By Jason Powell

Dot Net Members are listening to the 48-minute WWE Hell in a Cell audio review that I recorded last night. They will also be listening to my member exclusive audio review of WWE Raw later tonight. Join us on the ad-free version of the website by signing up for membership now via the Dot Net Members' Signup Page.

WWE Hell in a Cell Hits

Goldust and Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns vs. The Uso Brothers: The highlight of the night was the opening match. Goldust sold for a good stretch early and it set up his brother's offensive run nicely. The Uso's also had their crowd pleasing moments. It doesn't really pertain to this match, but will we ever get some type of character development from The Shield members? What have we learned about these characters since they first took WWE by storm?

John Cena vs. Alberto Del Rio: A good match with Del Rio targeting Cena's surgically repaired arm. Cena had several hope spots, but Del Rio cut him off repeatedly. It wasn't the most impressive match they've had, but the formula was logical considering it was Cena's first night back from surgery. I was not a fan of Cena winning here. I don't mind them putting the World Heavyweight Championship on him, but I question the idea of racing to the big payoff. Why not have Del Rio escape with the title, keep Cena in chase mode, and actually build to the moment when he takes the title? Instead, WWE skips several chapters and puts Cena right back on top. Are they doing it to set up an eventual unification match? I hope not.

A.J. Lee vs. Brie Bella: A good Divas match with what should have been an intriguing finish. I like the way Brie accidentally caught her sister with the running knee, but I can't believe Nikki just popped right up and consoled Brie afterward. There are rumblings that the twins could be splitting up so it's possible that the running knee will play a part in that, but there was no foreshadowing here.

Damien Sandow vs. Kofi Kingston: More of non-factor than anything, but it was nice to see Sandow get a clean win for a change. Here's hoping this is a sign that they intend to build him up rather than have him haplessly lose matches until the time comes for him to cash in the contract. Of course, I don't rule out the possibility of Kingston simply getting the win back tonight on Raw.

WWE Hell in a Cell Misses

Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton: This was not a classic Hell in a Cell match even before the flat finish. Orton and Bryan came up short with their big superplex onto the chairs spot, and really it just felt like more of the same from these two. As great as they both are, they just didn't bring out the best in one another during this three-match feud over the championship. The finish did more harm to the damaged Hell in a Cell gimmick. We were supposed to leave the show wondering why Shawn would hit his pupil with Sweet Chin Music, but it just wasn't all that compelling. The only thing this match helps explain is why they didn't mind giving Bryan brief title wins on past shows, as they apparently never intended to give him a real run with the strap. The focus is once again on Triple H and another non-wrestler. I looked forward to Orton's heel turn for a long time. He is the WWE Champion, yet he feels like a side attraction to Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. So I wasn't left compelled by the action of Michaels, nor am I looking forward to seeing where things go with Bryan or the new WWE Champion. Rather, I'm simply left hoping that they move away from Orton vs. Bryan because damage has been done and I'm bored by the whole thing.

C.M. Punk vs. Ryback and Paul Heyman: Punk and Ryback had a better Hell in a Cell match last year. The idea of Heyman being allowed to stand on top of the cage was ridiculous since it's been clearly established that The Authority don't like him. Ryback is dead right now, and Punk needs to get away from him immediately. Punk's eventual beatdown of the unpadded Heyman was a cool visual since it took place on top of the structure, but it was too similar to the beating that Punk gave Heyman at Night of Champions. This may have been the end of the Punk vs. Heyman feud. I assumed it was last night, but the more I think about it the more I realize they could breathe new life into it with the right Heyman Guy. Brock Lesnar is the obvious option if they want to go back to that program right now, but it's always possible that Heyman introduces yet another new guy or perhaps Rob Van Dam reunites with his longtime friend since we haven't seen any real interaction between them.

Dean Ambrose vs. Big E Langston: The live crowd didn't give a damn about this one. Ambrose's title reign has been a big disappointment. He hasn't had to lose as many non-title matches, but he still hasn't had a real feud with anyone. I'm not sure who is to blame for the clothesline spot that led to both men being cut open, but it was ugly. It's early in Langston's babyface run, but he's yet to make a real connection with the fans.

Los Matadores vs. The Real Americans: Cesaro's Swing was great. We've certainly seen him perform more impressive feats of strength, but this one was all about the number of revolutions. The problem is that Los Matadores and El Torito were not over with this live crowd. The post-match bit where they place Torito on their shoulders and they play to the crowd led to a non-reaction from the Miami fans. Torito is capable of hitting flashier moves than we've seen thus far and he may have to use them to breathe some life into this act.

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