the cell, locking the door, leaving the game behind. Legacy brutalized michaels, but hbk ocassionaly came back, only to get beat down. Triple h tried to break the door down many times, but couldn't. Dibease connected with a million dollar dream on hbk on a steel chair. Triple h finnaly got in, unlocking the chain with bolt cutters. Triple h went right for legacy pounding them down, while a ref came out with another chain. The game used it as a weapon on dibease and then gave him a pedigree and threw him on the outside. The cage was locked again, with dx now using the handicap advantage on rhodes. A very brutal ending, with triple h hitting rhodes with the sledgehammer and michaels giving rhodes a sweet chin music at the same time. Dx got the win after that. A good main event. Match Rating:4.25/5

WWE pulled this ppv off, giving three solid hell in a cell matches.

I was at this show live, so the review will be from that perspective. I'm not sure how it played out on tv, but live this was a very good show. I know there will be plenty of people who will bash this show because there wasn't any blood, but to me that is just silly. A match doesn't need blood to be good, and I don't think a lack of juice hurt any of the matches on the show. The order of the show was a little questionable, but creative had their backs against the wall having to book three HIAC matches. Anyway, if you give this a try I think you'll be happy adding it to your collection, but definately check it out in some form or another. Matches are rated out of 5 stars (*****).

1. World Heavyweight Championship Hell in a Cell Match
CM Punk (c) vs. Undertaker

Yes, this was the opener. It wasn't a long match, but it was good given Undertaker's current physical ailments. With the time they had they performed an enjoyable match, used the cage well, and live the crowd was very into it. Undertaker won the belt clean with a Tombstone Piledriver. ***

2. Intercontinental Championship Match
John Morrison (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler

Crowd was not into this at all coming off the Cell Match, but people were really into it by the end and they had a good match. They didn't let the crowd dictate the pace, and they started with mostly chain wrestling and worked all their high spots in at the end. Lots of near falls at the finish and Morrison hits the Starship Pain for the clean win. ***1/4

3. Divas Title Match
Mickie James (c) vs. Alicia Fox

I went and got food during this match and didn't actually see any of it. Reports from people around me and reviews from other sources say it was a typical women's match, nothing special but not terrible either. I don't have the stomach to find this and watch it again, so that's the best you're going to get. I don't think anyone even cares.

4. Unified Tag Team Championship Match
Chris Jericho (c) & Big Show (c) vs. Big Dave Batista & Rey Mysterio

This was a SHOCKINGLY good match, the best match of the night at this point in the show. They were smart in that Dave was practically never in the ring with Big Show, and most of it was Jericho working with Mysterio and Big Dave. Lots of near falls at the end including an awesome double spear spot on the outside. This was great fun. ***1/2

5. WWE Championship Hell in a Cell Match
John Cena (c) vs. Randy Orton

This was a really good match. I thought the phsychology of it was very good, and the crowd was SUPER into this. They did some great near falls and kicked out of each others finishers towards the end. They also had a ref bump spot and Orton tapped out to the stfu, but of course nobody saw it. Awesome finish with Orton choking out Cena and then punting him for the victory and the WWE Title. ***3/4

6. Drew McIntyre vs. R-Truth

Not only did this not need to be on the card, but they booked it after Cena/Orton Hell in a Cell. Needless to say, there were boring chants less than a minute in, and after that burst of energy the crowd completely died. They didn't do anything wrong, per say, and their work was fine, but they were not given a spot on the card where they could be given a chance. *1/2

7. United States Championship Triple Threat Match
Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Jack Swagger vs. The Miz

Read above. Match was fine and had all the usual triple threat spots, but the crowd just did not care at all. I'd also like to mention that moving to Raw may have been the worst thing to happen to Jack Swagger's career. Kofi again won clean, nobody got over, and this belt slipped even further into obscurity. *3/4

8. Hell in a Cell Match
Triple H & Shawn Michaels vs. Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase

Very entertaining match that told a good story. Legacy attacked DX as they were making their way to the ring, which ensued wild brawling before the match even started. Live, the crowd totally loved this. Eventually Trips got taken out on the ramp, and for the next 10-15 minutes Legacy locked themselves in the cage with Michaels and proceeded to execute him. HBK's selling, like usual, was fantastic. Eventually Trips brought some bolt cutters down to the ring, and then once the score was evened they picked Legacy apart and MURDERED (simultanious sledghammer shot/Sweet Chin Music) young Cody for the victory. ***1/2

Overall I thought this was a very good show. I wouldn't call it great, but most of the matches ranked from good to very good. There is a lot of solid wrestling to be enjoyed on this DVD, and I recommened purchasing it. If you're not sold, I would definitely rent it.

2009 Hell In A Cell
October 4, 2009
Prudential Center
Newark, New Jersey

This is my first review in a very long time. So I changed my style a little bit here. Still going with the star system. Matches are rated DUD-***** depending on how good the match is. A five star match is extremely rare.

Hell In A Cell Match for the World Heavyweight Championship:
CM Punk (Champion) V. The Undertaker
Little trivia here: This is the first time that a main event for one ppv is the opening match of the very next ppv. Cool right? Anyways...this match would be great if not inside the cell. When I think of Hell In A Cell, i think blood...and lots of it. It doesnt work in a PG setting. Good match here, but better if not inside the cell. Taker regains the title. ***

WWE Intercontinental Championship:
John Morrison (Champion) V. Dolph Ziggler
I was surprised how good this match was. It had counters & near falls. Another fine effort for Ziggles on PPV, but again in a losing effort. ***1/2

WWE Divas Championship:
Mickie James (Champion) V. Alicia Fox
Horrible match except for the awesome DDT at the end. James retains. 3/4*

WWE Tag Team Championship:
Chris Jericho & Big Show (Champions) V. Batista & Rey Mysterio
Really good tag title match here. The Tag division needed a match like this. Great action from the start. JeriShow retains. ***3/4

Hell In A Cell Match for the WWE Championship:
John Cena (Champion) V. Randy Orton
WAY IS THIS A MIDCARD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH?...oh wait...Triple H is on the card. Sorry...forgot. Again...not a Hell In A Cell match to remember but better than the first one. Good match here with my boy Orton regains HIS WWE Championship. ***

R-Truth V. Drew McIntyre
WTF???...K-Kwik is higher on the card than Orton?...Question the booking here...anyways...bad match with the new comer McIntyre winning. 1/2*

Triple Threat Match for the WWE United States Championship:
Kofi Kingston (Champion) V. The Miz V. Jack Swagger
Kofi is the best wrestler but Miz & Swagger have World Titles to their credits...interesting (I think the Miz will make a damn fine WWE Champion for the record). Average match here with Kofi retaining. **1/2

Hell In A Cell Match:
Triple H & Shawn Michaels V. Ted DiBiase & Cody Rhodes
Again...WHY IS THIS THE MAIN EVENT??? Titles are more important than blowing off a feud. Good match anyways if you can call it a match. It was two on one the whole match. Of course Triple H & Michaels win. ***

Hell In A Cell 2009 comes to a close. Decent PPV with almost every match above average with really no memorable matches. Good efforts by everyone but Ziggler's (yes Ziggler) stands out the most. But again, the PG rating is killing the product in my opinion.

WWE introduced new PPV's in the second half of the year and even tried to build new superstars such as The Miz, Kofi Kingston, and Legacy (Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes), to name a few. Hell in the Cell is a way to end feuds and not used often. Here we get three matches inside the Cell. Michael Cole tries to say the cell is different and makes it harder for wrestlers to escape. Here are my thoughts on the PPV

CM Punk VS Undertaker in a Hell in the Cell match: I love Punk, he is the best heel going. Undertaker is not past his prime but he is injuried and WWE shouldnt give him a title run until he is fully healed. The match was good but felt like it was missing something. Too short with Taker winning the belt in the end.

Intercontinental Champion John Morrison VS Dolph Ziggler: Ziggler had a great feud with Rey Mysterio but always came up short. This match is decent, I really wasn't into it all that much. Ziggler would come up short again but does show alot of promise.

Divas Champion Mickie James VS Alicia Fox: Skip, still cant believe James is gone from WWE. Damn she was hot.

JeriShow VS Mysterio and Batista: This was an alright match but was actually good when Jericho-Mysterio were wrestling. The last few minutes were good and the ending looked good. Still, it felt like a main event on Raw or Smackdown.

Randy Orton VS John Cena in Hell in the Cell, part 2: In my eyes, the two most overrated wrestlers in WWE. Orton use to be cool but this Orton is just boring but I still enjoy the RKO. The match was decent and like the previous match, it felt like it was missing something. The ending was so weak that it was pitiful.

R-Truth VS Drew McIntyre: Two title changes and then this match? I dont want to knock the feud but this should have been an opener. Not a bad encounter but was out of place.

The Miz VS Jack Swagger VS Kofi Kingston for the US title: Miz cuts a great promo before the match. The match wasn't as good as Night of Champions but still enjoyable with Kingston retaining the title in the end.

DX VS Legacy, Hell in the Cell Part 3: Alot of people enjoyed this match. I think it was neat Legacy locked Triple H out of the cage. However, with WWE being PG, Michaels couldn't do his famous blade job that makes him bleed buckets. Triple H finally cuts the cage open and DX wins in the end. I didnt think it was that great.

Overall, a pretty poor event. If I had to choose my favorite cell match it was Punk-Taker but it felt like it was missing something. The rest of the card was good but nothing you wouldnt see on Raw or Smackdown. Ever since WWE has gone PG and Linda McMahon is running for senate, WWE has been in a downward spiral. This event was missing something alright, blood. Hell in the Cell matches are bloodbaths and without blood, the matches could have been done without a cage. I really dont recommend this unless you collect WWE dvds.

Hell in a Cell World Heavyweight Championship Match: CM Punk (Champion) vs. The Undertaker
A brutal match that will probably be overlooked since it's the opener. Undertaker threw Punk against the steel multiple times, even hitting a big boot on the apron that sent Punk flying into the steel. A similar thing like this happened when Punk went for a bulldog off the apron. Punk crawled under the ring to escape from the clutches of Undertaker and then dropkicked the steel steps into Undertaker's knees. Punk tried to use a steel chair on Undertaker to keep him down, but this attempt failed. Undertaker then went for the Chokeslam, but Punk countered. Undertaker then countered Punk's Go To Sleep attempt into a Tombstone Piledriver attempt, but Punk countered. Punk then hit some basic offense and went for his knee strike/bulldog, but Undertaker countered into the Last Ride. Amazingly, Punk kicked out. Punk brawled Underatker into a corner and ran at him with the steel chair, but Undertaker kicked it into his face. Undertaker then hit the Chokeslam followed by the Tombstone Piledriver to win the match and become the new World Heavyweight Champion. Winner: The Undertaker. Match Rating: 5/5

Intercontinental Championship Match: John Morrison (Champion) vs. Dolph Ziggler
Nice, fast-paced action, but I expected more from these two. It was back-and-forth, but they stalled too long at the beginning. Ziggler hit a series of high impact moves to start with, but Morrison continually kicked out. Towards the end of the match, Morrison hit Ziggler with a sweet enziguri followed by the Starship Pain to get the victory and retain his Intercontinental Championship. Winner: John Morrison. Match Rating: 4/5

Divas Championship Match: Mickie James (Champion) vs. Alicia Fox
Sort of sloppy at first, but this match really took me by surprise. James's attempts to go to the top rope were thwarted multiple times by Fox, but James finally hit the flying Lou Thesz Press that she does. This started a small brawl, but James dodged the Scissors Kick and hit fox with a DEVASTATING DDT to get the pin and retain her title. Winner: Mickie James. Match Rating: 4/5

Unified WWE Tag Team Championship Match: Chris Jericho and The Big Show (Champions) vs. Batista and Rey Mysterio
Awesome match. Mysterio and Jericho put on a clinic in the ring, with Mysterio hit a ton of high-impact moves and high-flying moves on Jericho, including a springboard moonsault, but Jericho managed to dodge the 619 multiple times. Mysterio tried to take on Big Show by himself, but Big Show tossed him around like a ragdoll. Jericho and Batista went at it for a while, but Batista managed to dodge the Lionsault. Batista was then hit with a big leg drop from Big Show, but Mysterio broke up the pin with a springboard splash maneuver. Batista and Mysterio hit some tag team moves as well, but despite two 619s, Mysterio couldn't put Big Show away, who finally hit Mysterio with a Chokeslam to retain the titles. Winners: Chris Jericho and The Big Show. Match Rating: 5/5

Last Chance Hell in a Cell WWE Championship Match: John Cena (Champion) vs. Randy Orton
Awesome match that was extremely surprising. The match started with them brawling on the outside, and both men used the cell to hurt one another. As the match continued, both men countered one another's finishers, and they each tried to use the steel steps against each other, but their attempts failed. Orton hit his signature offense, as did John Cena, who also hit the Five-Knuckle Shuffle, followed by the Attitude Adjustment! Amazingly, Randy Orton kicked out. Cena then locked in the STF, but Orton crawled out of the ring to break the hold. Orton then kicked Cena into the referee, which knocked the referee out, but Cena then locked in the STF again, and Orton tapped. Cena thought the match was over, so he let go of the hold. Orton then hit the RKO out of nowhere, but Cena KICKED OUT! A frustrated Orton tied cena in the ropes and choked him out. Orton then hit the Concussion Punt to win the match and become the new WWE Champion. Winner: Randy Orton. Match Rating: 5/5

Drew McIntyre vs. R-Truth
Stupid match. R-Truth tried hard to make it interesting by hitting some nice dropkicks and other high impact and high-flying moves, but McIntyre made the crowd dead. All he did was use some submission holds on R-Truth, but R-Truth hit the Scissors Kick on McIntyre, who kicked out. McIntyre went for the Double-Arm DDT, but R-Truth rolled him up for a weak two. R-Truth went for another Scissors Kick, but McIntyre dodged it and hit the Double-Arm DDT to win. Why didn't ECW have a match? Why did this crap have to be on the card at all? Winner: Drew McIntyre. Match Rating: 2/5

Triple Threat United States Championship Match: Kofi Kingston (Champion) vs. Jack Swagger vs. The Miz
This match was too sloppy to reach its full potential, but it was still pretty good, except for the ending. At first, everyone was just all over the place. Swagger ate a Boom Drop and a vicious Trouble in Paradise from Kofi, the latter of which occured when Miz ducked out of the way at the last second. Miz then hit the Skull Crushing Finale, but Swagger put Kofi's foot on the bottom rope at the last second. Swagger dominated Miz and then hit the Gutwrench Powerbomb, but Kofi then hit another Trouble in Paradise on Swagger, finally pinning Miz for the win and to retain his title. I'm sorry, but Kofi has had the belt for way too long. Winner: Kofi Kingston. Match Rating: 4/5

Hell in a Cell Match: D-Generation X (Triple H and Shawn Michaels) vs. Legacy (Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase)
Very brutal. The match started with Legacy ambushing DX while they made their entrance, which made a brawl ensue. Rhodes ate a double suplex onto one of the announce tables, as well as a back body drop over the fan barricade and smacking into the Cell! DiBiase suplexed Triple H from the crowd to ringside, and then the brawl continued. Rhodes slammed Michaels's leg in the cell door and then used the chain meant to lock the door to knock Michaels out. Rhodes and DiBiase isolated Triple H on the stage. They hit a double DDT on Triple H on top of the stage, and then DiBiase applied the Million Dollar Dream momentarily to allow Cody to get into the position to hit Triple H with the Cross Rhodes on the stage! Rhodes and DiBiase then were locked in the Cell with Michaels, who tried to fight back, but failed rather miserably. DiBiase and Rhodes hit tag team moves on Michaels, though Michaels occasionally had a spur of offense that was made up of his signature stuff. DiBiase and Rhodes then used the Cell to attack Michaels while Triple H watched helplessly from the outside of the Cell. Triple H tried to break the chain on the Cell using a steel chair but failed, so he disappeared to the backstage area. In the ring, Michaels pulled a steel chair from under the ring and chucked it into Cody Rhodes's face! Rhodes and DiBiase then continued on the offensive, with Rhodes holding the chair right on Michaels's head while DiBiase hit a vicious Randy Orton-style dropkick right into Michaels's head! Triple H came back with bolt cutters and cut the chain off the cell door. He saved Michaels from the assault from Rhodes and DiBiase, who had resorted to applying the Figure Four Leglock around the steel ring post as well as the Million Dollar Dream combination that defeated him at Breaking Point. DiBiase was thrown into Rhodes, who was on the apron, and Rhodes was sent flying into the Cell! As the match continued, Triple H and Michaels dominated, with Triple H pushing the referee down to keep the door open. Triple H hit DiBiase with a Pedigree on the outside and then rolled him out of the ring, then he instructed the referee to lock the door! This put DiBiase in Triple H's earlier position as Triple H set up the steel chair around Cody's throat. Michaels hit a Flying Elbow Drop on the chair to crush Rhodes's throat! Then, simultaneously, Michaels hit the Sweet Chin Music while Triple H smashed his sledgehammer into Rhodes's face to win the epic match! Winners: D-Generation X. Match Rating: 5/5

OVERALL EVENT
In all actuality, this was a great event. There didn't seem to be much backstage shenanigans like we're used to, just a couple of interviews here and there, but the actual wrestling was very nice. However, despite this being a very solid pay-per-view that is definitely worth checking out, it will ruin Hell in a Cell for you. It's not that the Hell in a Cell matches on the card are bad, it's just that they are not nearly as brutal as they used to be, with the exception being the main event. It's sort of an overkill of Hell in a Cell, taking away from the mystique that used to surround the structure. With that being said, it's still worth your time, just not as violent as you would expect.

Hell In A Cell Match: World Champion C.M. Punk Vs. The Undertaker - I had suppositions on why this World Title Match was picked to be the opening contest but looking back on it now, this match being the opening bout was a great choice. The Undertaker's starting offense was great & C.M. Punk's strategy all throughout the match was phenomenal as well as he targeted the leg of the Deadman's. C.M. Punk did an awesome job countering nearly everything that the Undertaker was throwing at him & the Undertaker had a very good showing especially in the condition he is now in oppose to a few years back. The LIVE crowd in New Jersey were really into the match & with the time these two were given, the Undertaker & C.M. Punk made good with what they were working with. 4/5

Intercontinental Champion John Morrison Vs. Dolph Ziggler - After having a great start, the Intercontinetal Championship Match kept the ball rolling here as this another fantastic match. Dolph Ziggler is really improving as an in-ring competitor & John Morrison always up his game whenever he is given the opportunity to so for me this match was the show stealer. In the beginning, the LIVE crowd were dead but they warmed up as the match progressed & even giving this match a few "THIS IS AWESOME" chants towards the end. Ziggler & Morrison started off with some good chain-wrestling that led to bigger high spots in the match with so many near falls in the end to the fan's appreciation. Again, not on the caliber level as the Jericho/Mysterio I-C Championship Matches earlier in the year but it's good to see the I-C Title treated like it should be & John Morrison & Dolph Ziggler did that. 4/5

Divas Champion Mickie James Vs. Alicia Fox - This match proved that Alicia Fox is NOT ready to perform on a PPV. Mickie did her best in trying to carry Alicia to a good match but you could tell that Alicia Fox wasn't ready. Overall, this match wasn't special & it was decent at best for a Divas Title Match. Mickie James retains after hitting an ugly looking ddt on Alicia Fox. 2/5

Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & The Big Show Vs. Rey Mysterio & Batista - Shockingly, this match was quite good. Chris Jericho & Rey Mysterio continued to give great action just like they did a few months back in their series of matches for the I-C Championship with Batista & Big Show not having a whole lot of interaction with each other (which was a good thing) but still held their own in the ring. This was Jericho's & Big Show's best title defense thus far & I think Batista & Rey Mysterio was a very appropriate opposition for them. The action really picked up towards the end but overall this was a very enjoyable, fun, & a great Tag Team Title Match to watch. 4/5

Hell In A Cell Match: WWE Champion John Cena Vs. Randy Orton - In ways this match disappointed me. Though I think the phsychology in the match was very good & especially critical but it felt to me that Randy Orton & John Cena seemed too lost in this kind of environment & at times it seemed like they didn't know what to do. However, the LIVE crowd in New Jersey were very electric during this match which definitely provided more for the match. There were a couple of good spots & some good action with John Cena & Randy Orton both kicking out of each other's finishers at separate times in the match. As far as I see it though, this match did not needed to be inside Hell In A Cell as it felt strictly more like a No DQ Match inside a big cage. I do feel this was match was just average at best. I definitely expected more after all the hype this particular Hell In A Cell Match recieved. In the end, it was Randy Orton capturing the WWE Championship to once again the fan's delight. 3.25/5

R-Truth Vs. Drew McIntyre - This was a filler match where the fans did not pay any attention whatsoever to it. This match went good for a little while but its position in the card did more harm then good for the fans to notice anything good about it. 2.75/5

United States Champion Kofi Kingston Vs. The Miz Vs. Jack Swagger - Again, this is another match that had potential but its position in the card did more harm then good. Another downside to this match was The Miz's godawful & unentertaining pre-match promo directed towards the New Jersey crowd. Kofi Kingston provided good action as he rarely ever disappoints but this match was just average at best where nobody in the match got over & it definitely did not help Jack Swagger's & The Miz's career and in ways it did not help Kofi Kingston's U.S. Title run. 3/5

Hell In A Cell Match: Legacy Vs. D-Generation X - For the third consecutive time, DX & Legacy did not disappoint. This match was very entertaing & it told an outstanding story. Legacy attacked DX in the entrance way that led to an all out brawl among the four outside of the Hell In A Cell. After taking out Triple H on top of the rampway, Legacy started to isolate Shawn Michaels from Triple H & from there proceeded to torture Michaels inside the locked, steel structure. Michaels did an unbelieveable job selling the offense of Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase as they inflected pure brutality onto Shawn Michaels. Triple H eventually made his way back into the match and from there DX picked apart Legacy one by one & became victorious after executing one of the sedistic finishers I have ever seen onto the young Cody Rhodes. Great match & definitely the match of the night. 4.25/5

Sad to say it but WWE took one of the greatest & historic matches ever in Pro Wrestling and morphed it into a ridiculous gimmick match. Overall I think Hell In A Cell was solid PPV but from a true wrestling fan's stand point, I'm sad to see what a joke WWE made out of the Hell In A Cell Match. That's not a stab at WWE or the great matches apart of this PPV but it's just shameful how WWE changed what was one of the greatest, brutal, sedistic, bloody, & one of the most special matches in the annals of Professional Wrestling into a child's playground we see at a McDonald's or a Burger King. However, times do change and you can't stop time so therefore I give this a recommendation.

HIAC is just like WCW Greed...THE POO SMACKING,GARGABE EATING,DISGUSTING PIECE OF WRESTLING JUNK I'VE SEEN IN MY ENTIRE LIFE.The wrestling is ok but it's still bad.The only good match on the card was the Legacy-DX closing match.The rest are third-rate at best.The first 2 HIAC matches hardly use the cell at all.Only the closing match used it to their edge.You can blame WWE's PG rating for allowing no blood to be shown. Morons. I give this PPV a 1 out of 10.

I am basing this review on the fact that it met my expectations for a new PPV. There was three HTC matches. While the first one HITC match was mediocre, it still delivered and set the crowd to a great start. The second HITC match was great, the only thing missing was blood between Orton and Cena. I do have to say, that crowd in Jersey was so pro-Orton and so Anti-Cena, that you would think that Orton was babyface and Cena was the heel. The biggest Heel of the WWE got the biggest pop of the night(along with the Undertaker), this shows how much the fans truly hate a boring wrestler in John Cena. The third HITC match between DX and Legacy was great as Shawn Michaels as usual put on a five star performance. The rest of the matches were above average. Ziggler Vs. Morrison suprised me. Divas match match was decent The Big Show's knockout punch on Rey Mysterio was also a great highlight of the night. The triple threat match was average but I'm just not a big fan of Kofi, it was a little on the short side. The only real stinker was the R-truth Vs. Drew McIntyre Match.