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WWE HIAC 2017 Review: One Heck Of A Show

October 11, 2017 | Posted by Justin Watry
Kevin Owens Shane McMahon WWE Hell in a Cell WWE HIAC Image Credit: WWE

Backstory

This is my WWE Heck on a Deck 2017 review. I was in Madison and Wisconsin Dells over the weekend but watched the event 100% spoiler free on Monday.

WWE HIAC 2017

– Didn’t have enough time to watch the Kickoff Show in order to make my Monday night deadline. I’ll check it out during the week sometime like usual.

– Good choice to have The New Day and The Usos open inside the Heck on a Deck. Get things started off in a big way. Should be match of the evening or very close to it when all is said and done. As tired as I am of the Smackdown LIVE tag team division, this is absolutely deserving of the cell treatment for the blowoff. Assuming this is the grand finale, of course!

– Pleasantly surprised that The Usos ended up victorious. The New Day as tag champs should have never happened, much less continued after summer 2016 but whatever. A great brawl in the structure with the CORRECT winners. Sets up a lot of different possibilities for the blue brand going forward. I am a tad bit worried that this loss for The New Day will call for ‘one more match.’ Please don’t do it WWE. End things on a high note with this feud.

– Wait, Tye Dillinger is in the United States Championship match now? Huh. Confirms my thoughts that Baron Corbin walks out with the title and not AJ Styles.

– Rusev vs. Randy Orton up next. I would have been sold on this story line on paper. In reality though, blah. Ugh. Just has not captured me in any way whatsoever. Never has clicked. Believe it or not, I was actually happy with the quick Summerslam stunt back in August. Has to finish up here. Too bad because this story line had so much potential. Then it began…

– RKO outta nowhere! Pretty much the entire point of the entire reason for Rusev to be there. Lana may have denied them asking for their WWE release, but nobody ever said anything about them NOT leaving at some point. I don’t know. The bout was fine but just felt like a placeholder to have Orton bounce back after losing to Jinder Mahal for months. Survivor Series has been known to be “his” event, but he’s also lost there too. It will be interesting to see which direction the company goes this November. As long as he isn’t a part of a new Wyatt Family.

– Daniel Bryan acting goofy with Tye from earlier in the show. Okay, there’s the announcement. Funny. Now let’s get to the bell to bell action. All three great theme songs (Corbin’s new music is growing on me). Only one winner, who will it be?

– YES! There you go. That is why Tye was added to the picture last minute, and that is why AJ Styles and WWE have been mocking Baron about choking away victories the past few weeks…because he was winning the belt. Logical in a weird, twisted WWE way. Do not worry ladies and gentlemen, AJ Styles is pegged for bigger and better things come WrestleMania 34 season, another reason I figured his U.S. Title loss was close. Great decision making Sunday night.

– Charlotte looks ready to go. How her and Becky Lynch have done nothing the past six months just boggles the mind. I understand giving others a shot (Alexa Bliss, Naomi, Natalya) to help them out, but it has been absurd. Hopeful for Charlotte to get a much bigger and brighter spotlight in the next few months before WM24 in New Orleans. Obviously deserves it. Not so sure about Nattie.

– Oh, the disqualification finish of the show. Never even thought of that but suppose it works. Nattie was outmatched and about to be defeated. Thus, she cheated to retain. Um, I guess I will accept that. Still, everything about Ms. Flair stands. From main eventing HIAC 2016 inside the cell to getting a DQ victory over Natalya 12 months later in the middle of the card on a less stacked roster. Come on!

– Oh yippee, Fashion Files is back. There is The Ascension. Again. Supposedly, we are being told the case is closed. Yet, a clue about 2B means the opposite. Or a tube. Or a briefcase. Or something. I have no idea what is going on here. Yet, people lap this up and prefer this over Tyler Breeze and Fandango actually getting some victories inside the squared circle. The comedy stuff only goes so far. At some point, you do have to wrestle. This was hyped as Fashion Files: Te Return. I much prefer NRW: The Return…

– Here we go! The WWE Championship is on the line. Jinder Mahal against Shinsuke Nakamura is the contest, in a rematch from Summerslam. Personally, I’d have just done the title change then. No use is getting one more screwjob finish in there for the heel. We already understood he has banked on the Singh Brothers. No reason to repeat it. I thought this was going to be inside the cell, so that shows how much I have been paying attention. Rooting for Nakamura. Pull the trigger WWE. AJ and Mania await.

– Huh. Well, that just happened. *shrugs*

– Intense Kevin Owens interview. I like it.

– Bobby Roode vs. Dolph Ziggler is a story line I have been all for since it was rumored. Smart move in keeping The Glorious One off Smackdown LIVE until the big confrontation. Like Rusev, I am unsure of the WWE future for Ziggler. Until then, matchups against the likes of Roode work just fine.

– Win-win for Ziggler and Roode. Sure, Bobby may have won, but Dolph stood tall and can always claim he lost via cheap methods. An unexpected conclusion but one that can prolong the feud if need be. A big Classic Survivor Series tag match will use a lot of guys next month remember. Have to get everybody crammed on the show somewhere. Plenty of spots.

– Bring on the main event! I love me some Shane O’ Mac but like everybody watching, I am nervous for his safety. Every time. I still remember pacing all over the living room during his WM32 battle against The Undertaker. My buddy told me to sit down, and I replied in a calm manner “His kids in the front row.” I was legitimately concerned for his well being. His last single’s victory on pay-per-view was over 14 years ago (over Eric Bischoff). Kevin Owens may beat him down. Badly.

– Ridiculous. Completely ridiculous. Shane McMahon is out of his mind. We all suspected a viscous fight but my goodness, this near 50 year old needs to cut it out. It is going to end on a sour note one of these days. Real sour. Owens got the much deserved win and headline slot on PPV. That is a plus, as is the assumption his role in WWE will grow even more defeating a McMahon inside the cell.

– As for the Sami Zayn interfernce and helping Kevin Owens? *pats self on back* Yep, I called it. The teases and hints were made very clear on television in the lead up. Whether an official heel turn or just frustration showing, I am all for the move. Gives Zayn a breath of fresh air and gives Owens more layers as well. Two thumbs up on the pre-match hype, the actual match, AND the post-match scene.

SUMMARY: The blue brand has been struggling as of late. We all have our own theories why. None of that is relevant right now. Heck on a Deck 2017 was a wonderful show. Enjoyed it immensely. Whatever mistakes Smackdown has made in the past, they have serious momentum now. Keep it going.

Stay vibin’.

Cheap Plugs

Twitter: @JustinWatry

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