Hell in a Cell live notes

01.00am
Hi all. Sorry about the fact that there was no predictions before the show today. Have had a hellishly busy few days, and simply did not have time. I'm here now though.

I've been that busy that I have not had a lot of time to follow the ins and outs of the wrestling world this week. So rather than catch up on one or two things, I've removed myself completely. So if there are any spoilers out there, I know not of them. Trying it as an experiment, because sometimes I can ruin PPVs by knowing little titbits of info.

01.06am
Interesting start to the show. Long, long preview of Taker v Punk following a great opening from the announcers (note sarcasm). Cole asked if it was the end of an era (i.e DX losing) or the beginning of a Legacy (which would mean, erm, DX losing....idiot).

Here comes Punk. Wow, opening the show with the match that closed the last PPV? In a Cell? The conspiracy theorist would say another screwjob and Punk somehow retains. Otherwise why wouldn't this close the thing?

01.26am
Taker wins. Surprised that's gone on first, I have to say. Ok match without being great, but it's an unenviable position. The crowd know Taker will win, barring screwjobs, and Punk and Taker can't go all out because they have to leave something for the matches yet to come.

JR mentioned this being the 17th HiaC match ever. I seem to remember the 1st was late in 1997. So they've had 16 in 12 years - then they want to do three in one night? Don't they realise that devalues things? No, apparently not.

Morrison v Ziggler next. Should be fun.

01.49am
Morrison beats Ziggler after a long back and forth match.

I really enjoyed that. It wasn't as good as Morrison v Rey, and the fans didn't get behind Morrison like they did when Rey faced Ziggler, but it was a really good match. It maybe went a bit long without picking up a pace, and I'm stil not sold on Starship Pain (looks flashy, but doesn't like it would hurt. The Chuck Kick, meanwhile, looks devastating)

01.52am
Master Shredder for Raw Guest Host!

01.56am
Alicia v Mickie now. Don't expect anything other than a Mickie quickie vickietory.

02.03am
And there we go. Mickie wins in a poor divas match, interesting only for the DDT which ended it. Alicia took a hell of a bump on her head. Hopefully she's not too badly banged up

02.23am
If you consider for a moment who was involved in that match, then Big Show/Jericho v Batista and Rey wasn't too bad at all. The Show and Rey match-ups in the ring were fun, there were some fun spots (I liked Show catching Jericho but Batista spearing them down) overall. I didn't care for the ending, because Show's right hand ought to be illegal and makes no sense.

All that considered, that was on the good side if acceptable for me.

02.24am
I like that theme music by the way. Could actually be a good TV show theme. Better than SDs, I think.

02.25am
Looks like Cena v Orton next. Assume DX v Legacy to close.

02.32am
After long entrances, we're underway. Trevor writes and suggests Cena is like Marmite - love him or hate him. I agree - and so do the live crowd. Sounds like the most negative Cena reaction in quite some time.

02.36am
An observation watching Cena and Orton fight on the near side of the cell. I see foot holes. Someone may well be climbing tonight........

02.53am
Well well, new champion. Orton beats Cena in a decent Cell effort. Not a classic, again, but some decent psychology in this, and Orton's ruthlessness wins the day. I could have lived without the tap out the ref didn't see, but other than that I'm happy to see Orton with the belt again. The punt didn't look as good as previous ones have done. Expect to see slo-mo and other angles used creatively on Raw.

02.56am
Plenty of discussion in the comments section, reaction to Cena/Orton but also questions about the finale tonight. A suggestion that HBK could turn on HHH? I'd love that, and predicted it would happen weeks ago. The problem with it is twofold. One that he has fought side by side with Hunter, so to turn now makes no sense. He needed to turn after that initial chef nonsense.

The second issue, pointed out below, is that the DX Reunion tour is imminent. Unless WWE are going for ironic branding.

Also mentioned is HHH being a better heel than babyface. I agree to a point, but we've seen heel Trips v Face Shawn. I'd like to see it the other way around.

03.11am
Drew McIntyre beats R-Truth, in a bout which felt like a Smackdown match. I don't mind it being on PPV, though, because if Drew is to get a push, then he needs to get wins on a big stage.

03.25am
Kofi celebrates being finally billed as from Ghana by retaining his US title. OK triple threat, but again it felt like a pretty good TV match and not a PPV spectacle.

This PPV, with the exception of the Divas match, has been almost entirely populated with avergae to pretty good matches. Individual hard to complain, but as a whole this has been an unispiring event thus far.

03.56am
That was pretty good. DX win after a drawn-out, intricately plotted Cell match. A legacy pre-match jump saw a fight outside the ring for several minutes, with Cody and Ted laying out Hunter on the stage and locking Shawn inside the Cell. Many minutes of beating preceeded Trips disappearing and re-emerging with bolt cutters. Back inside, he evened the score, threw out DiBiase, and then DX polished Cody off.

DX winning is the right thing, but it needs them to address on Raw the fact that Legacy ran them very close.

I'd expect DX v Show and Jericho soon.

Orton got Tombstoned on SD last week.........Randy v Taker at Bragging rights?

Generally very average indeed.

Thanks for joining me - good night!