WWE presented Hell in a Cell steel cage matches on Friday\’s SmackDown and Monday\’s Raw. You could argue that these matches diluted the uniqueness of the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, but the company had a very specific reason for booking this way.
SEScoops has learned that WWE ran the Hell in a Cell matches on Raw and SmackDown in an effort to provide their television partners (Fox and USA Network) a little \”something extra.\” The pandemic era was not kind to WWE viewership. Raw and SmackDown have drawn historic-low ratings this past year.
In light of their massive TV contracts, WWE has been feeling the pressure to jumpstart things to renew fan interest.
WWE initially had Roman Reigns vs. Rey Mysterio booked for the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view. That match was moved to Friday\’s SmackDown to boost viewership. The tactic worked, as SmackDown topped 2 million viewers.
USA Network was said to be unhappy about WWE holding a special Hell in a Cell match on SmackDown instead of Raw. This was a a factor in the Bobby Lashley vs. Xavier Woods match airing on last night\’s Raw.
