Credit: WWE/TwitterCredit: WWE/Twitter
The blue brand has ridden a rollercoaster of sorts in recent months, with viewership peaking at times when the product is good (like when Vince McMahon or John Cena is around) but struggling with a series of lackluster storylines that don't seem to be improving. Even though SmackDown recently hit a viewership high with Vince's return, the show is coming off a four-month viewership low, and Hell in a Cell was a step in the right direction after SmackDown's last brand-specific pay-per-view, Battleground, was rated by fans as one of the three worst PPVs in company history.
At Hell in a Cell, we saw the continuation of Mahal's disappointing title reign and a number of other matches that didn't feel fresh or exciting, and there really aren't any indications that SmackDown will improve anytime soon, despite HIAC delivering from an in-ring perspective. Poorly built-up rivalries, such as Natalya vs. Charlotte or Dolph Ziggler vs. Bobby Roode, left fans feeling deflated heading into Hell in a Cell, although the event was certainly an improvement after a stretch of poor PPV showings for the blue brand.
Whereas Raw's No Mercy pay-per-view did an excellent job of creating excitement and intrigue and also was a quality show from an in-ring perspective, SmackDown continues to lag behind, with virtually no signs of that changing anytime soon. Did Hell in a Cell do enough to change that?
Here are five things we learned at Hell in a Cell.
It's Time For AJ Styles To Move On To Bigger And Better Things
Credit: WWE.comCredit: WWE.com
AJ Styles lost the United States Championship to Baron Corbin, which should be the end of what's been a wasted stretch for "The Phenomenal One" since WrestleMania 33.
During the pushes of stars like Mahal and Owens, WWE has overlooked Styles, even though evidence indicates he should be the main focus of SmackDown. Styles has performed well as a main event draw, boosting the blue brand's viewership on several occasions when he's been pushed as the top star on the brand, including for his No. 1 contender's match against Randy Orton and when he teamed up with John Cena.
Styles is, based on search data, probably the top merchandise seller on SmackDown by a country mile, and yet, he's been somewhat overlooked in recent months as WWE has shifted its focus to other stars and storylines. At Hell in a Cell, he dropped the US title to Corbin (and didn't take the pin) in a very good match that demonstrated that it's time for Styles to move on from the United States Championship, a clear midcard title, and reinsert himself back into a WWE Championship picture that has lacked intrigue without Styles in it.
With Styles already 40 years old, he has a limited opportunity to be at the top of the card in WWE, but that's exactly where he belongs as he continues to generate some of the loudest reactions in the company, where he is arguably it best overall performer. Let's hope his loss at HIAC means that he will no longer be stuck in a midcard title picture that is clearly beneath him.
Randy Orton Wants A Heel Turn, But It's Not Happening
Credit: WWE.comCredit: WWE.com
During a recent appearance on E&C's Pod Of Awesomeness (h/t WrestlingInc), Randy Orton talked about one of the worst kept secrets in pro wrestling, the fact that he prefers to be a heel:
I love it and I'm gonna use that, hopefully sooner than later when I turn heel again because I'm sick of this babyface thing, that's for sure.
It shows, too.
Orton is a tremendous all-around talent, who (based on recent YouTube data) is clearly one of WWE's biggest draws and has helped bump up viewership for his marquee matches against stars like Mahal and Styles. But he's also obviously mailed it in as of late as a babyface, simply going through the motions during pedestrian rivalries with stars like Mahal and Rusev. Despite that, there continue to be exactly zero indications that he will get his wish and turn heel anytime soon.
WWE seems intent on pushing stars like Owens, Corbin and Mahal as the blue brand's top villains, which has left Orton in a babyface role that isn't exactly ideal for him. Perhaps Orton will continue to phone it in hopes of WWE deciding to turn him heel, but as of now, he looks destined to be stuck in a babyface role that his very little direction beyond a series of "RKOs outta nowhere" in route to victories over promising stars like Rusev that ultimately do nothing for either guy.
">WWE Hell in a Cell 2017 featured Jinder Mahal defeating Shinsuke Nakamura and Kevin Owens beating Shane McMahon after surprising assistance from Sami Zayn to cap off SmackDown's last pay-per-view before Survivor Series.
Credit: WWE/TwitterCredit: WWE/Twitter
The blue brand has ridden a rollercoaster of sorts in recent months, with viewership peaking at times when the product is good (like when Vince McMahon or John Cena is around) but struggling with a series of lackluster storylines that don't seem to be improving. Even though SmackDown recently hit a viewership high with Vince's return, the show is coming off a four-month viewership low, and Hell in a Cell was a step in the right direction after SmackDown's last brand-specific pay-per-view, Battleground, was rated by fans as one of the three worst PPVs in company history.
At Hell in a Cell, we saw the continuation of Mahal's disappointing title reign and a number of other matches that didn't feel fresh or exciting, and there really aren't any indications that SmackDown will improve anytime soon, despite HIAC delivering from an in-ring perspective. Poorly built-up rivalries, such as Natalya vs. Charlotte or Dolph Ziggler vs. Bobby Roode, left fans feeling deflated heading into Hell in a Cell, although the event was certainly an improvement after a stretch of poor PPV showings for the blue brand.
Whereas Raw's No Mercy pay-per-view did an excellent job of creating excitement and intrigue and also was a quality show from an in-ring perspective, SmackDown continues to lag behind, with virtually no signs of that changing anytime soon. Did Hell in a Cell do enough to change that?
Here are five things we learned at Hell in a Cell.
It's Time For AJ Styles To Move On To Bigger And Better Things
Credit: WWE.comCredit: WWE.com
AJ Styles lost the United States Championship to Baron Corbin, which should be the end of what's been a wasted stretch for "The Phenomenal One" since WrestleMania 33.
During the pushes of stars like Mahal and Owens, WWE has overlooked Styles, even though evidence indicates he should be the main focus of SmackDown. Styles has performed well as a main event draw, boosting the blue brand's viewership on several occasions when he's been pushed as the top star on the brand, including for his No. 1 contender's match against Randy Orton and when he teamed up with John Cena.
Styles is, based on search data, probably the top merchandise seller on SmackDown by a country mile, and yet, he's been somewhat overlooked in recent months as WWE has shifted its focus to other stars and storylines. At Hell in a Cell, he dropped the US title to Corbin (and didn't take the pin) in a very good match that demonstrated that it's time for Styles to move on from the United States Championship, a clear midcard title, and reinsert himself back into a WWE Championship picture that has lacked intrigue without Styles in it.
With Styles already 40 years old, he has a limited opportunity to be at the top of the card in WWE, but that's exactly where he belongs as he continues to generate some of the loudest reactions in the company, where he is arguably it best overall performer. Let's hope his loss at HIAC means that he will no longer be stuck in a midcard title picture that is clearly beneath him.
Randy Orton Wants A Heel Turn, But It's Not Happening
Credit: WWE.comCredit: WWE.com
During a recent appearance on E&C's Pod Of Awesomeness (h/t WrestlingInc), Randy Orton talked about one of the worst kept secrets in pro wrestling, the fact that he prefers to be a heel:
I love it and I'm gonna use that, hopefully sooner than later when I turn heel again because I'm sick of this babyface thing, that's for sure.
It shows, too.
Orton is a tremendous all-around talent, who (based on recent YouTube data) is clearly one of WWE's biggest draws and has helped bump up viewership for his marquee matches against stars like Mahal and Styles. But he's also obviously mailed it in as of late as a babyface, simply going through the motions during pedestrian rivalries with stars like Mahal and Rusev. Despite that, there continue to be exactly zero indications that he will get his wish and turn heel anytime soon.
WWE seems intent on pushing stars like Owens, Corbin and Mahal as the blue brand's top villains, which has left Orton in a babyface role that isn't exactly ideal for him. Perhaps Orton will continue to phone it in hopes of WWE deciding to turn him heel, but as of now, he looks destined to be stuck in a babyface role that his very little direction beyond a series of "RKOs outta nowhere" in route to victories over promising stars like Rusev that ultimately do nothing for either guy.
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