Usos vs New Day: A Proper Ending

I don’t think most people can deny that the Hell in a Cell match lost most of its charm once it became its own annual PPV event in 2009. Up until that point, most HIAC matches either featured Undertaker or Triple H because they both beat Mick Foley inside the Cell & made it their specialty match afterward. Say what you will about Undertaker & Triple H and whether or not they should have hogged the gimmick to themselves, but it made perfect sense in the 2000s. They would get in a bitter feud with somebody, it would get to Hell in a Cell, and it would do good business.

Usually. Let’s face it, Triple H had a couple of stinkers in there. I was there for one of them…Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels at Bad Blood 2004 in Columbus, Ohio. Honestly, I enjoyed the match live. I was in the third row ringside, so that was the reason. I was marking out for the Cell. Once I watched the match on DVD later I understood why everybody hated it.

The first match announced to take place inside the Cell this year pits Shane McMahon against Kevin Owens. Some have complained that this feud doesn’t really deserve the Cell. I disagree, as Kevin Owens beating up Shane’s old man deserves an extreme form of retribution. I think that most of the backlash towards the Shane/Owens match taking place inside the Cell is due to the fact that it’s Shane McMahon. Also, it’s the first match between the two, so maybe they should be working their way up to it.

Another HIAC match was made on Tuesday night’s SmackDown Live, and it’s tough to deny the credentials of the people involved, or the fact that the feud deserves the stage.

The issue between The New Day & The Usos goes back to late 2015. At that point Jimmy & Jey were already established as one of WWE’s top tag teams and were generally well-liked by audiences for their cool moves, face paint and dancing. The New Day was solidly in their heel phase, as the fans had rejected their attempts to be good guys early on in their run. The Usos challenged for New Day’s WWE Tag Team Championship at TLC 2015 & Royal Rumble 2016 and came up short each time.

Then they got pulled into a feud with the Dudley Boyz while New Day continued doing their thing. Once the WWE Draft happened & the New Day went to Raw while the Usos went to SmackDown, the issue was left to simmer. New Day dominated things on Raw while the Usos needed some time to get their footing on SmackDown. Once they did, it was time for the Superstar Shakeup and time for the New Day to arrive on SmackDown Live.

They’ve been feuding ever since, mostly because they’re the only two tag teams of record on the show. Sure, we all love Breezango, but they’re busy solving mysteries. I’m sure eventually they will remember that they are wrestlers and will assert themselves in SmackDown’s tag team division, but until then it’s all about Usos vs New Day. They’ve faced off on the last few WWE Network events SmackDown Live has been involved with, and their Sin City Street Fight was a focal point of an episode SD Live promoted bigger than their usual episodes.

And who could forget the rap battle?

https://youtu.be/bQjUTeovVPA

I could be wrong, but it seems like the Usos/New Day rap battle has ushered in a new era of WWE promo. We got John Cena & Roman Reigns “shooting” on each other. We got Enzo Amore & Neville cutting promos on the difference between being good and being over. It’s the second attempt at the Reality Era…and the Usos & New Day brought it to the table.

These are two teams that don’t like each other. These are two teams that are at the top of their game, both in the ring and out. They deserve Hell in a Cell as their final battleground.

Looking at the SmackDown tag team scene makes the result obvious. The other top contending tag teams are Breezango & the team of Shelton Benjamin & Chad Gable. Since these teams are more likely to be cheered than booed, it seems likely that the Usos will be the team to face them. As far as New Day goes…they’re better together, but I have to imagine that the brass is getting excited about pushing them as singles. That’s what happens when tag teams get too popular.

Before that happens, they’ll get a chance to shine inside Hell in a Cell. Could be worse.