By Jason Powell

Dot Net Members are listening to the 74-minute WWE Hell in a Cell audio review that Chris Shore and I recorded late last night. Join us on the ad-free version of the website and access all Dot Net Audio by signing up for membership via the Dot Net Members' Signup Page.

WWE Hell in a Cell Hits

Alberto Del Rio vs. C.M. Punk vs. John Cena: This was the best match of the night, as all three guys wasted no time in setting a fast pace, and they never had any dull moments. Del Rio really shined, and one ringside correspondent, who labeled himself a mark for Punk, said he felt that Del Rio stole the show with his performance. Punk was also extremely good and took the biggest bumps of the match. It was the only match of the night that the fans were hot for from bell to bell. I have no idea why they felt the need to switch the WWE Championship two weeks ago just to put it back on Del Rio here. WWE is doing some serious damage to the value of their World Title belts with these frequent changes.

Mark Henry vs. Randy Orton: It appears that I liked this match more than most people. Henry's domination of Orton for several minutes wasn't action packed, but it was a logical approach given that he's the heel monster. The live crowd was definitely into Orton's comeback, and I loved that they were able to elicit boos from the crowd when Henry kicked out of Orton's cover following the RKO. Henry going over clean was a nice surprise, and I was cool with Orton getting the better of him after the match even though I'm frustrated with WWE not treating the Hell in a Cell as the ultimate blowoff to a program.

Air Boom vs. Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler: As someone who has bitched repeatedly about tag title matches being treated as opening match fodder, I must admit that this match would have worked better in the opening slot than Sheamus vs. Christian. They worked a good, fast pace that pleased the live crowd. I'm not sure what Swagger and Ziggler did to warrant a tag title shot, but such is life in pro wrestling these days.

Sheamus vs. Christian: A minor hit for a good match that didn't belong in the opening match slot. The fans really didn't come to life until the closing minutes even though the wrestlers were working hard.

WWE Hell in a Cell Misses

Overall show: This is more of a reflection of the current state of WWE than it is the actual matches. There were more match Hits than Misses due to the in-ring work, but the live crowd was dead for most of the show. I'm sure WWE will blame the fans, but it wasn't like there was any buzz regarding this show going in. It felt like an unnecessary pay-per-view given that it came just two weeks after Night of Champions, and the live crowd only seemed excited about seeing a handful of stars. WWE isn't in a great place right now. I hope that they know where they are going with The Miz, R-Truth, and Kevin Nash saga and are simply dragging out the story before delivering the payoff. The build to whatever they are doing isn't doing much for me. The Truth and Miz post main event attack was laid out nicely, but there's only so much excitement I can generate for characters who have been treated like upper-mid-card talent who can't hang with the big boys like John Cena and C.M. Punk.

Sin Cara vs. Sin Cara: A confusing mess of a storyline. If anyone from creative tries to pass the blame to the talent, they are absolutely delusional (thought it would have helped if the dark Sin Cara had worked like a heel). The fans haven't been given any incentive to cheer for one wrestler over the other aside from the original Sin Cara playing to them during the match a few times. The fans didn't have enough of a connection with the original Sin Cara to care when an impostor showed up. It's a shame because I like the basic idea of an impostor Sin Cara showing up, but I am absolutely stunned by how poorly this has been booked. This might be the worst booking that any program in pro wrestling has received this year.

Triple H: The live crowd enjoyed watching Triple H attack The Miz and R-Truth while they were handcuffed and it was obviously a setup to add more fuel to the fire of those working to have him removed from power. The problem is that I just don't care whether he keeps or loses his job. And if this guy is The Cerebral Assassin, then how in the hell is dopey John Laurinaitis able to outsmart him so easily? Everyone watching can see that Laurinaitis is conspiring against Triple H, but apparently Hunter is oblivious to it. I also don't give a damn about Vince McMahon returning to television in hopes of regaining control of his company. Where does it go from there? Is the ultimate payoff a crappy match between Hunter and Vince?

Cody Rhodes vs. John Morrison: Cody's promo delivery is just too over the top that I don't take him seriously. I like the introduction he gave the throwback Intercontinental Title belt, but his character just doesn't click with me. The match was fine with Morrison dominating until Cody caught him after one mistake, but the live crowd peaked when they cheered for Morrison's entrance.

Beth Phoenix vs. Kelly Kelly: It felt too little too late. Of course, it's not too late to establish Beth as a dominant Diva again, but it's going to take some time to do that after watching her have even matches and lose twice to Kelly Kelly. I was fine with Kelly scoring the upset at SummerSlam, but watching her win a back and forth match at Night of Champions in Beth's hometown was baffling.

Broadcast Team: First off, why is Michael Cole suddenly so cavalier when it comes to the way he rips into Triple H? After all, one of Hunter's first actions was to put Cole in his place and threaten his job, yet suddenly Cole is speaking out against him repeatedly at a time when Hunter's character has shown that he's not afraid to fire talent. Worse yet, is Booker T's ongoing dreadful commentary. He's a fun personality, but he's just not improving in this role. He repeats himself constantly (whoa, awww, wait one minute, etc), and he never enhances the in-ring action. He and Cole do more to distract the viewers than they do to help the matches they are calling. The lone highlight was the performance of Jim Ross, who was especially strong while putting over The Miz and R-Truth attack at the end of the show.

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