Jey Uso vs. Roman Reigns

[3.0] "Probably one of the most interesting matches ever. This match may very well be one of a kind is absolutely a product of its circumstances, you couldn't do this kind of community theater shit anywhere else, but the Thunderdome. On the wrestling side this is really just a few finishers and fucking around with a strap, but it's not what this match is about, it's about CINEMA. Anyways this sucks ass, holy shit what a waste of time."

[10.0] "This match shows what is the meaning of e word in wwe peak entertainment peak cinema generational character work shows why he is the chosen one by wwe and why he is the deserving one what a peak man I like every bit of it not a single minute I feel bored"

[10.0] "One of the most unusual Hell in a Cell matches in terms of structure -- a great story told inside the match, some cool spots, and a very emotional ending. I remember following the Bloodline storyline with huge interest back then, and this match really moved me"

[0.0] "The worst Hell In A Cell I've ever seen. First of all, the match itself was pretty sloppy in terms of execution of moves. There was a lot of filler, and the spots were used randomly. Usos selling the spear from Reigns looked like he was shot in the head with a revolver, and then he gets up and continues the match. I don't understand why this rivalry could be interesting. The idea of a brother vs. brother match? Reigns faced the Usos when he was still in The Shield, and he was also beating them then. Roman Reigns was a heel back then. But in this series of matches, they wanted to show how much of a heel Reigns is, as he humiliates his brother. Someone even joked that they could have shown Reigns torturing a kitten, and the effect would have been exactly the same -- a big minus. And Reigns' tears? That was just cringey. I honestly didn't understand what happened. How was that behavior connected to the match and what was going on? And then the steps shot to Usos' head with a steel step -- the cherry on top. Considering that on the following SmackDown after this show, Usos were walking around perfectly fine, even though they should have been in the hospital with a concussion at least. I don't know if they were trying to show sympathy or brutality, but for me, it's definitely not 3.5 stars -- it's a solid -3.5 stars. Seriously. It's a shame that Reigns' Bray Wyatt feud was replaced with Reigns doing matches of this level."

[5.0] "It had positives, it had negatives, but I can't say I didn't find a lot of it boring, and it wouldn't really compel me to care for any of the men in the match, I say that, as this is a very story driven match regarding Roman and The Uso's. This is certainly the I Quit stipulation at its worst in regards to the whole holding a microphone stopping the match flow. That said it did get over the fact Roman had undertaken a new persona in comparison to what he was before he became the Tribal Chief. I feel the early spear barrage made the move look weak, and Roman by extension of that, but also Jey never even felt like a threat which is why I never really cared about Reigns in the pandemic era. The end with the Wild Samoans bestowing Reigns with the Ula Fala was a nice touch."

[6.0] "As time goes on this match becomes more painful to watch it's nothing more than a yap session with some really mediocre hardcore wrestling on top of it and it really shows how WWE hasn't innovated since the bloodline storyline. Now I get it, it was the pandemic, WWE had room to experiment with more cinematic type matches (firefly fun house, Boneyard match) but unlike those matches this one hasn't aged the best. I do have to give this match credit though wether I like it or not it made Jey Uso in the eyes of WWE fans a main event star (even though that came around and bit them on the ass recently)"

[7.0] "It is often said that sequels are never as good as their predecessors, and this is a perfect example of why that saying is usually true. I still like much of what Reigns and Jey did here for the same reasons I liked those things in their first bout at Clash of Champions. Reigns played a very effective heel, and his dominant beatdown of Jey was effective at eliciting sympathy for the latter and heat for himself. Nevertheless, the match was, for the most part, a re-tread of their previous bout without having anything interesting to say or do itself. Of course, this time it was even longer and more drawn out--by almost ten minutes in fact--than their first encounter. This resulted in an even slow pace than their first match and even more trash talking from Reigns to fill the dead air. I also thought they could have utilized the cell more than they did to get across how brutal Reigns had become. I did like their use of the strap, and the sound of them scourging one another came across clear as day and really emphasized much far both were willing to go to do what they set out to accomplish: Jey to get revenge on Reigns and Reigns to beat respect into Jey with both of course wanting the title as well. Not every spot worked quite so well, however, as their use of the steel steps demonstrates. I thought the spot that saw Reigns deliver the drive-by to Jey using them was not particularly brutal looking, and it wasn't helped by how the camera caught how little impact it had despite the cameraman trying to turn away. For being such a pivotal turning point in the match in highlighting how far Reigns was willing to go, it was very underwhelming. I did enjoy the finish, especially because it built on the conclusion to their previous match by involving Jimmy. It was also a clever way to protect Jey from having to quit himself and a great way of contrasting his babyface character to Reigns ruthless heel persona. Overall, I still liked this match, but I think it could have better had they done more interesting things with the cell and cut about eight-or-so minutes from it to quicken the pace. ***1/4"

[10.0] "One of the best Hell in a Cell matches of the modern era, probably would be if the last two weren't bangers, insane groundbreaking earth shattering storytelling and it's amazing to look back on this in awe five years on from then. Jey Uso has always been a star"

[3.0] "From their NOC match to this one, they've already started to lose some of the good that they had in that match. Firstly, I do not like the very underwater looking dives Uso does, though this is not only limited to him, I also hate when someone like Rollins does it too. Secondly, this match has excess to it. I think Uso's comebacks and Roman's beatings shouldn't have been as long as they were. Maybe I could forgive more of this if they weren't also where they delivered their very forced 'cinematic' lines to one another. I think it's fine to talk during wrestling matches, but this was just too much. Trim this down to 15-19 minutes and keep the ending because that was the most interesting part of the match."

[6.0] "It's very difficult to judge this match. If you look exclusively at the wrestling, it was a 4, maybe 3 for me. But the storytelling was pure cinema. I have just a problem with people entering the cage for Roman being too violent, the only one justified was Jimmy. Roman's interpretation was absolutely magnificent, loved it."

[6.0] "[3.0*] I should have never rewatched that because the whole aura goes completely away on a second watch. This is one of the worst Roman singles defenses I can recall. The whole match was super boring and the only cool part is after Jimmy enters the cage. Yes, the last 3-5 minutes are indeed CINEMA, this is just great, I was speechless again, incredible storytelling and progression, but the whole match besides that is boring and slow."

[8.0] "This was an epic and dramatic match. No matter what Roman threw at Jey, Jey preserved and never quit. Roman would get frustrated and eventually Jimmy came out which made for an emotional moment, only for Roman to choke him out and force Jey to quit to save his brother."

[10.0] "Currently rewatching through all of Roman's title reign as it ended last night. I used to think this was just phenomenal... now, this is perfection. The Clash Of Champions match was phenomenal, but this... this is just once in a lifetime. This one match set up almost 4 years of television. Should've been the main event. Wow."

[9.0] "What they should've run back at Summerslam 2023. This had all the tension; Summerslam 2023 didn't. Instead, we got the Tribal Combat rubbish that just made this look even better."

"I watched this show without watching the lead up to the event and as a match I found it slow and tedious for the main part, with only short bursts of exciting action. I don't watch PPV matches for storyline development and a lot of this felt like the kind of padding I'd expect from a television match."

[10.0] "This is still the best title defense Roman has had during his title reign. Roman has mastered the art of the cinematic match type. The way he tells a story in these matches using dialogue and acting skills during his matches is absolutely incredible. You dont always need moves to tell a story in wrestling."

[7.0] "More of a story than a match so I can't rate it that high. Not many moves were done and it went on longer than it needed to. Props for the acting on show, Roman with the face of regret and the Usos with the shock of Roman's actions, this was the start of the bloodline."

[7.0] "This match played out exactly like a Shakespeare play, it was gripping, it was emotional, it made me cry, just beautiful work here."

[6.0] "I will give both these two credit for using the lack of crowd to create a unique match that would not fly if they tried to pull this in front of a lively arena, even if I thought this was way too drawn out and felt like that South Park wrestling parody at times. Despite all that, I was sucked into the drama and I was rooting for Jey to pull off a miracle, so I suppose that they did what they set out to do. Reigns showed a wide range of emotions and this felt like it could be his audition tape to join Rock and Cena in Hollywood. Even if this was a touch ridiculous, both men sold this to an extent that this felt serious. The conversational trash-talking that takes over the second half of the match was delivered well, even if the lack of action did ultimately irk me. Uso sells well and takes a hell of an ass-whooping. After officials rush the cage in a failed attempt to stop Roman's onslaught, Jimmy Uso finally makes an appearance and tries to talk some sense into Roman. It looks like it might have finally calmed Reigns down, only for Reigns to attack Jimmy. Jey finally tapping out after Jimmy gets suckered into Roman's guillotine was a brilliant finish that did make Jey look weak in defeat. Although parts of this will look spectacular on clip shows and video packages, sitting through this whole is a tall ask."

[5.0] "This was pure dramatic theatre and I kind of enjoyed how over the top this was. There were A LOT of Roman monologues about being The Tribal Chief/Head of the Table which were the worst moments of the match. Jey's comebacks were technically sound but I do feel like he lacks babyface fire. Roman looked like a beast on offense and his high-angle spear looked great. The strap shots looked really good too. This began to drag after the guillotine spot but Roman throwing the ref out of the ring and losing his mind was absurd and enjoyable. Jimmy coming out and using shoot names + the crying is either good storytelling or 'so bad it's good'. I genuinely don't know what the make of it. **3/4"

[9.0] "Probably wouldve given it a 10 but the referee was so incredibly annoying, match itself was great, ."

[10.0] "One of, if not, the most emotional and capivating match of 2020. The whole saga of the Bloodline has always been about Jey. It is now more clear the ever how important this match was."

[8.0] "This match was pretty great because of how good the storytelling was, but it did feel overly long and the cell didn't feel totally necessary. The drama was great and the finish was really well done. ****"

[6.0] "After rewatching this, I find myself liking it more now than two years ago. It's a somewhat good match."

[10.0] "this match propelled both of these wrestlers to the next level. roman reigns became the ultimate villain while jey became main event jey uso, holding his own. the storytelling alone made this match. the lack of audience and noise enhanced it even more. easily my FAVOURITE match of the pandemic era."

[10.0] "This may be my favorite fight, even though I'm not a big fan of either of them. Very brutal, very emotional and telling a story. In my opinion, from then on, we can actually count the beginning of this opportunistic Roman we know so far."

[9.0] "What a match. Unlike most matches, this one just felt special in every sense. Like there was an actual story with weight to it. The story was strong enough to carry the entire match and elevate both Reigns and Uso in the process."

[9.0] "I loved this match! if we are only talking about the in-ring work then their match at Clash of Champions was better, but Roman did such a good job with his storytelling and acting I was just blown away! this just wasn't the type of wrestling I would get as an NJPW fan. I know that now at the end of 2021 Roman's stuff might have gone a bit stale but here was fresh out of the oven!"

[7.0] "The focus was on the storytelling and because of that it wasn't like the other 2 Hell in A Cell matches. Roman played his role well. (*** 1/2)"

[9.0] "I question the decision to put this match within the Cell, because this is not a Cell match how we expect them to be. Like the previous match between Jey and Roman, this match is drenched in drama, and it's done in the way that Roman has perfected. This match is brutal, but not in the cell sense. This is watching an underdog who just won't quit going up against the best in the world. If it wasn't so light on its work rate, this would've been a perfect 10."

[8.0] "I like it. While not as great as their encounter at COC because this match was too dramatic for my taste, it's still pretty good."

[9.0] "Roman Reigns is MONEY! The beating he gave to Jey was great. Jey's resilience was on display but, much like at the Clash, he got an ass whooping... Jimmy coming in and seemingly brining the family together only to get duped by Reigns was the icing and gave Jey a reason to say I Quit"

[7.0] "Far more overbooked and drama heavy than their Clash Of Champions bout, and while I do think that match was better paced and structured, the storytelling here was far more emotional. Both men's selling was absolutely tremendous throughout, and the character work from Roman was off the charts; he started to cry ffs, and it made the smug look on his face after the match all the more anger inducing. Incredible storytelling, top-notch character work, decent ring work, however, I still feel like that the match didn't need to be inside HIAC as it was barely used. Hence, I can't call it a great cell match, but as a story of a family falling apart, it was riveting stuff."

[9.0] "The Best Roman match and for Jey, feud was great and promos. Shame for wwe that they make three hell in the cell matches and the best match was the opening, this match was THE match perfect for the main event..."

[7.0] "This feud got extremely personal and the build was great. The match started with a fast pace as Jey and Roman hit their respective finishing moves some whipping was involved as well. Towards the end of the match Jey Uso was knocked out with wwe officials trying to stop the match which was stupid considering it was an I Quit match. The end of the macth was the worst part which saw Jey quitting because Roman Reigns had Jimmy Uso locked in his new submission hold."

[5.0] "The story they told was interesting but it was just too damn long. Maybe the idea was interesting, but the fact is Roman & Jey could have told this exact same story in 15 minutes or so. They chose to have it last half an hour and it just felt soooooooo long, so despite some good sequences it was mostly boring."

[9.0] "Absolutely incredible storytelling in this match with amazing performances by both guys. I think it went like 5 minutes too long and dragged a bit, but overall it was very well done to put over Reigns' character ****1/2"

[4.0] "Maybe its because I haven't followed the "story" but this was mostly boring to be honest. And irritating with ALL the time the ref asking "do you quit" over and over. It felt so over dramatic at the wrong times like after 1 spear and "just quit, do you quit, all you have to say is I quit". One of the most overrated matches this year."

[2.0] "30 minutes for ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. First of all, 5 Spear at the beginning, thats too far if Reigns doesn't want to finish his cousin. Oh, he doesn't want ? So the tribal consequences are illogical ? So Reigns crying at the end, he makes himself illogical ? If he doesn't want to beat Uso, why the tribal consequences ? ... So much bad storytelling in this, Reigns has a little basical moveset, Uso has litterally no offense, even in Clash of Champions he had more. WTF. Beat up for 30 minutes. The baddest HIAC Match I've ever seen in my entire life. *"

[8.0] "Monumental match with an excellent proof of storytelling and in-ring psychology. You don't have to use 1000 moves if the right ones can tell a story like this: high drama, perfect conclusion and post match."

[9.0] "This match is one of the reasons why I still watch WWE. The workrate is decent but, the psychology was INSANE. We knew that Jey wouldn't say I quit and Roman neither. This only fact gives a huge interest to this match. The finish is smart, Roman Reigns is finally the great heel that we waited for. The new Roman is simply wonderful."

[7.0] "Point one: This match, and the general Roman-Jey storyline and Roman's heel run in general have been a masterclass in storytelling and probably a late and leading contender for feud of the year. Point two: this match was entirely too long and weirdly booked. I understand the point of the match is that you have to literally say the words I Quit but having competitors appear to pass out on no less than three occasions is weird, literally being unresponsive, and it just feels like that should be an implied "I quit" much like passing out in a submission hold is submitting, because otherwise, what, you choke your opponent into unconsciousness with garotte wire and they can't continue - is it a no contest? It was really drawn out at the end when Jey was "unconscious" and just seemed to drag in the middle - before ramping up magnificently for the actual finish. There's an awesome match in here that was let down slightly by some padding and it has it feeling overly stretched."

[10.0] "Roman Reigns heel turn is the best thing to happen to WWE this year. This match against Jey Uso was quite similar to their first, but yet again the storytelling displayed in this match was fantastic, I find it baffling that some people don? t appreciate good storytelling."

[7.0] "It had a lot of great storytelling to it, but I thought overall their match at Clash of Champions was better. This match didn't need to be in the cell, there really wasn't many spots they did in it. This is definitely WWE's best feud of the year and Roman is at the top of his game right now. Additionally, this has made Jey look like a top babyface. This doesn't affect the score but Roman bouncing the steel steps off the top rope was pretty funny. (***1/2)"

[10.0] "storytelling at its finest, definitely a **** star match. You have to be biased against WWE to no like it especially the end, because if it was held in the Tokyo Dome it would have gotten at least ******* stars."

[10.0] "Storytelling at its finest. You can tell this turns up some of Roman? s true feelings of being the biggest star of the family. And u got Jey whos relentless in his drive not to let that happen. I even teared up slightly at the end, which no match has ever made me do. The only thing missing was some near falls to add some intensity but the fantastic storytelling made up for it"

[2.0] "I really disliked the melodramatic approach these two took to their last match at Clash Of The Champions. It was quite distracting and I feel it took away from the story they were telling with their actual wrestling a lot. The classic saying goes in the media: Show, don't tell. But they didn't do that. There were far too many cutesy storytelling moments and none of the kick-ass Roman moments that made their last match so good. This was completely overbooked with too many Roman soliloquies about being the Tribal Chief. Far too many teases of ref stoppages, which did create an awesome moment where Roman threw the ref out of the ring, and people came out to try to convince Roman to stop. It's exactly what it sounds like. And the finish. *sigh*. Similar to their first match, Jimmy Uso came out to save his brother. It's all nice. But then Jimmy began calling Jey by his shoot name "Josh" and then had a heartfelt hug with Roman who began crying, but he wasn't really crying and was faking. It was just a total mess. Hated this. I really, really hated this. I could barely put it into words. *1/2"

[5.0] "This one is difficult for me to rate because in my view it was so heavily reliant not on the in-ring action but rather on the story performance around it. The storytelling was very good but the in-ring action was just too slow for my liking and the match felt 7-10 minutes too long. Whilst I was anticipating that the finish would involve Jimmy in some way, as soon as the ref bump came, I felt like I knew how it was going to finish. Given the story was central here and not the action, the match could easily have been shorter whilst still having the same impact which would definitely have improved my view of it. The last five minutes felt like they dragged compared to the rest of the match. Not bad but not great either."

[8.0] "I thought this was pretty good. The storytelling was even better than their previous match and I was really happy that the match didn't end with a referee stoppage or a no contest. Commentary was over the top stupid; Jey was a tag team specialist who was handed the main event scene but Michael Cole hype him up like he was this great underdog who had fought all his life to reach this stage when he hasn't even been a singles wrestler for more than 3 months. The match would have been better had commentary just stick to getting Jey over in the match itself and give detail on their history. Roman was more Methodical and his pacing was really good. He was responsible for 70% of the match. Really good match that could have use a better commentary team to really sell the match. The ending although really good was a bit stupid as Jey who wasn't incapacitated could have just attacked Roman to free his brother. ****"

[6.0] "Good story telling and chemistry, but it was too long. And I don't think it's fit with hell in a cell."