Hell in a Cell 2018: A Great Middle Card Gets Trapped by One of WWE's Worst Cell Finishes

Orton and Hardy make the cell feel dangerous by focusing on cruelty rather than nonstop stunt escalation. Orton attacks Hardy's ear with a screwdriver in the match's most infamous image, while both men use the steps, chairs, ladders, and cage to build a steadily uglier fight. Hardy eventually creates the spectacle everyone expects from him. He sets Orton on a table, climbs a ladder, grabs the roof of the cell, swings forward, and releases into a splash after Orton moves. Hardy crashes through the table and is immediately treated as injured. The finish is simple because the stunt is the finish: Orton covers while the referee reluctantly counts. It runs longer than necessary, but the violence and character work give it a clear identity.

Lynch wrestles like someone who has studied every part of Flair's offense. She repeatedly attacks the left arm, blocks the Figure Eight, and turns Charlotte's attempts to accelerate into another opportunity to control the limb. Flair's athleticism still creates openings, particularly through the moonsault attempt and power offense, but the crowd remains firmly behind Lynch despite WWE's heel framing. The finish is especially effective because it is clean. Flair charges for the spear, Lynch catches the momentum and rolls through into a pin, winning the title without a weapon, distraction, or referee mistake. Flair offers a handshake afterward and Lynch refuses it. The match is not their eventual masterpiece, but it establishes the rivalry's emotional balance and gives Lynch a deserved championship victory.

The match is built on deprivation: every time Rollins or Ambrose appears ready to make the hot tag or complete a finishing sequence, the champions find one more interruption. Ziggler and McIntyre cut the ring effectively without reducing the pace, and the challengers' comebacks grow more frantic as the match progresses. The final third becomes a superb sequence of dives, saves, near falls, and counters without losing track of who is legal. The finish is excellent. Rollins hoists Ziggler for the Falcon Arrow after a superplex, McIntyre races across the ring with a Claymore, and Ziggler falls on top of Rollins for the pin. It is dramatic, technically sharp, and one of WWE's strongest main-roster tag matches of the year.

Styles enters angry after weeks of Joe targeting his family, but Joe quickly turns that emotion against him by forcing the champion into a more physical fight. Joe's strikes and power offense create the base, while Styles repeatedly has to change pace and attack from unusual angles. Their closing stretch is strong because it finally makes the Coquina Clutch feel decisive. Joe catches Styles during the Phenomenal Forearm, Styles rolls backward into a pin, and the referee counts three while Styles is visibly tapping outside the official's line of sight. The controversy is deliberate rather than accidental, immediately giving Joe a legitimate complaint. It is not the clean conclusion the rivalry needs, but the wrestling is excellent enough to make the disputed finish effective in isolation.

The mixed tag works best when Miz is avoiding Bryan and Maryse is avoiding Brie, letting the characters carry a match that cannot rely on equal ring experience across all four participants. Bryan and Miz bring immediate intensity whenever they are legal, while Brie provides the crowd with the comeback against Maryse that the structure promises. The pace drops when Maryse has to sustain longer exchanges, but the match mostly protects that limitation by emphasizing stalling and shortcuts. The finish fits the heels even though the execution is clumsy. Brie attempts a roll-up, Maryse reverses it while grabbing the tights, and the pin barely settles into position before the count. It keeps Bryan chasing Miz, but it is more effective as storyline maintenance than as wrestling.

The rematch improves on their SummerSlam squash by giving Bliss a clear target and a reason to survive. Rousey enters with injured ribs, allowing Bliss to attack the body, use interference from Mickie James and Alicia Fox, and repeatedly stop the champion's momentum before it develops. Rousey's selling gives the match more uncertainty than the result itself ever has. Once she finally fires up, the balance changes quickly. Rousey absorbs another rib attack, hits the twisting slam, and transitions into the armbar for the submission. Bliss never feels likely to regain the championship, but the injured-rib story gives her offense coherence and lets Rousey demonstrate vulnerability without weakening her. It is a solid first pay-per-view defense rather than a major title match.

Reigns and Strowman begin with the heavy physicality that made their 2017 matches effective. Strowman throws the champion into steel and attacks with the steps, while Reigns survives the running powerslam and eventually spears Strowman through a table. Then the actual title match effectively stops. Ziggler, McIntyre, Rollins, and Ambrose fight outside and on top of the cell while Reigns and Strowman remain down for several minutes. Lesnar's surprise return creates a huge reaction, but he kicks open the door, attacks both men, and leaves a second referee to declare a no-contest. The spectacle is undeniable. The result is indefensible for a scheduled Money in the Bank cash-in inside a stipulation built to guarantee finality.