Do Themed Pay-Per-Views Make Sense For WWE?

By seanmeyers @sdmeyers1 on October 25, 2014

This Sunday, WWE will hold its annual pay-per-view event, Hell In A Cell. The main attractions of the show are the two main events — each which will be contested inside the destructive cell structure.

The idea of a themed pay-per-view, in which the main event or several key matches are contested under unique rules, is nothing new in the professional wrestling industry. Dating back to the late 1980s, WWE annually hosted the Survivors Series and Royal Rumble. Survivors Series pitted two teams of four or five competitors against each other in an elimination-style match, while the Royal Rumble added a twist to the battle royal, with 30 combatants who entered at timed intervals battling to become the last man standing. Similarly, WCW held yearly events in which the top attractions were gimmick matches.

In recent years, however, WWE has centered more than half of its pay-per-view events around themed matches. Aside from the three aforementioned events, Elimination Chamber, Extreme Rules, Money In the Bank and TLC are all annual staples of the WWE’s calendar.

Including Sunday’s event, each of the next five pay-per-views will be themed events which will likely include one or multiple stipulation matches.

The idea is that saving some of the most exciting styles of matches, such as a ladder match, a battle royal or in the case of the upcoming event, a Hell In A Cell match, will make the event more compelling than if the superstars simply competed in a standard one-fall bout.

While that notion often holds true, it’s important to examine why these specific types of matches are being contested, and if the stipulations match the storylines. The dual main event for this Sunday provides an example.

Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose have engaged in a lengthy rivalry that has spanned multiple events. Dating back to June, the duo has been intertwined at WWE pay-per-views. Initially, Rollins edged Ambrose, among others, to capture the Money In the Bank briefcase. At Battleground, The Authority barred Ambrose from the building because of a brawl, which led to Rollins winning via forfeit. The following month at SummerSlam, they competed in a lumberjack match, with Rollins coming out on top. Most recently, at Night of Champions, Rollins was celebrating another forfeit victory over Roman Reigns, when Ambrose returned from injury to brawl throughout the arena with his former brethren in The Shield.

In this particular feud, it makes perfect sense for the decisive match to be held inside the cell. Rollins has seemingly dodged Ambrose with regularity, and when the two have clashed, outside interference has always prevented a true winner from being determined. Pitting the two inside Hell In A Cell is the fitting conclusion to an incredible rivalry.

The other main event between John Cena and Randy Orton, however, has no reason to be contested inside the demonic structure. In an effort to avoid a repetitive, stale match between two competitors who have squared off dozens of times over the years, WWE has placed the two legendary performers inside the cell. With no justification to do so, however, the match loses some of its luster.

Stipulation matches should be used only when the storyline dictates it. The Hell In A Cell structure doesn’t feel as special when it’s utilized for a match thrown together just two weeks prior to the event. The contest could turn out to steal the show, but it could come at the expense of the Hell In A Cell losing its appeal.

Sean Meyers is a professional wrestling writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter and “Like” him on Facebook.