Women Of WWE Main Event Hell In A Cell PPV

What happened? Did WWE’s survey prove that fans were ready to see women main event a Hell in a Cell PPV?

For those who may not have been aware, the WWE has recently been taken steps towards at least the appearance of women’s equality in what they call “sports entertainment,” if not putting it into actual practice. Recently, Monday Night Raw‘s “managers” Mick Foley and Stephanie McMahon staged it so wrestler Sasha Banks would call out Charlotte Flair, one of the key new players of the WWE, and daughter of legend Ric Flair. In the call out, Sasha pushed for Charlotte to fight her in a Hell in a Cell (HIAC) match on the Raw Brand’s upcoming Hell in a Cell pay per view event. (They are nothing if not creative in the naming of these PPVs.) This appeared to be WWE’s attempt to if not embrace the feminist movement in the US, at least acknowledge the sea change happening around us. Especially since this was to go down in history as WWE’s first-ever Women’s HIAC match.

Soon after, Mick Foley posted to facebook that the match would not only be the first Women’s Hell in a Cell match, but also making history as the first time for a women’s match to main event a PPV! However, whether due to fan complaint, or cold feet on the part of management, he would end up walking it back, somewhat. The news, as far as we saw, was met with excitement, though little criticism, but there appeared to be no need for either as Mick Foley added this note to his original statement…

"* Mick’s note: I have no idea which match will go on last, or which match will go down in history as being the official main event. The Universal Championship match between Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins is shaping up to be something special, and I am sure both men will be doing their best to steal the show – which is as it should be. In the end, the main event is whatever each fan decides it is."

The added note to his original post  basically stated that it was not known which match would go on last, and that one of the two other HIAC matches, starring wrestlers Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens, also had big things planned for their match too. He also added that “in the end, the main event is whatever each fan decides it is”. The added note was met with heavy criticism from fans and several rumors that a women’s main event was not favored by Vince McMahon, who is the owner of the WWE promotion. He felt that the women, especially Sasha Banks, were too frail or accident prone… Seriously?

Rumors included that Mick Foley, Stephanie McMahon, Triple H, and almost everyone backstage wanted a historical Women’s HIAC Main Event. A poll was posted by WWE asking which match fans were most excited to see. Most fans were excited to see Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks as the main event at HIAC! Guess what! The fans vote pulled enough weight to force Vince’s chauvinistic hand in favor of the women’s main event…

In the end, Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks became a large part of this historic feminist movement storyline, by being the first women to not only compete in Hell in a Cell, but the first women to ever main event a PPV, ever…

The match started off with a quick fake injury when Charlotte powerbombed Sasha through the announce table, breaking the table with the weight of her landing. (Hey, it’s what the announce tables are for!) Charlotte was calling for her title as Sasha was being loaded up on a stretcher by EMT’s. This led fans to think that maybe Vince was right about Sasha being accident prone after all? Even the heel announcer was perfect at playing the sexiest Trumpian. He was complaining that the women shouldn’t have been allowed to main event HIAC over the match for the Raw Universal Championship Title!

But wait! Just as the match was being called a forfeit, Sasha fought off the paramedics in a kayfabe move to hop up, although injured, just when the fans thought it was over and that the title was going to Charlotte. All of this before the match even (technically) began! Sasha was up and making her way to the ring, slapping one of the EMT’s along the way! The bell rings and the real match begins… You didn’t really fall for that did you?

The women battled back and forth until Sasha climbed across the top of the cell like she was SpiderWoman and found a way to jump from the cell onto Charlotte! (A move, we should note, heavier male wrestlers would not have been able to pull off nearly as well.) Then the women battled some more in a perfect act, making the match seem just as real as the men ever could.

Both women were using everything they could get their hands on. Tables, chairs, and even the steel (well, aluminum) steps. You have to admit that it’s rare that WWE allows the ladies to wreck such havok in the ring, let alone in their storylines. Charlotte hit Sasha’s head on the steel steps. Then Sasha threw Charlotte into a table! There were numerous attempts to pin from both women and still nothing!

Just when Charlotte was attempting to set up yet another table, there was Sasha, getting up from what appeared to be a realistic knock out. Charlotte almost locked in the Figure 8 move in retaliation, but Sasha grabbed a chair and began hitting Charlotte with it until she let the lock go! Here comes Sasha with the Bank Statement! Charlotte doesn’t allow her to lock it in. Both women were working on getting the other through a table, but none of the attempts work. Until Charlotte pins Sasha! 1, 2,3, and of course Ric Flair’s daughter is the one to win the match…

Next: Why Women’s Equality Is Still Lost In WWE’s New Era

Charlotte Flair is now a 3-time Women’s Champion and a 2-Time Raw Women’s Champion, but Sasha and Charlotte both won in making the first-ever Women’s Hell in a Cell Main Event a match you will remember forever. Proving that women can be just as good at making a main event at HIAC seem real. Just as real, if not better, than any man could…