Epic: All hell breaks loose

Much to people’s disapproval, first-ever women’s cell match saw Charlotte regain title against Sasha Banks

KARACHI: One match is all it takes to change the course of wrestling history. It happened with Cesaro and Sami Zayn in a two-out-of-three falls match at a WWE NXT show back in 2013. The match put NXT on the map. When it came to women’s wrestling, WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair’s daughter Charlotte and Canadian legend Bret Hart’s niece Natalya fought the match of their lives, reinvigorating the women’s division that was previously considered an afterthought.

A few years later, the women’s division has taken things one step further. In fact, two steps. WWE RAW’s exclusive pay-per-view Hell in a Cell match saw Charlotte and Sasha Banks compete inside the cell, which marked the first time female wrestlers have closed a pay-per-view show.

With all the hype and constant title-snatching between the two competitors, the match had high expectations and it certainly delivered. Pro wrestling is a spectacle more than a sport. It’s theater of sorts or perhaps a combination of both. The cell match had the right amount of everything and that turned it into a solid watch.

Charlotte, who is a self-proclaimed queen, entered the arena like true royalty. Wearing an elegant gown that mirrored her father’s, the queen sat atop a platform carried by four men, making a majestic entrance. Banks’ entrance, on the other hand, touched hearts. The defending champion entered in a Cadillac Escalade, proudly displaying her title as she stood through the sunroof. The move was a tribute to her idol, Eddie Guerrero who used to drive to the ring in his signature low-riders.

Bouts of violence followed even before the match officially began. One powerbomb off the cell wall on to the announcement table by Charlotte and Banks was unable to continue. However, predictable as it was, like a true underdog, Banks fought off the medical team attempting to put her on a stretcher and returned to defend the title.

The match saw monkey flips, baseball slides and suicide dives into the cell which left the two women bruised and broken. Yet, the match continued. The psychology was that the challenger was focusing on the champion’s back, which she had already hurt before the match, while the injured champion scratched and clawed to hold on to her title. The story of an underdog injured champion trying to retain her title hit the right notes with the audience. “This is awesome,” chants echoed throughout the arena.

The match concluded with Charlotte regaining her championship, which left a bitter taste in people’s mouths. Banks clearly needs more time to solidify her place at the top of the division, while Charlotte is already there, and therefore did not need the win.

However, despite the outcome, the match certainly delivered quality action and was a revolutionary step in women’s wrestling. Here’s hoping that we get to see an Elimination Chamber and Money in the Bank ladder match down the line as well.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 1^st , 2016.

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