The Hell In A Cell pay-per-view, and the match itself, make up a huge piece of WWE’s history. A newer piece of said history is that of the few women’s Hell In A Cell matches we’ve seen. As a result of the women’s revolution, the female performers in WWE got the opportunity to go at it inside the cell just like the men.
So far, there has been four women’s Hell In A Cell matches. Three out of the four have included Sasha Banks. Women’s Hell In A Cell matches were featured at the following Hell In A Cell pay-per-views: 2016, 2019, 2020, and 2021. We have seen Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks vs. Bayley, and Bayley vs. Bianca Belair.
Throughout the years, the women’s match has always been one to steal the show. Many times we only see wrestlers get thrown into the cell when the feud is undeserving of it. However, with there being only one women’s Hell In A Cell match, it is normally given to the feud that is most deserving of it.
Previous Women’s Hell In A Cell Matches
Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte Flair (2016)
Charlotte and Sasha set the stage for what the women could do inside Hell In A Cell. From their entrances, you could tell that this match was extremely meaningful. These women took brutal and captivating bumps before the bell even rang. Even though there were some unfortunate, and uncontrollable, mishaps, these women were able to put forward incredible efforts. Unfortunately, the finish of the match was messed up, and the result deflated the crowd, but these women went on to have better matches against each other.
Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch (2019)
Sasha Banks vs Becky Lynch has been regarded as one of the best women’s wrestling matches in the WWE. This was viewed as Sasha Banks’ redemption match from her match with Charlotte Flair. The atmosphere of this match really enhanced the match itself. There was so much creativity within this match that it set the bar for the other female Hell In A Cell matches to come. The match itself is regarded as one of the best Hell In A Cell matches of all time.
Sasha Banks vs Bayley (2020)
Sasha Banks vs Bayley was the culmination of one of the biggest stories during WWE’s pandemic era. Banks’ legacy was partially formed due to the incredible matches she had within the cell. Each year, we have seen Sasha improvise and create new things to do within the cell. Bayley’s first go in the cell was one of the defining matches of the pandemic. She was not afraid to take the bumps necessary to make it as legendary as it was.
Sasha and Bayley have such a long history that they were able to use that to their advantage. Everyone remembers their match from NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn. They did all they could to create new spots and moments to try and make the match just as memorable.
Bayley vs Bianca Belair (2021)
Bianca Belair’s first time in the cell was epic. With only about five years of experience, Belair was able to define her career with that match. From Bianca’s gear to her creativity inside the match, it was one of the significant matches in Bianca’s match catalog.
It would be a crime to not mention the performance that Bayley put on in this match. Bayley worked this match as the veteran had already competed against Sasha in the cell the year before. She was able to lead the match while still playing up her usual heel tactics. Bayley had been messing with Bianca since before she won the title. This was the perfect stipulation for this feud that was unfortunately was also the last match in the feud as Bayley got hurt before their scheduled ‘I Quit’ match.
The Importance Of Women’s Hell In A Cell Matches
It’s another scathing indictment of the booking of the women’s division that there is not a women’s Hell In A Cell match on this card. Between the walkout and suspension of the women’s Hell In A Cell veteran Sasha Banks and Naomi, and the lack of strong storylines in the women’s division on SmackDown, it is honestly no surprise that this is where the division is at right now. As the card currently stands, the SmackDown Women’s Championship isn’t even being defended at the pay-per-view.
Possible Hell In A Cell Matches For This Year
Each year, we see new women enter the cell and test the limits of their in-ring ability. It’s sad that this will not be the case this year. There are many women on the roster who would’ve been deserving of the Hell In A Cell match slot.
The best option for this year seems to be Liv Morgan vs Rhea Ripley. If Asuka hadn’t returned, it would’ve made sense to do Becky Lynch vs Bianca Belair inside the cell for the Raw Women’s Championship. This would’ve been the perfect match stipulation to tie a bow on their long-running feud. The Raw Women’s Championship feud is currently based on a two-person feud that Bianca was placed in. It doesn’t make sense to put this feud inside of the cell due to the lack of engagement in the feud from the champion herself.
There are many combinations of undeveloped stars within the division that would’ve especially benefited from having the experience of being in the cell. Especially those like Rhea Ripley, Shotzi, Liv Morgan, Doudrop, Zelina Vega, Shayna Baszler, and so much more would benefit from being in a match like this.
They truly have dropped the ball with the opportunity to include a women’s Hell In A Cell match like they have for the last three years. The division, especially in the state it is in without its big stars like Sasha, Naomi, and Charlotte, the other women in the division would’ve benefitted from the chance to compete in a more hardcore and savage match stipulation.
