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”The Doc” Chad Matthews has been a featured writer for LOP since 2004. Initially offering detailed recaps and reviews for WWE's top programs, he transitioned to writing columns in 2010. In addition to his discussion-provoking current event pieces, he has written many acclaimed series about WrestleMania, as well as a popular short story chronicle. The Doc has also penned a book, The WrestleMania Era: The Book of Sports Entertainment, published in 2013. It has been called “the best wrestling book I have ever read” and holds a 5-star rating on Amazon, where it peaked at #3 on the wrestling charts. Follow @TheDocLOP QUESTION OF THE DAY: Which did you think was the best Hell in a Cell match and why? The following is a case study of WWE’s product for the month of October 2016. WWE Hell in a Cell 2016 Review Twelve hours removed and I’m still emotionally exhausted from Hell in a Cell, which was a stark improvement by my estimation over Raw’s previous brand-exclusive PPV event, Clash of Champions; COC was a good show, but HIAC was borderline great, with a nice flow throughout and high quality spacing of the matches across the three-plus hour run-time. “The Doc Says” podcast will play host on Wednesday to my extensive thoughts on the event and its aftermath, but here’s a quick match-by-match review: It would seem that I enjoyed Roman Reigns vs. Rusev far more than the masses, finding their less is more in-ring philosophy to be as charming as always. I thought it right on par with the other Cell matches, with its emphasis on gradually building to the climactic use of signature offense refreshing in an age when we so frequently see the big moves rushed into the presentation. The challenge that they faced was introducing legitimate doubt in terms of the outcome, but on one particular occasion in which Reigns was locked in a steel chain-assisted Accolade on top of the steel steps, I wondered legitimately, “How is he going to escape that?” Historically, it falls into the Orton-Sheamus, Reigns-Wyatt category of Cell match; considering I thoroughly enjoyed those, I don’t consider that a bad thing. Hell in a Cell, in its first two iterations in ’97 and ‘98, immediately set a bar that was impossibly high to reach. If the Cell had not jumped out of the gate with such momentous stunts highlighting its early existence, then perhaps something like Rusev vs. Reigns would be considered an “old school” version instead of the latest instance of the toned down farce for which the gimmick has become known. (*** ¾). I had the pleasure of my daughter’s company for the Bayley vs. Dana Brooke match; she was up past her bed time, too excited about Halloween to sleep, and she wandered to the man cave to watch her very first pro wrestling match. Admittedly, this bonding moment enhanced my experience of an otherwise average match (**). My daughter also really liked Enzo Amore, but was not overly fond of Big Cass, expressing to me that he was “too loud.” The Realest Guys vs. The Club was a good example of how to better pace a show with three headlining bouts, but in and of itself was just an above average match that did little for either team, positive or negative (** ¼). Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens was everything that you might expect from two former independent titans clashing in an atmosphere they’d both grown up watching as fans that no longer allows bloody violence. The pace was brisk and the physicality neared the gimmick’s modern apex, but it came at the expense of selling during the final minutes; I was jarred out of my suspension of disbelief by huge bumps and substantial beat-downs being sold like normal finishing moves might be (all three parties were guilty of it, but especially Owens and Jericho). It was a blast to watch, don’t get me wrong, but it was a long enough match to where it should not have had to skimp on the details toward the end. (****) The Cruiserweight title match having to follow a thoroughly enjoyable Hell in a Cell match was a tough ask, but the second outing in the PPV series between TJ Perkins and Brian Kendrick was far better than the first. Absent were the botches and still present was the storytelling. The fact that the crowd did not care at all did not go unnoticed by yours truly and, truth be told, I had a hard time caring too (** ¾). The New Day vs. She-Cesaro was not that much more emotionally-investing in its own right and its early timing issues did not do anything but further hamper a situation already on the fringe of not being interesting. They picked up the quality toward the finish and executed something that will keep the storyline going for a bit. Raw’s tag team scene is running on fumes with New Day as champions (** ¾). As for the main-event – the first ever Women’s Hell in a Cell match and the first ever women’s match to main-event a PPV – I really need to re-watch it, but I’m going to go out on a limb and knee-jerk refer to it as a borderline all-time classic. Sasha Banks and Charlotte are so good at storytelling that a weird table spot as they entered the climax could not possibly undo the psychologically-gripping performance that they put on for thirty minutes. Charlotte’s character is outstanding; if you re-watch this match, take notice of how nervous she became as the Cell got lower and lower to the ground and how her lashing out in attack (leading to the announce table spot) was essentially a desperation move. That set the tone for everything that followed, including the apparently controversial decision to switch the title back to the Queen. My take? A little hot potato of the title is not hurting, but rather enhancing this rivalry. Bottom line: Charlotte vs. Sasha was awesome. (**** ½) WWE No Mercy 2016 Review (podcast) Is Chris Jericho Really A Candidate For "G.O.A.T."? It has been a renaissance year for Y2J as a character in WWE. He has proven true the general rule that only bad guys say or do anything interesting, all the while wearing wrestling trunks emblazoned with the acronym "G.O.A.T." - which stands for Greatest Of All-Time. That begs the question: does Jericho belong in that conversation? I consider there to five major categories that determine your level of all-time greatness - the basics (look, in-ring ability, and mic skills), performance record, drawing power, longevity, and championships won. He may not have an exceptional look, but his other basic attributes are absolutely exceptional; his classic match list is as long as anyone's; he may never have been the top guy in the business or have ever been positioned to be the primary economic stimulus of a major event, but he is one of the best secondary draws in WWE lore; he has been headlining pay-per-views for over 15 years and was a headliner at WrestleManias ten years apart; and he is one of the most decorated champions of the WrestleMania Era. Personally, some of the finest memories I have of pro wrestling over the last 13 years involve Chris Jericho. His storyline and match with Shawn Michaels in 2003, his summer 2005 rivalry that helped ease John Cena into the main-event, his outstanding run as a heel in 2008 and 2009 (particularly the next chapter in his saga with HBK), and his comeback in 2012 and subsequent series with CM Punk are my favorites from the List of Jericho. My criticisms of the timing problems he's had during the majority of his biggest matches in 2016 aside, Jericho has reminded the wrestling world this year that he unquestionably belongs in the discussion for the greatest ever. However, looking specifically at the WrestleMania Era (1983-present), there are ten wrestlers in particular whose overall track records stand out most and for Jericho to gain entry into that elite group, he would have to unseat one of them. Last among them, as specified in my book, is Randy Savage. So, I will leave you with this question: is Chris Jericho ahead of Macho Man on the greatest of all-time list? Match of the Month: Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte at Hell in a Cell Upon re-watch of Owens-Rollins, Banks-Charlotte, and Ziggler-Miz, it came down to a close race between the latter two. Ziggler vs. Miz at No Mercy was WWE storytelling at its finest, with both characters completely immersed and booking that finely complimented the action in order to tease the finish on numerous occasions; the quality of the promos on TV leading up to it gave it a considerable boost and by my estimation no rivalry came close to touching what they produced in the weeks before a PPV in October. In the end, however, Charlotte and Sasha's match was just tremendous on replay, the lone issue from the original viewing (the first table spot) becoming irrelevant when stripped of the initial letdown. Years from now when the Women's Revolution is discussed in detail, Banks vs. Flair at Hell in a Cell will be talked about in the same breath as Banks vs. Bayley in NXT. If the biggest takeaway from my first viewing was the historical ramifications of the occasion, then the biggest takeaway from my second viewing was just how incredible the overall presentation turned out to be. The run-time flew by and throughout its entirety, I was emotionally engaged. I retract my previous statement about it being a borderline all-time classic; it was just an all-time classic, period. Previous winners: Ambrose vs. Owens at Royal Rumble (Jan), Ambrose vs. Reigns vs. Lesnar at Fast Lane (Feb), Dean Ambrose vs. Triple H at Roadblock (Mar), Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Sami Zayn at Takeover: Dallas (Apr), AJ Styles vs. Roman Reigns at Extreme Rules (May), Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins at Money in the Bank (Jun), Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens at Battleground (Jul), AJ Styles vs. John Cena at Summerslam (Aug), and TJ Perkins vs. Kota Ibushi at the CWC Finale (Sept) Wrestlers of the Month: Sasha Banks and Charlotte I tried to avoid doing this in the past, but for the second time this year, I feel compelled to name two wrestlers of the month. Just as AJ Styles and Roman Reigns were two sides of the same coin in May, inseparable because of the things that each did so well during their pair of PPV matches for the WWE Championship, Banks and Charlotte are synergistically linked together this month. The history that they made together - becoming the first females to main-event Raw in 12 years, the first females to compete in a Hell in a Cell match, and the first females to ever main-event a PPV - all of it was incredibly impactful to the continued redefinition of women's wrestling on sports entertainment's largest platform. Charlotte has emerged as arguably the best pure heel in the game, capable of sustaining her heat better than her male counterparts. Banks is nothing if not consistent, emotionally engaging when she needs to draw from her history to win the crowd over, but "The Boss" the rest of the time, uber-confident and ready to prove that she's the "baddest." The dynamic between them just works and, in combination with their historically significant achievements in October, they are well-deserving of being the first two women to win Wrestler of the Month. Previous winners: Dean Ambrose (Jan and Feb), Chris Jericho (Mar), AJ Styles (Apr), AJ Styles and Roman Reigns (May), Seth Rollins (Jun), Dean Ambrose (Jul), AJ Styles (Aug), and Kevin Owens (Sep) November Predictions I find it refreshing that Survivor Series this year is looking like the Survivor Series that I grew up with instead of the one that I've grown older with; the Fall Classic was once very much a member of the Big Four by way of its status as a competitor for the third most important PPV of the year, but has had a tendency since 2005 to get lost in the creative shuffle, content to rest on the laurels of the reputation it built in its first 20 years. Just one time since Raw vs. Smackdown was last the centerpiece feud of the Survivor Series – in 2014 leading up to Team Cena vs. The Authority – did WWE put enough effort into its annual November show to make it stand out, essentially stripping it of its elite standing and moving us into an era of a Big Three (or Money in the Bank replacing it in the Big Four). Anyone who argued that it was too soon for Raw vs. Smackdown to be a thing so early in Brand Split 2.0's existence, I would tend to agree with you, but the fact of the matter is that there was no other viable alternative; plus, Survivor Series was built for brand warfare. That the elimination style matches will extend into the women's division and the tag team scene is a throwback to the days gone by of the show largely being built by the PPV's signature match. Then, with Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar as the headlining special attraction match and the NXT Takeover event the night before, you add two elements to the equation that have typically been reserved only for WrestleMania and Summerslam, putting Survivor Series back into select company. Money in the Bank doesn't get an NXT crossover, does it? Filling out the teams will be an interesting exercise, particularly for the match involving the top males. I am of the belief that the main-event Raw vs. Smackdown match should feature both the World and Universal Champions. It cannot be branded as being the best from each show otherwise and with Goldberg vs. Lesnar on the card already, there is no need to add a pair of title matches or, as was done in 2005, have one top champion compete in the match while the other defends his title. I would try to make this as legitimate a reflection of each brand's best as possible; I'd love to see Rollins and Reigns trying to work together again, with Owens and Jericho continuing to inch toward their eventual parting of the ways; maybe add Rusev as the last member of the Raw team. Similar to the Raw dynamic, I'd like to see Ambrose, Cena, and Styles try to co-exist for Smackdown's sake, with either Orton and Wyatt or Ziggler and Miz rounding out the blue squad; take the other two of those last four and make it the fifth and final match on the card. Raw vs. Smackdown was a formula that I thought worked incredibly well eleven years ago and that was after the original brand split had been significantly downplayed by Vince McMahon's desire to give Raw the decided talent advantage; you could say he went ahead and took care of that from the start with 2.0. There should be enough competitive fire this early on, what with Smackdown earning the lion's share of the praise over the first three months since the draft, to make this interesting and somewhat genuine – a worked shoot angle if you will regarding brand supremacy. I'm looking forward to it.
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