Sunday June 20, 2021 inside of the WWE Thunder Dome we have the latest PPV from WWE. We were given the below matches:
- WWE Championship — Bobby Lashley (c) vs. Drew McIntyre (Hell in a Cell)
- SmackDown Women’s Championship — Bianca Belair (c) vs. Bayley (Hell in a Cell)
- Raw Women’s Championship — Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Charlotte Flair
- Alexa Bliss vs. Shayna Baszler
- Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn
- Cesaro vs. Seth Rollins
Bayley vs. Bianca Belair for the Smackdown Women’s Championship
Bianca and Bayley open the show. The women start the match by talking trash before the bell rings. They each land a couple of moves before they reach a standoff, Bayley is armed with a chair while Bianca is using her hair like a whip. Bianca wins the standoff and places Bayley on the top rope to attempt a superplex. Bayley fights her off, forcing Bianca to do a back flip off the rope to avoid being punched.
Bianca sticks the landing and springs back up on the rope to continue her attempt of a superplex. Bayley is able to slip out again and smashes Bianca’s head against the ring post. She uses this opportunity to take control of the match. She focuses on the arm of Bianca to weaken her. Bianca is able to get some space from Bayley and tosses the steel steps at Bayley as she tries to catch her breath outside the ring.
Outside the ring, Bayley uses 2 kindo sticks that she taped together to attack the midsection of Bianca. Bayley then sets up to sets of elongated kendo sticks like a table with the anticipation to slam Bainca through them. Bianca was able to break free leading to her chasing Bayley through the ring and meeting Bayley back outside with a spine buster through the kendo sticks. Bayley ties Bianca’s hair to the bottom of a chair and applies a submission hold on Bianca.
Belair is able to break free and returns the favor by tying her hair to Bayley’s wrist. She drags Bayley back outside and bashes Bayley’s head and back against the cell. Bayley uses a ladder to create separation once again. The fight makes its way back into the ring where Bayley hits the Rose Plant, but is unable to capitalize on it due to the damage done to her knee. Bianca plants Bayley on the ladder and tries a dive off the top ropes, but Bayley rolls out of the way. Bianca lands on her feet and recovers to hit a running senton on Bayley while she is laying on the ladder. This sets Belair up to land her KOD on the ladder and pinning Bayley for the victory.
This was a great match to have as the opening match. These women put on a spectacular show. I knew this had potential to be a show stealer, but as the opening match, they set the bar extremely high.
Seth Rollins vs. Cesaro
Seth did not waste anytime to get the match started. He jumped Cesaro from behind as he was making his entrance to the ring. Unfortunately for Seth, it did not give him the advantage he was hoping for. Cesaro was able to take his jacket off and gain control of the match. He was able to showcase his strength and throw Seth all over the ring.
Seth finally got the opening he needed to get some offense in. He get Cesaro on the top rope and gets pushed off before he could hit his signature superplex/falcon arrow combo. Cesaro goes for a cross body off the tope rope that Seth turned into his own pinning attempt by using Cesaro’s momentum against him. Seth is able to hit a falcon Arrow and hold him down for a 2 count.
Cesaro is able to hit Seth with his big swing and puts him in a sharpshooter. Seth is able to slide free, but Cesaro is right on top of him to put him in a crossface. Seth breaks free once again for Cesaro to put him in a second sharpshooter. Seth was able to get out one last time to get away from Cesaro. Cesaro goes for another submission hold that Seth counters into a small package for the win.
Shayna Baszler vs. Alexa Bliss
The match begins with Shayna showing a little hesitation. Reginald causes a distraction for Baszler to get the upper hand to start the match. Every attack she initiates though is met with a smile from Bliss. Alexa gets in the head of Shayna by crawling like she is fresh out of the Ring movies leading to some offense from Bliss.
Baszler gets back into control of the match, but each move she does continues to put a smile on Alexa’s face. Shayna stomps on Alexa’s elbow and for a brief 15 seconds she show a reaction of pain. It was quickly turned into hysterical laughter. Shayna locks Alexa in a wristlock that Alexa got out of by getting Shayna to stare into her eyes, using mind games to force Shayna to let go. Alexa then hypnotizes Nia outside the ring, causing her to slap Reginald.
Shayna comes up behind Alexa and attempts to put her in the coquina clutch, but Bliss escapes. She hits Baszler with a Sister Abigail style DDT and twisted Bliss for the victory.
Alexa is a solid fighter without the gimmick. It feels like management and the creative team do not know what to do with either superstar.
Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn
Owens comes in showing that he is still shaken up fro mthe Nigerian Nail that he took Friday night. Sami Zayn jumps on him early and often trying to take advantage of KO’s comprimised state. He knocks Owens out of the ring and meets him otside with a dive over the top rope. KO is able to get some separation and takes the fight back outside to get some wind back in his lungs. KO knocks Sami down to hit a senton bomb off the apron, to be met with Sami getting his knees up.
Both men exchange haymakers inside and outside of the ring. KO was able to hit Sami with a stunner outside of the ring even with a bad left shoulder. The match gets back into the ring and the 2 men excahnge more haymakers. Sami hits the blue thunder bomb for a 2 count. KO goes for a second stunner, but it was countered with a back suplex where KO landed square on his shoulder again. KO crawled his way to the corner to be met with a Heluva kick that led to Sami Zayn picking up the victory.
This match was hard hitting like it was meant to be a street fight. The chemistry between these 2 is top tier. This feud does not feel like it is over and the way the were slugging it out, it does not look like it is getting stale.
Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley for the Raw Women’s Championship
Charlotte starts the mind games before the bell rings to get Ripley off her game. Rhea asks for the bell and comes out overly aggressive in rage. Charlotte side steps Rhea and rolls her up for a near fall. Rhea kicks out at 2 and has to take time out of the ring to collect her thoughts. Charlotte continues to yell at her from the ring.
Rhea gets back in to be met with more offense from Charlotte. Flair continues to use her experience advantage to dominate Ripley and begins to focus on the left leg. Rhea finally creates some space and gets her offense flowing with a series of strikes and headbutts. Charlotte is knocked to the apron where she side steps a boot frim Rhea to lock in a single leg bar taking advantage of the 4 count from the ref.
Rhea hits Charlotte with a big boot outside the ring and lands a missile dropkick from the top rope. Ripley locks in her 8 Inverted Cloverleaf. Charlotte is able to get to the rope to get out of the hold. Charlotte catches Ripley with the natural selection for a 2 count. Charlotte lands the 2 Andrade signature moves that she added to her move set.
Rhea hits Charlotte with a superplex and a riptide, but was too close too the rope to get the 3 count. Charlotte slides out of the ring to get Ripley to chase her, leading to her attacking the left leg again. After smashing Ripley’s leg into the steps, she gets her back into the ring and locks in the figure 4. Rhea was able to get to the ropes to break the hold and slide out of the ring.
Once outside of the ring, Ripley hits Charlotte with a the top from the announce table causing a disqualification. The fight continues after Charlotte is declared the winner, leading to us knowing that this feud is far from over. The only question left is what kind of match will they have next. Also, what is next for Rhea after this tease of a heel turn?
Drew McIntyre vs. Bobby Lashley for the WWE Championship
Time for the main event. If Drew McIntyre loses, he cannot get another title shot as long as Bobby Lashley is champion. The match starts and the immediately take the action outside to the cell. McIntyre is in complete, throwing Lashley into the cell multiple times. He grabs the steel steps to to hit Lashley, but is met with a kick to the gut. Lashley gets a couple of shots in, but McIntyre gains control again. McIntyre gets the steps in his hands again, this time he connects with Lashley’s skull.
They take the action back in the ring where Drew hits Lashley with a belly to belly suplex from one corner to the next. Lashley slides back out of the ring to get away from McIntyre, but is met outside with a kendo stick. McIntyre sets up a table to throw Lashley through, but by the time het gets back to Lashley, he gets hit in the throat with MVP’s cane. This gives Lashley the advantage that he needed to get some offense in.
Lashley’s offense is short lived. Lashley goes for a suplex on half of the steel steps, but has it reversed into a white noise by McIntyre. Drew sets up a second table to suplex Lashley through, but once again took too long, giving Lashley a chance to get out of harms way by chopping Drew in thr throat. Lashley throws McIntyre the steel cell, but McIntyre bounced off it to meet Lashley with a clothesline. The 2 men take the fight back into the ring.
McIntyre slams Lashley face first onto a steel chair for a near fall. Drew then climbs to the top rope with a chair but it is reversed into an hurt lock attempt. McIntyre gets out and hits Lashley with a spine buster for a 2 count. Without wasting anytime, McIntyre hits a sit down powerbomb for another 2 count. They go back outside where McIntyre goes to use the steps again, but gets those very steps pushed back in his face. MVP gets involved, helping Lashley trap McIntyre in the corner of the cell with a kendo stick.
The action gets back into the ring where Lashley drives McIntyre face first into a chair twice. Instead of going for the pin, Lashley grabs a kendo stick. The kendo stick strikes just enrage McIntyre. He hits Lashley with a chair and a future shock DDT. McIntyre goes for the pin, but the referee was unable to make the count due to being knocked out. McIntyre instructs the outside ref to come in to make the count. Lashley tries to lock in the hurt lock again, but McIntyre escapes to hit Lashley with a Claymore kick.
Right as we thought this was going to lead to a 3 count, MVP, who slid into the cell when the second ref came in, pulled the referree out stopping the count. Mcintyre gets his hands on MVP, hitting him with a claymore to eliminate him. Lashley locks in another hurt lock outside the ring leading to McIntyre using his weight to drive both of the through table number one. Lashley slams McIntyre through table number 2. They get back into the ring where McIntyre lands a headbutt, a future shock DDT, and sets up for the Claymore to win the match, only to have MVP get up in time to grab McIntyre’s leg, allowing Lashley to get up and roll McIntyre up for the win.
Another hard hitting match. Both men left it all in the ring. McIntyre’s move set is a little deeper than what Lashley brings to the table, which is why he was dominant majority of the match. That leads us to the million dollar question for the WWE title. With McIntyre out of the picture….. Who’s next?
Halftime Fan Banter 