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Home   /   Top Turnbuckle – Hell in a Cell 2020 Review
Posted on by Charlie Scott
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By Charlie Scott

Hell in a Cell PPV is always one of the strangest of the year for me. Most matches on the card always feel very forced and I always feel like they never warrant being inside of a cell, but this year is the first I can remember where it just feels right. All three Cell matches feel like they belong inside of a cell and all three rivalries have been some of the best we’ve seen, not just this year, but for many years. 

The family rivalry between Roman Reigns and Jey Uso, the best friends turned enemies Sasha Banks and Bayley and then the long-term rivalry between my two superstars of the year Drew McIntyre and Randy Orton. 

With only six matches on the card this was a relatively small WWE PPV, but it allowed for some amazing story telling and, spoiler alert, I loved this show. So, sit back and relax as here at Top Turnbuckle on Overtime Online we talk you through Hell in a Cell 2020! 

Roman Reigns vs Jey Uso for the Universal Championship – Hell in a Cell ‘I Quit’ match 

The opening match of the night was the first of the three cell matches, with cousins Roman Reigns and Jey Uso fighting for the Universal Championship inside the cell in an I Quit match. The added stipulation for this match was that if Jey and twin brother Jimmy failed to announce Reigns as the Tribal Chief after the match, then they would both be banished from the family forever. 

This family feud has been the best thing on Smackdown all year and the newly turned heel Reigns has rejuvenated his career since aligning with Paul Heyman. This encounter started off back and forth with Jey getting the early momentum, using a strap to strike the back of Roman whilst he was down. 

But it wouldn’t be long before the former Shield member turned the tide on his cousin and used the strap to his own advantage. Tying the strap to the hand of Jey and just toying with him, taking his time and seemingly enjoying every moment of the beat down. 

Reigns would continue to beat down one half of one of the greatest tag teams of the modern era, pulling his lifeless body to the edge of the ring and hitting a Drive-By with the steel steps over the head of Jey. 

This constant beat down of Jey, tied in with Reigns throwing the official out the ring, forced an array of security and officials to swarm the ring to try and stop Reigns from continuing. But this wouldn’t stop the new ‘Heyman Guy’ from delivering such a personal beat down on his cousin, that was until Jimmy Uso ran to the ring to try and save his brother. 

The storytelling here was just perfect, Reigns sat and wept as his cousin begged him to stop the attack and to squash this family rivalry. But Reigns would take the hand of Jimmy and choke him out, forcing Jey to shout ‘I Quit’ to save his brother and see Reigns retain his Universal Championship. 

This match was the perfect story, whilst it didn’t feature the best wrestling or the most daring spots inside the cell that we’ve seen in the past, it was just pure story and it had real heart to it. Adding to this new heel character of Roman Reigns and really showing he can take this character further than he has ever gone before. 

Turnbuckle Rating – C+ 

Jeff Hardy vs Elias 

This was your standard filler match for any PPV, a slightly less serious tone to it than the previous match had, it sat on the card merely to bulk out the run time. Elias did his usual song for the virtual crowd at the Thunder Dome before being interrupted by Jeff Hardy’s music. 

The match itself started off fairly even, back and forth between the two superstars until Jeff started to gain momentum, hitting a Whisper in the Wind onto Elias. Jeff followed that up with a Twist of Fate and just as it looked like Jeff would hit the Swanton Bomb to end the match, Elias rolled under the bottom rope onto the outside. 

This is then when things started getting confusing, rather than being the good guy babyface that he is and throw Elias back into the ring to finish the match, Jeff picked up his guitar and cracked it over his back. 

Jeff was instantly disqualified by the official in a very strange decision from Jeff, could it be leading to a potential heel turn? We don’t know at this stage, but it will be very strange if it does head that way as Hardy as always been one of the biggest faces in the company. 


Turnbuckle Rating – D- 

Miz vs Otis with the Money in the Bank Contract on the line

This match on paper didn’t really excite me, I expected to see these two go at it for ten minutes, have some shenanigans involving their tag team partners on the outside and for Otis to hold onto his Money in the Bank contract. 

I was correct in predicting that there would be shenanigans involving the tag team partners outside the ring, with John Morrison being sent to the locker room by the official after trying to get involved. 

But just as it looked like Otis was getting the upper hand and really getting into the groove of this match Tucker shocked everyone. Whilst the officials back was turned he struck his tag team partner Otis over the head with the Money in the Bank briefcase, causing Miz to get the win and become new Mr Money in the Bank. 

This is only the second time in history where the briefcase has changed hands after someone wins it, and it is clear to see they never had any plans for Otis to cash the contract in and that it was merely just for a pop during a time when he was very over with fans. 

But this change in contract holders could lead to exciting new things, with Miz being such a good heel and being able to taunt the champions whenever he wants now this will surely make for fantastic television and hopefully one last title run for the Miz. 

Turnbuckle Rating – D+ 

Sasha Banks vs Bayley for the Smackdown Women’s Championship – Hell in a Cell 

Let me just start off by saying what a feud this has been so far. These two women tore NXT apart all those years ago with their matches down on the black and gold brand and ever since their main roster debuts fans have been crying out for a similar feud for the two. 

This did not disappoint. 

The two women have been best friends for months now, winning the tag team titles together and dominating the Smackdown women’s division together. But when Bayley turned on Sasha Banks it got the entire fanbase excited for what they could produce together, and when it was announced that the match would take place inside Hell in a Cell, fans eagerly anticipated the coming together of two of the best women’s wrestlers of all time. 

The match was action packed from start to finish, with Bayley coming down to the ring with her special steel chair only for Sasha to throw it out the cage before it finished its descent. The two women put their bodies on the line, using tables, kendo sticks, steel steps and chairs all to their advantage. 

Sasha would use a propped-up table as a springboard to hit a running double knee to the Champion against the cage wall. Bayley would use kendo sticks to suplex her former best friend through and drove her face first into the steel steps. These two women left it all out there inside of the demonic structure. 

Bayley managed to reach outside the cage door to grab her steel chair that was previously thrown out and with this the momentum started to shift her way. Sasha would get a brief bit of offense in, attempting to cap it off with a Frog Splash but Bayley would grab her chair and hit the flying Banks with it. 

Bayley would then take her time with Sasha, laying her out on a ladder that was positioned between two steel chairs in the middle of the ring and spray painted an X onto the chest of Sasha. 

But Sasha would spring into life and use Bayley’s own chair against her to apply added pressure onto the Banks Statement and force Bayley to tap out, ending her over 300-day reign as Smackdown Women’s Champion. 

This match truly was everything I had hoped it would be and more, the two superstars went out there and left everything in the ring and this match would’ve been worthy of being the main event at Wrestlemania. There’s a strong argument that this could be considered as one of the greatest women’s matches ever, and I for one can get behind that train of thought. 

Turnbuckle Rating – A-

Bobby Lashley vs Slapjack for the United States Championship

This match again was just filler for the show and only added during the pre-show when Retribution leader Mustafa Ali challenged one of the members of the Hurt Business to a match where they could pick their opponent.

United States Champion Bobby Lashley took the challenged and chose to face Slapjack, even putting his title on the line for the contest. But this match did nothing other than highlight what a poorly booked stable Retribution are. Slapjack became the second member in a week to tap out to The Hurt Lock and even when the rest of the group tried storming the ring Lashley single handily fought them off, making them seem extremely weak and already falling flat. 

Turnbuckle Rating – E 

Randy Orton vs Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship – Hell in a Cell 

Now it was time for the main event of the evening, Randy Orton vs Drew McIntyre for the prestigious WWE Championship. The Scotsman McIntyre has been an incredible champion during his reign since Wrestlemania, defending the title at PPV after PPV and putting on some clinics during this time. 

But The Viper has also had a resurgence in 2020, finding himself again as the slimy heel that everyone loves he has been one of the best things in professional wrestling. Both men have been having one of the years of their careers and so it only seemed fitting for this feud to culminate inside the Hell in a Cell structure. 

This encounter started off so quickly, with Randy disguising himself as a camera man and jumping Drew as he made his way to the ring. The two men brawled outside the ring for a while but eventually got inside the ring and the official could begin the match. 

Randy Orton was vicious throughout this match, using whatever he could find under the ring to his advantage throughout, but every time he seemed to find an advantage where he went for the pin, McIntyre would kick out at one, highlighting the true resilience of the fighting champion. 

Through frustration Orton would pull from under the ring a pair of chain cutters, using them to break the lock on the cage door and he made his way on top of the cage, goading Drew into joining him. The two men scrapped above the cell, making for such exciting viewing as you just never know if the roof could collapse at any time. 

But Orton would not stay on the roof for long, starting his descent down the side of the cell, with Drew following him closely. The two men would hang off the side of the cage trading blows, with one blow being too heavy for Drew as he came crashing down off the side of the cell through the announce table. 

This nearly wiped out the champion entirely, with blood coming up when he coughed it really looked like the end for the Scotsman. Orton managed to drag his body back inside the cell and into the ring where he stalked his prey like the wild viper that he is. But just as Orton went to hit the deadly RKO, Drew sprung up and hit a Claymore Kick. 

This new momentum gave Drew what he needed to rise to his feet and prepare to hit a second Claymore Kick on Orton, but as he went charging at the challenger he was met with an RKO out of nowhere and Randy Orton would win the match to become a 14-time WWE Champion. 

This match was so hard hitting from start to finish and had everything a Hell in a Cell match should have. With extreme spots inside the cell, climbing on top of the cell and even a fall through the announce table. This really was one of the great Hell in a Cell matches and a worthy way for Orton to tie Triple H for the 2ndmost WWE title reigns in history. 

Turnbuckle Rating – B 

Overall this was a fantastic PPV from start to finish, with all three Hell in a Cell matches being unique in their own way but all still being really solid matches. The standout of the night was the Smackdown Women’s title match and will be remembered in history I think. 

McIntyre’s reign came to an end in fitting fashion in the main event and it truly will be the first of many many title reigns to come for him in WWE. He has carried the belt throughout a really tough time during this global pandemic and once fans are allowed back into arenas is going to be cheered like the hero he is. 

Now begins the era of Randy Orton once again, but could a surprise Money in the Bank cash in give his title run a short life span? Stay tuned here on Top Turnbuckle where we have a weekly column which discusses all the news from WWE that week and more! 

Turnbuckle PPV Rating – B- 

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