WWE // 2011 // 170 Minutes // Not Rated
Reviewed by Judge Franck Tabouring (Retired) // December 10th, 2011
"It's over 20 feet high. It's more than five tons of solid steel."
World Wrestling Entertainment sends some of its most popular athletes into wrestling's most diabolical structure, as the stars of Raw and SmackDown fight for survival at WWE: Hell in a Cell 2011. Two major battles take place inside the steel box, and here's a closer look at the complete lineup:
* Sheamus vs. Christian
Sheamus and Christian launch the show with a
solid performance, using their technical wrestling skills to deliver a variety
of quick maneuvers and submission holds. Both athletes balance the action fairly
well, going back and forth and giving each other enough time to slowly build
momentum as the match goes on. While this won't go down as a classic PPV opener,
it's still a mostly clean, entertaining match that lifts the expectations for
the rest of this event.
* Sin Cara vs. Sin Cara
For some odd reason, WWE writers decided to
launch a storyline involving a real and a fake Sin Cara, pitting both masked men
against each other at Hell in a Cell. Although they don't get the honor
to fight inside the steel structure, they do their best to put on an enjoyable
show. Truth be told, their efforts don't entirely pay off. Although both men
possess the necessary skills and flexibility to pull off a series of highly
acrobatic maneuvers, this battle loses steam early on, leaving fans to wonder
why they should care about who the "real" Sin Cara is in the first
place. At the end of the day, the two Sin Caras do deliver an entertaining
enough show to avoid a wrestling disaster.
* Air Boom vs. Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger in a WWE Tag Team
Championship Match
The tag team belts are on the line in this matchup, and
in a nutshell, it's a noteworthy display of team effort. Kofi Kingston and Evan
Bourne are very comfortable working their opponents inside the ring, offering
spectators highly energetic performances through a variety of high-risk moves,
dives, kicks, and team action. Ziggler and Swagger approach this match with a
more powerful attitude, injecting this contest with strong kicks, punches and
holds. All in all, it's a solid matchup.
* Mark Henry vs. Randy Orton in a Hell in a Cell Match for the World
Heavyweight Championship
Mark Henry and Randy Orton go at it again, and
this time, they face each other inside the giant cell. That said, this meeting
isn't as exciting as their match at WWE: Night of Champions 2011,
primarily because they don't really make good enough use of the structure
they're confined to (I don't count using the ring steps). Sadly, it seems like
the good old days of hardcore, memorable Hell in a Cell battles are over. On the
other hand, this one won't go down as a disastrous matchup either. Henry's
inability to move quickly does slow down things considerably, but Orton leaves
his opponent with plenty of possibilities to engage in moves impressive enough
to keep the fans engaged. Orton makes a generous contribution in terms of
high-risk maneuvers as well, and both wrestlers end up putting on a satisfying
show.
* Cody Rhodes vs. John Morrison in an Intercontinental Championship Match
Rhodes and Morrison fight for the Intercontinental title in this brief match,
which could've used more energy and variety to really stand out. Truth be told,
this is just a so-so contest, and there's really nothing else to say about it.
Moving on...
* Beth Phoenix vs. Kelly Kelly in a Divas Championship Match
The Divas
matchup at WWE's previous PPV event was a nice improvement over the rather lame
matches we've seen emerging from this category, but judging by this contest,
things seem to be going downhill again. Although both ladies pull off a few
pretty impressive stunts inside the ring, they fail to keep the momentum going
long enough for audiences to care. Even Kelly Kelly's great looks can't save
this one.
* John Cena vs. CM Punk vs. Alberto del Rio in a Triple Threat Hell in a
Cell Match for the WWE Championship
The demonic cell makes a second
appearance for the main event, which features Cena, Punk and del Rio in a Triple
Threat Match for the WWE title. Each of the three contestants deserves equal
praise for injecting this final match with all the entertainment value it needs
to close out a solid pay-per-view. Alberto del Rio shows off his aggressive side
as he doesn't hesitate to take on and pin whoever is inside the ring. Meanwhile,
Punk adds a hardcore element to the contest by breaking out a chair and table,
and Cena shows off his trademark power moves. Although this matchup run for
almost 30 minutes, Cena, Punk, and del Rio keep the wrestling action interesting
enough without really causing the battle to slow down. A surprising twist in the
end shakes things up before the big finish, adding a silly yet amusing touch to
an excellent match.
WWE's usual widescreen presentation of the show looks and sounds decent enough, and the bonus section continues to offer short unnecessary interviews no one really cares about.
WWE: Hell in a Cell 2011 ranks among the better WWE pay-per-views of 2011. Even though not every matchup leaves a mark, most contests on the card provide solid entertainment value for loyal wrestling fans. Let's hope the WWE keeps up the improving work.
Not guilty.
Review content copyright © 2011 Franck Tabouring; Site layout and review format copyright © 1998 - 2013 HipClick Designs LLC
Scales of Justice
Judgment: 84
Perp Profile
Studio: WWE
Video Formats:
* 1.78:1 Anamorphic
Audio Formats:
* Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround (English)
* Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo (Spanish)
Subtitles:
* None
Running Time: 170 Minutes
Release Year: 2011
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Distinguishing Marks
* Interviews
Accomplices
* IMDb
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt2106447/combined
* Official Site
http://www.wwe.com/shows/hellinacell