Three Reasons Sasha & Charlotte Should Main Event Hell in a Cell

RAW’s second brand-exclusive pay-per-view is just around the corner, and that event goes by the title of Hell in a Cell. On paper, this is one of the most devastating matches is WWE history. It shortens careers, and those that enter will (in Chris Jericho’s voice) never…E-E-EVER, be the same….again! Unfortunately, this decade has seen a shell of what Hell in a Cell once was. WWE’s transition to a PG-rated program has really hampered the ability in this type of match. Cell matches are primarily famous for the level of intensity, and most notably, the blood that usually coincides with the match. As of late though, Hell in a Cell matches seem weak. There’s been virtually no blood. Of course there are exceptions, but it’s nothing like it once was. The level of physicality even seems to have taken a dip. Regardless, I do believe that it is possible to have a great match without the need for blood.

If you’ve been following the site, you’d likely have seen last week’s article reporting that Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte will take place at Hell in a Cell for the RAW Women’s Championship. At first it doesn’t seem much more appealing than their past matches on RAW or at SummerSlam. However, that all changes when you read that their currently penciled in to be the first women to have a match inside Hell in a Cell.

That being said, I will now place the following question in your laps…should Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte at Hell in a Cell serve as the card’s main event?

I’m not quite certain where it originated from, but there’s been a rumor floating around out there since Sasha’s victory last Monday, that these two could be in consideration to main event the show.

This will likely receive a split-reaction, but I am of the belief that they deserve to be given a chance in the main event slot. Before you burn me at the stake, here me out…..

It’s a controversial discussion whenever it comes to women being given the main event slot of a show, let alone a pay-per-view. When you consider the fact that it’ll be the first female Hell in a Cell match, then it becomes an even more controversial topic than before. As I stated above, the Cell is famously known for career-shortening violence, life-altering physicality, and has been the house for quite a few blood baths since its’ inception.

After having a heated discussion with my dad on this topic, it dawned on me that fans could approach this match the wrong way. They could approach this match, expecting the female version of The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels from Badd Blood 1997. They could expect pools of blood, destruction galore, and pieces of flesh scattered all over the cell. I understand taking that approach, given past matches of this nature. While it’s natural to expect that from a usual Hell in a Cell match, this isn’t a usual Cell match, so I don’t understand how anyone could expect that level of physicality from women.

That said, let me layout why I feel they are deserving of the main event slot on October 30th, in Boston.

1.) The Perception of Women’s Wrestling Has Changed:Today’s perception of female wrestlers is much different than those of years’ past. Female matches have actually been made to feel important, as opposed to being treated as a “bathroom break” match. Characters today are more well-rounded than they have previously been, and to address the proverbial “elephant in the room,” the WWE is signing female WRESTLERS, as opposed to models. Contrary to WWE’s belief, it does actually make a difference when you sign talent with prior in-ring experience, as opposed to those that you need to train from scratch.

Trish Stratus and Lita were the first to start changing the perspective of women’s wrestling back in 2004, when they were given the main event slot of the December 6th RAW. Unfortunately, things went drastically down-hill once those two left the business. Fast-forward nearly 12 years, and we were bore witness to only the second female main-event in Monday Night RAW history, as Sasha was able to reclaim the Women’s Championship from Charlotte last Monday in a phenomenal match.

Prior to the days of Trish and Lita, it was borderline taboo to believe that women could be the main event on a wrestling show. At one point, women of wrestling were viewed as little more than eye-candy, just there to put men in seats. While women before them such as Fabulous Moolah, Wendi Richter, and Mae Young paved the way for Trish and Lita to reach the heights they did — it was both Trish and Lita that put the final cracks in the glass ceiling. Unfortunately, it would take more than a decade for female wrestlers within the WWE to once again reach that glass ceiling. Now, it’s up to the women’s division, led by Sasha Banks and Charlotte, to break through that ceiling.

Dating back to their debuts last summer, the quality of in-ring action within the women’s division has seen quite the improvement. Hell, even The Bella Twins showed signs of improvement, when working with the likes of Banks, Charlotte, and Becky Lynch. WrestleMania 32 was the coming-out party for the women’s division, as the triple-threat match between the aforementioned Banks, Charlotte, and Lynch was deemed to have stolen the show. It showed fans that the days of Evening Gown matches are in the rear-window, with no signs of returning.

Over the last six months, the women of WWE have shown exactly why they deserve to be treated just as men within the organization. They’ve shown that they are capable of putting on performances that are just as great, if not better than those of the male wrestlers. They’ve shown that they are capable of being the main event of a show, and after some time, they were finally given that chance last Monday. Both women in that match made the most of the opportunity that was presented to them, and they exceeded expectations.

2.) The Temptation of the Unknown: This doesn’t necessarily qualify as a reason why they “deserve” the main event spot. However, this is important to note.

When it comes to trying something new, the major concern immediately springs to Vince McMahon. Vince has been known to be a hard-ass, so it could be tough to sell him on a women’s main event at a pay-per-view. As Len Archibald pointed out in this past week’s 411 Fact or Fiction though…

“Vince McMahon will try anything once if he believes it will make him money.”

Oh, how true that is. If you don’t believe Len, I strongly recommend that you do a Google search for the Punjabi Prison Match.

Vince has also been known to be enticed by the attractiveness of the unknown. For instance, back in the “Attitude Era,” one episode of RAW saw The Undertaker crucify Steve Austin by strapping Austin to his symbol. Sure, the crucifixion angle was done by ECW, but that footage never saw the light of television, let alone live television. Yet, Vince still proceeded to go through with this.

Fast forward by about half-a-decade, and Vince goes through with another highly-controversial angle of the unknown nature. That angle will forever be known by these two words: Katie. Vick. Yeah, that’s where I’ll leave it.

So, as you can see, Vince McMahon is not one to shy away from the temptation of the unknown. It took more than a decade, but he finally revisited a female main event on RAW. Is a female Hell in a Cell match, main eventing the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view an unknown that Vince can resist?

3.) It is The Only Match That Signifies the End of a Feud:When you think ahead to the projected Hell in a Cell card, it seems that there will be three matches taking place inside the Cell. Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens, Roman Reigns vs. Rusev, and Banks vs. Charlotte. All three of those are title matches, but that where the similarities end. Of the three matches in question, Banks vs. Charlotte is the only one that is seemingly headed for the big-time blowout bonanza that Hell in a Cell has been known for. I’m not necessarily talking about the blood, as much as I am the overall feel of the match.

Looking at Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins, yes, it’s a big-feel match because it’s for the WWE Universal Championship. However, you need to ask yourself — does it have a feud-ending feel? The answer to that question is simply no. It doesn’t have the feel of a feud-ender, because it’s too early to end the feud. The two have only been feuding since the end of August. It’s not like they’ve been at it since March. Given the lack of main-event quality depth on the RAW roster, there’s at least another match down the line between these two.

Reigns vs. Rusev could be considered as the end of their feud, but it would be a tough sell. They’ve been going at it since late-July, but there’s just been a lack of continuity in the feud. The week before their “title match” at SummerSlam, they were the main event on RAW. At SummerSlam, the match never got under way, as Reigns beat down Rusev. We finally got the match at Clash of Champions, where Reigns curiously won the championship. The night after, their match ended in a double count-out, which led to this Hell in a Cell match. The vibe I’m getting from this is that there will be at least one more match before this feud comes to a close.

Banks vs. Charlotte is the only match with a true end-of-the-rivalry feel. These two have been eyeing each other up since Banks made her return at the Royal Rumble back in January. These two women have gone through 19 matches (including Live Events) with each other, in different variations, be it a singles match or triple-threat matches. 19 matches dating back to WrestleMania 32. Technically, they’ve been going at it for the last nine months, but have only had physical interactions dating back to April. Feuds usually don’t tend to last that long in this day in age, but this one has. The majority of the reason has to do with the lack of depth on the RAW roster. This time around, they have a few more ladies that they could throw into the picture. For instance, they could set Sasha up in a feud with Nia Jax after HIAC, brush in a few triple-threats, perhaps a short run against Dana Brooke (or Emmalina?), then cap it all off with a WrestleMania match against Bayley. With Banks as champion, the Sky is the Limit (no pun intended) as far as feuds go. After a six-month feud, this is the perfect way to finish it off with a bang.

Given the history of matches that Sasha and Charlotte have had, I’m expecting another top-notch outing at Hell in a Cell. Whether that match takes place in the middle of the card, or it is the match that closes the show?

Well, that’s not for me to decide, despite my opinion.