The video packages on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW made it look like WWE intends to promote the Hell in a Cell match between Shane McMahon and The Undertaker as the main event of WrestleMania. Chris Jericho specifically highlighted and spelled out how big of a main event the clash will be and why it deserves to be the show’s marquee match. The emphasis put on the term main event on Monday has made a lot of people talk about how the battle for control of RAW will be the way WWE closes the show next Sunday night.
One important thing to remember is that WWE has been very loose with that term. A main event isn’t the final match on the show. WWE could call Hell in a Cell, Brock Lesnar vs. Dean Ambrose and the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match main events if they wish to do so. It’s just a phrase. The emphasis on the phrase was not to convey to the masses that it would be the final match to take place on April 3, but rather that it is a very important match that you can not miss.
WWE loves to end WrestleMania with a massive fireworks display. What outcome will lead to an appropriate celebration? While Shane McMahon winning the match ostensibly means that Vince McMahon, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon are going to be taking a hike, it also means that The Undertaker now has a second loss at WrestleMania. Do you really think the crowd is going to be “sent home happy” with that being the final imprint stamped on their evening? Alternatively, if The Undertaker wins, that means that while he will have avoided a second ‘Mania defeat, he also destroyed the chance for the WWE fans to see the change that they want to see. Oh, and there’s that pesky realization that a win for the Deadman means that Vince, Stephanie and Triple H will still be in charge on April 4 just like they were on March 28. That is also not a very good reason to celebrate.
If the stipulation was a little more concrete it might make a bit more sense to put the match on last. Right now if Undertaker loses it will be his final WrestleMania match, but of course if Shane gets control he can simply override that. The big stipulation is that if Shane O Mac wins, he gains control of Monday Night RAW. Vince McMahon made that clear initially, but since has stated that control of RAW means control of WWE, and this past Monday night Byron Saxton made it very clear on a number of occasions that the prodigal son was fighting for control of WWE, not just for control of Monday nights. At the same time, they are still being insanely vague. If Shane McMahon wins, he gets control but there’s no guarantee that Mr. McMahon and The Authority will be going anywhere. Vince himself said on RAW that Triple H and Stephanie would “probably” quit and that he would make himself scarce.
What happens to Shane if he loses? Uh… things go back to the way they were for him before he made his surprise return a few weeks ago.
The angle that Shane has some sort of secret (or something, it was very unclear) hanging over his father’s head was dropped immediately. It was a murky start to a story that has been vague and confusing the whole way through.
Yes, the match could, possibly, maybe, but more than likely won’t, have a big impact on WWE for the immediate and presumably foreseeable future. That doesn’t mean it has to be the way WWE ends what they are calling their biggest show ever. Since they made it clear that Triple H doesn’t get fired if Shane wins, his match with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on the line does not lose its meaning and doesn’t have its outcome spoiled if the outcome of Hell in a Cell is not in favor of The Undertaker.
Triple H vs. Roman Reigns will close the show. Reigns will win the title and he will have a celebration amidst the fireworks in Dallas as WrestleMania goes off the air. Believe that.
