Smark Out Moment

Welcome to another edition of Triple Threat from Smark Out Moment, where three of us get together to discuss three questions based on one big topic going down in the week of professional wrestling.

This week, Robert DeFelice, Andy Sahadeo and Jordan Chaffiote will be giving their opinions on what they expect from WWE Hell in a Cell 2017!

The SmackDown Live roster is headed straight for hell! Can Shane beat Kevin? Can Jinder win one more time? Who will walk out with gold? Let's discuss...


DeFELICE: I wish they would stop naming the pay-per-view events after gimmick matches. Because, even if the gimmick match is being used properly, it will always appear as though the match is taking place just for the show's namesake. These two teams are putting on wrestling clinic after wrestling clinic. Now, I know in today's day and age this is common of most wrestling matches on most wrestling shows, but I feel like these two teams still deserve an ovation for what they're doing and in years to come these matches will be remembered for being so good. Shout out to all five men. All five were toiling away less than three years back and getting lost in the mix but they have found themselves and captured magic in their respective personas. That being said, I see The Usos taking their rightful place in history and giving the performance of a lifetime as only Samoan WWE Superstars can. This match will be fun and The Usos walk away as the new champions, ending this game of championship hot potato for now…

As for what's next, unfortunately, the division is bare. I don't really know who can come next so I will suggest a debuting Authors Of Pain will breathe some life into SmackDown Live and their depleted Tag Team Championship scene.

SAHADEO: Besides Kevin Owens and Shane McMahon, The Usos and New Day have been one of the best feuds going on right now. Every single promo and segment these two teams have been featured in is just absolute gold. I'm so happy for The Usos because I had gotten so sick and frustrated with them playing the pandering babyface gimmick and this heel turn really rejuvenated their career.

As for the match, obviously, you can tell that I'm super excited. Like Jordan, I was at SummerSlam live as well and I got to bear witness to one of the, if not THE, best matches on the card between The Usos and The New Day. Unfortunately, this will be the final match between the two and the SmackDown Live tag team division is looking very thin right now. An Authors of Pain call-up would really freshen things up, as AOP just dropped their NXT Tag Team Titles not too long ago. AOP are a perfect example of a homegrown WWE team and their improvement has been tremendous. AOP vs either The Usos or The New Day would be incredibly refreshing for the lagging tag team division on SmackDown Live.

CHAFFIOTTE: The Usos and the New Day have consistently been among the best matches on every card they grace. I got to see the SummerSlam one live and it was truly something special. They've found ways to make it different each time and I don't really foresee myself getting tired of it anytime soon. The reality is that WWE split up divisions that were too small from the get-go. They should've put the tag titles on one show and the women's on another, but they didn't and now we do have to lean too heavily on a handful of teams. But, as far as teams to lean on are concerned, I'm really pretty happy with these.

There will be so much athleticism in this match, along with Big E getting to flex his power move muscle. It's going to be a spectacle. I would not be surprised in the slightest if the spot of the year comes from this match. Am I excited for this match? Yes, but I'll do you one better. I think it should main event. KO vs. Shane might be a more important feud but we all sort of know how it's going to go down. Usos vs. New Day could really go either way and the journey will be so delightful. It deserves the spotlight after closing out the pre-show at SummerSlam.


SAHADEO: Personally, I'm always entertained by every Shane McMahon match. Shane has improved vastly in the ring from 10+ years ago, which is very surprising given his age and his time away from the ring. I mean, Shane genuinely wrestles in the ring and he looks damn good and realistic at doing it. You can tell that he's put in the work to make sure that he puts on consistently great matches – just look at how he and AJ Styles tore down the house at WrestleMania.

As for the outcome, it's pretty obvious that Shane McMahon is taking yet another loss, but he doesn't need any wins. Shane is already an established veteran whom the fans admire and respect. His job there is to make Kevin Owens look great and put him over. I'm just waiting for that huge classic Shane McMahon spot because his death-defying jumps always take the breath out of me. Regardless of such, expect a KO victory at Hell in a Cell.

CHAFFIOTTE: Like I said, Shane McMahon matches all blend together for me. Sure, I was impressed that he hung with AJ Styles at WrestleMania, but I feel like I see his match over and over again. Here's the play by play: Owens will look all too serious, Shane will do a silly little dance. Owens will use his power and incredible agility, Shane will bump around a bit for him. Owens will miss on a big spot, Shane will go climb up to the top of the cell, cross himself, and jump off. It will all be very dangerous for a 45-year-old but really very compelling. Owens probably needs the teeth, and let's be real O'Mac isn't meant to be a full-time wrestler so his win-loss record doesn't actually matter. Owens will probably pop-up powerbomb him to get the win after kicking out of the previously mentioned very dangerous spot off the wall of the cell.

Owens is a delight no matter what he's doing. He stands still and I am entertained. I just am really looking forward to the Owens vs. Ohno, Owens vs. Dunne, Owens vs. Nakamura that hopefully in our future.

DeFELICE: Kevin Owens, no matter how much the company has changed, does not look like a WWE Superstar. However, he routinely gets out of this world opportunities and it can be argued that he has been the most successful of any high-grade independent wrestler signing. There's a reason for this. Kevin Owens maximizes his minutes and he is damn good on that mic. He's getting opportunities that nobody has been afforded since CM Punk, who was also good on the mic. Personally, I feel like Kevin's first Hell in a Cell should have been with Sami Zayn, but the fact that he's getting to work with Shane McMahon is a testament to how good he is. Also, let's be honest, it's fun to put Shane McMahon in dangerous situations because he will always give you his heart and soul. I see this being a very fun and memorable match with Kevin picking up the win, maybe with some help from Triple H? Okay, that part is a longshot. Shane gets crazy. Kevin wins. That much you can take to the bank.


CHAFFIOTTE: At SummerSlam, we cheered for Jinder as he oddly defeated Shinsuke Nakamura. Not out of apathy for Nakamura, but because the situation is unfair and Jinder has worked hard for years for this spot. It's 2017 guys, we can't really keep doing this lack of diversity thing. Still, they haven't really done anything to move the character, or the story, forward. I gave up on the whole mess after the racist SmackDown promo. It's not exactly that I blame Jinder, I don't know what's in his heart and I haven't heard reports of him actually using this sort of talk outside of the ring. If it was handed to him an hour before, it's the age-old WWE question, how are you supposed to say no? At the same time, I don't feel a need to listen to it, so I've basically skipped past this entire feud. I love Nakamura, I just wish they realized he needs to be more than just an entrance.

If we wipe the slate clean with a decisive Nakamura victory followed by an intense number one contender match, any number of competitors could step up. There's no real heir apparent right now, Styles is preoccupied with the US belt and Bobby Roode has to teach Dolph a lesson. Kevin will probably still be involved with Shane through Survivor Series, but there's one guy who doesn't really have much going for him right now. Sami Zayn could easily take the role of the next number one contender. He and Shinsuke put on a major clinic back in NXT, it was so good I watched it without the sound and could still tell. That might be just what both of them need to get to the next level.

Of course, we're still waiting for that record-breaking 17th title reign for John Cena, so definitely don't believe we've seen the last of him in high-profile matches. But stretching the journey to that will make it worth waiting to see, even though some will be critical it is Super Cena being handed this accolade. Suffice to say, with Raw clearly heading for Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns and SmackDown's WWE Championship scene in complete disarray, I think Cena will be out of the title picture until well into 2018.

DeFELICE: I had originally wanted to ask a question of who could be getting used more prominently on the brand, but then I remembered I had to cover the WWE Championship match. That's a problem. The WWE Championship should be the most revered championship in the industry but Jinder just isn't doing it for me. I would rather the title be on Shinsuke Nakamura, who hasn't fully clicked in his new role either. However, the upside to Nakamura is that he is a seasoned, globally recognized superstar. I would like to see him pick up the win and move on to a rivalry with Kevin Owens, that he'll eventually win, to close out the year and bring on some dream matches for himself come WrestleMania season. As for Jinder, he has definitely worked his ass off and will make a damn fine United States Champion. By the way, when are the Singh Brothers going to get a crack at tag team gold?

SAHADEO: I like Jinder Mahal and I certainly do respect his work ethic. He still isn't the best wrestler or the best on the mic, but the improvement is definitely very evident. I've been very entertained by his cheesy promos the past few weeks, although I think fans overreacted a bit on the inherently racist promo he cut a few weeks back. At SummerSlam, however, I was utterly mortified at Mahal's victory over Shinsuke Nakamura in a highly uneventful match. My jaw dropped as I watched one of the greatest professional wrestlers of this generation lose to Jinder Mahal. Not to discredit Mahal, but seriously?

Shinsuke Nakamura never needed my approval – at the risk of sounding like a total smark, he already won me over during his time with New Japan. To see him lose to Jinder Mahal, especially live, hurt very much – but Mahal's push doesn't seem to be ending any time soon. Expect a Mahal victory at Hell in a Cell over Nakamura. That way, Mahal continues to look strong while Nakamura will be able to be built up properly until he finally gets his well-deserved WWE Championship win. After this feud, I would love to see someone like Rusev get a chance at the WWE Championship, if WWE is willing to take that risk. Rusev and Mahal already had previous beef from Monday Night Raw and they never really got to resolve it, and plus Rusev is another Bray Wyatt-type Superstar that WWE continually screws over. Rusev is a great wrestler and entertainer, and it's only a matter of time for him to win another championship in WWE.