WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins def. Demon Kane
LOS ANGELES – The Authority should be receiving a flood of resume as Corporate Kane has been relieved of his duties as WWE Director of Operations, following Demon Kane’s defeat at the hands of World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins at WWE Hell in Cell.
Once charged with protecting the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Kane was Rollins’ ally under The Authority’s umbrella until the Director of Operations was betrayed by The Architect and sidelined with an injury. When Kane returned at Night of Champions and attacked Rollins, he did so as Demon Kane. In the weeks leading up to Hell in a Cell, Rollins was left to deal with the seemingly split personalities of Corporate Kane and Demon Kane. Needless to say, there was no love lost between The Architect and either Kane.
When the opening bell sounded, Rollins got into his opponent’s masked face, convincing himself Corporate Kane and Demon Kane were one and the same. The Big Red Monster didn’t take kindly to Rollins’ jawing, or his subsequent a push, and began to quickly and efficiently tear apart the WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
Rollins managed to remain resilient and found a perfect opening to knock Demon Kane off the top rope, solidifying his newfound momentum with a jaw-dropping flip over the ropes and to the outside of the ring. Fully aware of his opponent’s size and strength advantage, the champion began a methodical offense that kept Demon Kane grounded.
In an effort to build an advantage, The Architect targeted The Demon’s leg, but the 18-year squared circle veteran kept the intensity of the match intact as the WWE Universe inside the STAPLES Center slid to the collective edge of its seat, watching both Superstars battle back and forth. Countering a Pedigree, Demon Kane executed a chokeslam, nearly securing the pinfall. Escaping a Tombstone following the near-fall, the battle spilled beyond the confines of the ring into the announce area.
Attempting to send Rollins into a world of pain, The Demon tried to chokeslam the champion through the U.S. commentators’ announce table. With his unparalleled reflexes and agility, Rollins slid through his opponent’s legs and power-bombed him onto the Spanish announce table. Reeling from the counterattack, The Big Red Monster barely made it back to the ring before the referee’s 10-count.
Back inside the squared circle, Rollins remained in control, unleashing a flurry of knee strikes – each one taking the 7-foot Superstar off his feet. A gravity-defying Frog Splash brought the WWE Universe to its feet, certain that it would be enough to secure victory.
The impact of the Frog Splash wasn’t enough to extinguish the fire of Demon Kane, and it looked almost as though the tables had turned once more as The Big Red Monster rose, gripping Rollins by the throat . Once again, the cat-like reflexes of the WWE World Heavyweight Champion came into play, and he countered the chokeslam and seized the opportunity to execute The Pedigree to retain the championship.
The City of Angels was kind to Seth Rollins as he left the STAPLES Center with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship still around his waist. Although Demon Kane lost the match , it was ultimately Corporate Kane who was the real loser – being relieved of his duties as WWE Director of Operations.
Brock Lesnar def. The Undertaker (Hell in a Cell Match)
LOS ANGELES — Brock Lesnar went into Hell itself to settle his score with The Undertaker, and he returned to the light with his soul intact. The Deadman, on the other hand, remains in the darkness, ensnared in the clutches of the one Superstar who may be more sinister than he.
Undertaker’s unlucky 13th trip inside Satan’s domain came at a crucial juncture for The Last Outlaw. A technicality handed him a controversial victory over The Beast Incarnate at SummerSlam that was, itself, a retribution for the obliteration of Undertaker’s Streak at WrestleMania 30. But Hell in a Cell, as the WWE Universe knows well, is where technicalities — and, in some cases, careers — go to die. Paul Heyman’s crowing that The Demon of Death Valley couldn’t conquer The Conqueror without resorting to dirty play was typical talking-up from the advocate, but there was an undercurrent of truth to it nonetheless: In this so-called Final Battle, it was quite literally do or die for The Deadman.
The high stakes would explain the early mind games by The Undertaker, who rolled his eyes into his head and stuck his serpentine tongue out at The Beast Incarnate before ever throwing a punch. Lesnar, of course, turned that terror against The Phenom by way of the hammering blows and blunt-force attacks that landed him at the top of the heap in UFC.
With each man suffering injuries that drew blood, the eternal rivals turned Hell in a Cell into the gruesome butcher shop it was once known as. Undertaker, smelling blood in the water — literally — was the first to exploit the lawlessness of the Cell by bringing a chair into the equation, but Brock turned that, too, against The Phenom, creaming the 25-year veteran with swings that any World Series-bound manager would beg to have in his lineup.
While Heyman lurked outside the Cell like the devil on his shoulder, Lesnar held control over his mighty but weathered opponent for the majority of the gory contest. The Phenom’s resiliency (and his desire for that one, definitive win over The Conqueror) were what kept him in the game. A trio of belly-to-back trips to Suplex City? Didn’t get it done. Two F-5s in rapid succession? Not enough. Taking the steel steps to the face like a fastball? Still alive.
Each time The Phenom cheated defeat brought Lesnar closer to what seemed like self-destruction. A particularly showboating moment with those steps landed Lesnar in Hell’s Gate; it took a gorilla-like pounding to The Undertaker’s torso and face to get him out of the submission hold. Even then, Brock seemed angrier that he’d gotten caught in the first place, and in his frustration he reached deeper than he ever has before — literally — by ripping up the canvas itself, exposing the hardwood underbelly of the ring. The Deadman was ready for that, too: As Lesnar readied The Phenom’s final resting place, Undertaker rose from his back to chokeslam, then Tombsone, Lesnar onto the floorboards. Tombstone, eye roll, tongue out …
The bright side, though, was that Undertaker had Lesnar right where he wanted him. Once again, The Phenom stood before his kneeling Conqueror and flashed his demonic war face, only to be met with a booming low-blow that reduced The Last Outlaw to a writhing wretch on the mat. Up he went for an F-5. Down he came onto the hardwood. Conquered.
With that, the Cell raised and Lesnar made his retreat. The Last Outlaw struggled to his feet and the WWE Universe did the same, bestowing a standing ovation and “Thank you, Taker” chants upon the quarter-century competitor. In response to their gratitude, Undertaker knelt to the mat, striking his signature pose and was greeted not with the toll of a gong but the glow of the fireflies: The Wyatt Family had arrived.
Flanked by all three of his brothers, Bray Wyatt returned to the site of his own battle only hours earlier and watched as Luke Harper, Erick Rowan & Braun Strowman dismantled The Phenom like buzzards, offering him up as a sacrifice to The New Face of Fear. In the mirror outcome of his WrestleMania confrontation with The Phenom, Wyatt paraded into the blackness while his flock carried The Undertaker aloft behind him in a macabre parade, toward an unholy, uncertain fate.
So ends the tale of Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker. But, as it turns out, one story’s final chapter is another’s prologue.
Alberto Del Rio def. U.S. Champion John Cena in the U.S. Open Challenge
LOS ANGELES — At WWE Hell in a Cell, an unlikely challenger from John Cena’s past took hold of the future of the United States Championship.
Alberto Del Rio, competing in his first WWE match in over a year, made an impactful return at WWE Hell in a Cell Sunday evening by defeating John Cena for the U.S. Title. Del Rio, who was reintroduced to the WWE Universe by an unlikely spokesman in Zeb Colter, secured victory in the U.S. Open Challenge by knocking out The Champ with a whirlwind kick after avoiding an attempted Attitude Adjustment.
The unexpected return of Del Rio, whose last taste of WWE competition took place more than 14 months ago, may create more questions than answers about the fate of the U.S. Championship. It’s unclear why the San Luis Potosi, Mexico, native chose the U.S. Open Challenge for his shocking return. Moreover, Del Rio triumphed with a new cornerman in Colter, whose differences of opinion with his new client are well documented, and who was probably at the bottom of every fan’s list for the leader of the new U.S. Champion’s cheering section.
Colter initially stepped out of the shadows to answer Cena’s call for a challenger to “come get some.” After elaborating a more worldly view about international relations, Colter conceded he sought to deliver a challenger who would raise the prestige of the U.S. Title.
"I think it’s time for you to lose that U.S. Title to someone who will do more with it than you ever have," Colter said before introducing the returning Del Rio.
Considering his tumultuous history with Del Rio, Colter shocked the WWE Universe with his choice. However, a pairing the WWE Universe thought they would never see quickly demonstrated that they might just make for a championship-caliber combination.
Del Rio showed no ring rust after the opening bell, answering Cena’s early offense with timely attacks at The Champ’s appendages. The challenger also balanced aerial attacks from the ropes with ground-based barrages, especially a powerful tilt-a-whirl backbreaker that visibly sent Cena reeling.
Both match combatants futilely tried their battle-tested signature finishers to secure victory, but only one’s failed attempt resulted in defeat. Del Rio’s late Cross Armbreaker try resulted in a shoulder block from Cena, leaving the challenger prone for a Five-Knuckle Shuffle. Unfortunately for The Champ, his opponent still had enough in the tank to turn an Attitude Adjustment attempt into a recipe for an upset victory. Del Rio delivered a thunderous kick that left Cena motionless during the title-clinching pinfall.
The victory officially adds a new name to the U.S. Title lineage in Del Rio, who can also boast of being the 18th foreign-born U.S. Champion in WWE history. Cena, on the other hand, concludes his fifth reign as U.S. Champion, ending a 34-day run that represents his second shortest ever.
Intercontinental Champion Kevin Owens def. Ryback
LOS ANGELES — Kevin Owens says he is a prizefighter, and after his WWE Hell in a Cell clash with Ryback, one of WWE’s most prestigious prizes — the Intercontinental Championship — remains his.
As soon as the bell ran, Owens made good on his promise to use his wits to his advantage, rolling out of the ring in an attempt to escape The Big Guy. Ryback gave chase, and upon catching the outspoken champion inside the ring, rocked him with a hard knockdown before tossing him overhead. The sly Owens slipped out of a subsequent press slam attempt and dodged a shoulder block in the corner, causing Ryback to slam shoulder-first into the steel ring post.
Despite the damage done, Ryback found the strength to powerslam his foe. The Big Guy then landed several face-rearranging punches in the corner, but Owens soon escaped danger again and brought all of his weight down upon Ryback’s ribs with a merciless senton splash.
Intent on regaining the Intercontinental Championship that once belonged to him, Ryback bounced back with a vicious spinebuster before thrashing Owens with a powerbomb for a near fall. The bald-headed shredder made a crucial misstep next as he looked to scale the turnbuckles and launch into a top-rope attack. The champion prevented Ryback’s plan from coming to fruition, eventually superkicking the former titleholder off the ring apron.
Owens’ hubris was on full display as he signaled for the Pop-Up Powerbomb, but the telegraphing came at a price, as Ryback instead delivered a Meat Hook Clothesline that almost decapitated the opposition. With a surge of energy, Ryback pulled down the straps of his singlet and hoisted Owens onto his shoulder in preparation for Shell Shocked. Yet, as the two juggernauts neared the ropes, the veteran Intercontinental Champion wisely grabbed hold of the top strand and pulled himself off Ryback’s mighty shoulders.
With Owens still entangled in the ropes, referee John Cone tried to force Ryback to halt his attack. The momentary distraction enabled Owens to swiftly boot The Big Guy off and then finally connect with a Pop-Up Powerbomb to down Ryback for the pin.
Divas Champion Charlotte def. Nikki Bella
LOS ANGELES – In the sold-out STAPLES CENTER at Hell in a Cell, Divas Champion Charlotte reigned supreme over former titleholder Nikki Bella, ending a hard-fought showdown at WWE Hell in a Cell by making her tap-out to the Figure Eight Leg Lock.
With the Divas Revolution spinning out of control in recent weeks, a true winner would be assured on the award-winning WWE Network pay-per-view – as Charlotte would battle the longest reigning Divas Champion of all-time with no one allowed at ringside, assuring there would be no interference.
From the opening bell, Nikki showed ruthless aggression to be sure, punishing the titleholder’s knee throughout the contest. But no matter how much she suffered, Charlotte would not give in and rallied back with the heart of a true champion. Ironically, Nikki soon injuredher knee. And after an incredible maneuver in which the daughter of Ric Flair flipped over her No. 1 contender on the top rope and brought her opponent crashing down to the canvas, the tide truly started to turn. And after battling back from Nikki’s extremely fierce attack outside the ring, Charlotte escaped her adversary’s pinfall attempt and made her tap-out to the Figure Eight Leg Lock.
Charlotte triumphed in her rematch against Nikki and she did it with Flair. Still, never underestimate Team Bellas’ collective ability to get right back in the fight. Then again, with so many elite Divas looking to steal the limelight week after week, one has to wonder who will challenge Charlotte next.
The New Day def. The Dudley Boyz (WWE Tag Team Championship Match)
LOS ANGELES – The New Day retained their WWE Tag Team Championship, escaping yet another encounter with The Dudley Boyz, this time at Hell in a Cell.
Even without Xavier Woods at ringside – who has been absent since he was put through a table by The Dudleys & John Cena on the previous Monday’s Raw – Kofi Kingston & Big E were victorious at a sold-out STAPLES Center.
With Woods’ broken trombone in tow, The New Day thanked the WWE Universe for their support and raised their unicorn horns in support of their fallen brother before the match began. Kingston & Big E dominated D-Von Dudley from the start until Bubba Ray tagged in to shift the momentum in the Dudleys’ favor.
The New Day resorted to questionable tactics again, as Kofi tossed the broken trombone into Bubba Ray’s hands and dropped to the canvas, hoping for a disqualification call. The WWE official refused to end the match, but that still wasn’t enough for the Dudleys to win a 10th tag team title in WWE.
As The Dudleys were setting up for 3D, Big E smashed half of the broken trombone into the back of Bubba Ray’s head, allowing Kingston to then hit Bubba Ray with Trouble in Paradise for the win.
Bubba Ray & D-Von have defeated The New Day, but their two previous championship match wins against The New Day were by disqualification after interference by Woods. The Dudleys – the most decorated duo in WWE history – must continue their quest to claim a 10th tag team championship reign in WWE.
Roman Reigns def. Bray Wyatt (Hell in a Cell Match)
LOS ANGELES — Everyone knew that the longstanding rivalry between Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt would end inside Hell in a Cell. That much was clear. The brutality that would ensue on the path to that great finale was harder to predict, however, and even more difficult to watch.
In what was the most physically grueling match of Reigns’ career since his WrestleMania 31 main event against Brock Lesnar, the powerhouse survived broken tables, jagged kendo sticks and five tons of unforgiving steel to defeat the monster who tried to cripple him emotionally, mentally and, above all else, physically. As he has proven time and time again, Reigns is a man who simply refuses to break.
That resolve was clear from the very beginning. Reigns approached Hell in a Cell with the apparent preparation and steely determination of a one-man SEAL Team Six. Wyatt’s plan had always been to destroy his rival from the inside out, but months of psychological warfare had done little to rattle The Big Dog.
Still, Reigns may have trained his body to survive 30 minutes in hell — Wyatt has spent his life there.
Reigns struck first when the battle began with a kick to the gut and a series of right hands that exploded with visceral pops upon impact. The punches staggered Wyatt, but failed to drop him. You can lob hand grenades at the gates of Hell all night long, but it’s not going to bring them down.
The imposing Superstar showed his power early by manhandling Bray and literally throwing him across the canvas. Wyatt spends so much of his time in the presence of impossible giants like Braun Strowman, Luke Harper and Erick Rowan — none of whom were at ringside tonight — that it’s easy to overlook the immensity of the man himself. The Big Dog made those 285 pounds appear light in his mighty hands.
His early domination saw to it that Wyatt tasted the steel first, introducing his face to the taut metal coils and then slamming his forehead against the steps. Moments later, a kendo stick was introduced, which Wyatt commandeered, then used to dissect Reigns the way a surgeon might use a scalpel. At one point, The Eater of Worlds took a seat in a steel chair and prodded his fallen opponent with the weapon, as if to say, “I’ve got you right where I want you.”
Reigns tried his damndest to fight back, but Bray cut him off by guillotining his head through a kendo stick he had wedged in the corner of the Cell. The Big Dog looked beaten, but he found his way back by sending Wyatt’s face into a steel chair. Reigns then grabbed a pair of kendo sticks and beat on his tormentor with the clear pleasure of retribution.
The brutality continued to build upon itself. Reigns grabbed a table from under the ring, and then another. Clearly, the man had something specific in mind. Setting up one table on the outside of the ring, Reigns pulled Wyatt onto the apron and attempted to suplex him off it. Wyatt fought Reigns off, however, and spiked him through the pine with scary velocity.
A “This is awesome!” chant broke out amongst the L.A. faithful, but it was anything but for Reigns. A big senton from Wyatt back in the ring almost spelled the end, but the resilient Superstar fought his way out of the cover. At this point, The Eater of Worlds put the sticks and chairs aside, and began to use his body as a melee weapon. Few impacts were as effective as Wyatt throwing all of his mass at his victim — especially when Reigns’ head was wedged against the steel ring post and Bray’s near-300 pounds of depravity.
With Reigns all but helpless in his hands, Wyatt attempted to superplex him through a table. Sensing his demise, Reigns fought back. Headbutts and fists were exchanged on the top rope with Reigns finally dropping down and powerbombing Wyatt through the wood. A three-count seemed imminent, but somehow the monster kicked out.
Exhaustion set in for both men. There’s only so much impact the human body can take. And then there was another thrilling exchange. Sister Abigail was reversed into a rollup, but when Bray escaped he was immediately blasted with a Superman Punch. Again, Wyatt survived. The thought that occurred to some in that moment was a scary one: What would these men have to do to one another to end this thing?
That question may have been answered moments later, when Reigns Speared Wyatt off the apron through a ringside table. It was a sacrificial move, and it nearly took as much out of Reigns as it did his opponent, but he maintained control. The Big Dog pulled Wyatt into the ring and covered, but again Bray found a way out.
Reigns prepared to end the match by waiting for Wyatt to get back on his feet and attempting to Spear him, but Bray answered with a boot to the face and another devastating Sister Abigail. When Reigns kicked out, Wyatt couldn’t help but laugh like the depraved individual he is.
That sick mind was on full display as Wyatt prepared for his final act. He positioned two kendo sticks against the top turnbuckles, pointing each outwards so they became makeshift spikes. It seemed as though Wyatt was about to drive Reigns’ eyes into one of their stick’s wooden points, but a struggle ensued, ending with Bray’s eyeball getting jammed into the splintered edge.
Wyatt howled in excruciation and spun blindly into a bone jarring Spear. Three seconds later, and this ugly conflict had finally ended.
There was no other way for a rivalry as personal as this to expire than with such a physical exclamation point. Wyatt’s great desire was to see a man as powerful as Reigns become emotionally crippled at his feet. Instead, he found himself at Reigns’ boots. It was yet another testament to The Big Dog’s durability. He has stood toe-to-toe with Brock Lesnar, walked through Hell and come out on the other side intact.
A new challenge assuredly awaits. Expect him to conquer it.
Dolph Ziggler, Cesaro & Neville def. Rusev, Sheamus & King Barrett (Kickoff Match)
LOS ANGELES – WWE Hell in a Cell Kickoff’s huge Six-Man Tag Team Match turned up the heat in the STAPLES Center, as Dolph Ziggler, Cesaro & Neville triumphed over King Barrett, Sheamus & Rusev in a red-hot showdown.
On one side of the squared circle stood a commanding trio of foreign brutes, consisting of WWE’s strongest and toughest Superstars. On the opposite side stood an ultra-talented trio of competitors who each possess elite levels of athleticism and tons of untapped potential. Battling in a hellacious clash in front of the City of Angels, it was the latter that proved to be the stronger alliance.
The commanding forces of The King of the Ring, The Celtic Warrior & The Super Athlete dominated their competition over recent weeks, but when tasked with the challenge of slowing down three of the ring’s most exciting Superstars on the Kickoff Sunday night, they just could not keep up.
Ziggler, Cesaro & Neville wasted no time wowing the WWE Universe, as The Man That Gravity Forgot used The Swiss Superman’s back to deliver a jaw-dropping splash on their Irish foe. Every time momentum seemed to swing in favor of the athletic trio, however, the King, The Bulgarian Brute or Mr. Money in the Bank would each use his brute force to put a stop to it.
The pace of the contest soon slowed, favoring the more powerful competitors. The brawlers set their sights on The Showoff, punishing the former World Heavyweight Champion with a ground-and-pound offense.
A missed splash in the corner from Rusev – sending the Bulgarian Superstar face-first into the ring post – opened up an opportunity for Ziggler to tag in The King of Swing. Cesaro proceeded to clean house, sprinting around the ring, uppercutting his opponents. The athletic display not only impressed the capacity crowd in Los Angeles, but The Cosmic Wasteland, who once again seated themselves in the “Stardust Section” at ringside.
After launching his own teammate, Neville, onto Rusev and Sheamus outside the ring, Cesaro looked like he was about to be on the receiving end of a Bull Hammer Elbow. Fortunately, Ziggler intercepted the grizzly brawler with a superkick. The maneuver allowed Cesaro to bring the WWE Universe to its feet with a giant swing, and as luck would have it, the dizzied Brit was left lying on his back in perfect position for the high-flying Neville to connect with the Red Arrow for an emphatic victory.
