Cody Rhodes

Sunday's Hell in a Cell pay-per-view will be headlined by perhaps the most brutal match type in all of WWE.

The long-running rivalry between Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins will culminate inside the cell and likely serve as the fitting main event of the show.

Additionally, Bianca Belair is set to put her Raw Women's Championship on the line against two of the top female Superstars of all time in Becky Lynch and Asuka, and Theory will defend the United States Championship against Mustafa Ali.

Here is a full rundown of the entire Hell in a Cell card, along with all the information you need for when, where and how to watch the premium live event.

Where: Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois

When: Sunday, June 5, at 8 p.m. ET

Watch: Peacock

WWE Hell in a Cell 2022 Match Card

• Hell in a Cell Match: Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins
• Raw Women's Championship: Bianca Belair (c) vs. Becky Lynch vs. Asuka
• United States Championship: Theory (c) vs. Mustafa Ali
• Handicap Match: Bobby Lashley vs. Omos and MVP
• Judgment Day vs. AJ Styles, Finn Balor and Liv Morgan
• Kevin Owens vs. Ezekiel
• No Holds Barred Match: Madcap Moss vs. Happy Corbin
  

Top Hell in a Cell Matches to Watch

Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins

In the third and perhaps final match of their rivalry, Rhodes and Rollins will go to battle inside Hell in a Cell and be looked upon to anchor the entire pay-per-view.

With top stars like Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar not scheduled for the event, Rhodes and Rollins will take center stage and likely be given every opportunity to steal the show in a lengthy and well-constructed match.

The first two matches between Rhodes and Rollins at WrestleMania 38 and WrestleMania Backlash were excellent, but their Hell in a Cell match has a solid chance to be even better given the environment.

On the final episode of Raw before Hell in a Cell, Rhodes and Rollins did well to increase interest in the match by going at each other in a wild brawl that had to be broken up by backstage personnel.

The American Nightmare and The Visionary both cut fantastic promos as well, ensuring that the WWE Universe is fully invested in their encounter.

During his time in AEW, Rhodes had a penchant for making himself bleed in big matches, which is something that has typically been frowned upon in WWE.

Rhodes has seemingly been given carte blanche to present himself the way he wants to in WWE, however, so it is fair to wonder if WWE will make an exception.

Regardless of whether Cody is allowed to bleed or not, he and Rollins should have a chance to put on a classic at Hell in a Cell.

Bianca Belair vs. Becky Lynch vs. Asuka

Belair will face the biggest challenge of her reign as Raw women's champion at Hell in a Cell when she puts the title on the line in a Triple Threat against both Lynch and Asuka.

The EST finally got her revenge against Lynch at WrestleMania by beating her for the Raw Women's Championship, but Big Time Becks has been desperate to get the title back ever since.

She was temporarily distracted by the return of Asuka, who re-entered the fold recently after missing several months because of injury.

Lynch and Asuka traded wins on Raw, which led to both of them being given a title shot against Belair at Hell in a Cell in a match with show-stealing potential.

All three Superstars have shown in the past that they have chemistry with each other, so the expectation entering the pay-per-view is that they will be able to pull off something special as a trio.

It seems far too early to take the title off Belair, so she is the heavy favorite to win, but it is never necessarily a surprise when WWE has Lynch or Asuka win a championship.

The work rate in Sunday's Triple Threat match could rival any women's match in recent memory, and it should have a prime spot on a card that doesn't feature many matches.

Look for Belair vs. Lynch vs. Asuka to go a long way toward shaping what the WWE women's division will look like in the months to come.

Judgment Day vs. AJ Styles, Finn Balor and Liv Morgan

The rivalry between Edge and AJ Styles is set to reach another level at Hell in a Cell, as several other Superstars will be involved as well.

Edge has formed a stable known as The Judgment Day along with Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley, and they will take on Styles, Finn Balor and Liv Morgan in a six-person tag team match.

The Rated-R Superstar defeated Styles in singles matches at WrestleMania 38 and WrestleMania Backlash thanks to interference from Priest and Ripley, which is why Styles has enlisted some help from his friends.

Sunday's bout will be stacked with talent on both sides, and it will provide an opportunity for all of them to shine individually.

On top of the in-ring action, the possibility exists that someone else will emerge as a new member of The Judgment Day since Edge has been teasing new additions.

That could be someone who has no involvement with the storyline currently, or it could feature someone defecting with Balor seemingly the most logical candidate.

Whatever the case, there is plenty of intrigue surrounding the six-person tag, and it promises to be one of the best matches on the card.

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Reigns, Lesnar, More Removed from MITB Advertising

After switching to a smaller venue, WWE's Money in the Bank pay-per-view may feature less star power.

According to WrestlingInc's Sai Mohan, several Superstars who were previously advertised to appear at Money in the Bank were removed from the advertising following Thursday's announcement.

In the wake of WWE moving Money in the Bank from Allegiant Stadium to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, Ronda Rousey, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch and Bobby Lashley were all removed from the pay-per-view poster.

Also, Reigns, Lesnar, Flair and Rousey were removed from the WWE.com Money in the Bank event page.

Some of those names aren't surprising, while others were widely expected to be part of the show.

Lesnar has not appeared on WWE programming since WrestleMania last month, while Flair was recently written off television with a storyline injury so she can get married.

Meanwhile, Reigns is the undisputed WWE universal champion and Rousey is SmackDown women's champion, so they seemed like sure bets to compete at Money in the Bank.

With WWE going from a 60,000-plus-seat stadium to a normal-sized arena, however, the company may feel like it is no longer as necessary to stack the card with star power.

The men's and women's Money in the Bank ladder matches may be enough in their own right to sell the show, which is now scheduled for July 2 at the MGM Grand.

Rhodes Discusses AEW Departure

Cody Rhodes reiterated the reason for him leaving AEW in favor of WWE once again this week.

Responding to a tweet accusing AEW President Tony Khan of lowballing him financially, Rhodes made it clear that his decision was not driven by money:

Cody called going back to WWE a "personal" decision based on his desire to "go for the big one."

"The big one" almost certainly refers to winning the WWE Championship, which Rhodes made his stated goal in his first promo after returning to WWE as Seth Rollins' mystery opponent at WrestleMania 38.

In that promo, Rhodes noted that his father, late WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes, came agonizingly close to becoming WWE champion but fell just short.

Cody wants to fill in that gap in his family's legacy, and the only way to do it was by returning to WWE after six years away.

Rhodes was a central figure in the creation of AEW and one of the promotion's top stars during his time there, but he has made it clear in multiple interviews that he felt he had run his course in AEW and needed a new challenge.

Cody is facing that new challenge in WWE and conquering it thus far as arguably the most over babyface in the company.

Zelina Vega Reportedly Out After Undergoing Surgery

Queen Zelina Vega's recent absence from WWE programming is reportedly because of an injury.

According to PWInsider.com (h/t Mohan), Vega underwent surgery after suffering an injury in the ring, and the expectation is that she will miss another 6-8 weeks.

Vega has been out for about a month-and-a-half after she and Carmella dropped the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships to Sasha Banks and Naomi in a Fatal 4-Way at WrestleMania 38. She then lost a singles match to Bianca Belair on the April 11 episode of Raw.

Zelina and Carmella had a storyline falling-out before Vega was removed from television, which suggests she may be a solo act when she returns.

WWE released Vega in November 2020, but she returned to the company last July and has since experienced a great deal of success.

In addition to holding the WWE women's tag titles with Carmella, Vega won the inaugural WWE Queen's Crown tournament, beating Doudrop in the final at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia.

Vega has consistently been one of the top heels in the women's division since returning, and it will be a huge addition when she returns to the fold.

Based on the timeline PWInsider.com provided, Zelina could potentially be back in time for SummerSlam on July 30.

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Cody Rhodes Hints at Possible 'Special' Role in WWE 2K23

Rhodes' return to WWE at WrestleMania 38 in early April came about a month after the release of the WWE 2K22 video game. It raised questions about whether he'd become available as part of a future downloadable content (DLC) release.

Michael Straw of Sports Gamers Online reported the company tried to work with 2K Sports, the game's publisher, on a solution but there was simply "too little time" to go through the process of getting The American Nightmare in this year's game.

"WWE tried, but it was quickly shot [down]," a source told Straw. "They knew it was unlikely, but you don't know for sure unless you ask."

While it's disappointing news for Rhodes fans and gamers who prefer an updated roster, the fan favorite responded to a message Tuesday suggesting he should grace the cover of WWE 2K23 next year:

Rhodes, who left WWE in 2016 for stops in several promotions including All Elite Wrestling, has garnered ample crowd support since his return and is likely staring down a major title run in the coming months.

It's possible he'll be one of the company's top titleholders heading into next year's WrestleMania season, which would certainly seem to make him a serious candidate for the 2K23 cover, especially since other options like Roman Reigns and Becky Lynch were already spotlighted in recent years.

Even if Rhodes doesn't receive cover placement, he'll likely be heavily involved in the promotional material heading into the release.

Mixed Feelings Toward Sasha Banks, Naomi Walkout

Banks and Naomi were the WWE women's tag team champions when they walked out of Raw last week, leaving their titles on the desk of head of talent relations John Laurinaitis. It forced the company to change that night's main event, and it led a rare statement concerning an out-of-storyline development.

"Monday Night Raw is a scripted live TV show, whose characters are expected to perform the requirements of their contract. We regret we were unable to deliver, as advertised, tonight's main event," the company stated.

Longtime WWE announcer Michael Cole provided an update Friday on SmackDown, saying the pair was suspended and would vacate the titles:

One of the key questions amid the drama is how other Superstars feel about the duo's actions.

PWTorch reported (via WWF Old School) two schools of thought have emerged backstage:

I can say there are people in that locker room—colleagues of theirs, [including] active wrestlers and otherwise, who are disappointed and not sympathetic to the way Sasha and Naomi handled this. And there are others who, yes, think this is a cool thing that they did. And they sort of wished that they had the guts to do something like that and take a stand.

Banks is one of WWE's most mainstream stars, having garnered a high-profile acting role on the Disney+ series The Mandalorian, and Naomi had long been one of the company's most underrated performers. They would represent major losses to the roster.

But, unless this is one of the best works in history, WWE is taking a hardline stance against the pair, likely with hope of avoiding similar actions in the future.

Sami Zayn Jokes About The Bloodline Photo

Zayn has been rocking a Bloodline shirt on TV in recent weeks, a sign of his growing role in a storyline with WWE and universal champion Roman Reigns and the unified tag team champions The Usos, Jimmy and Jey.

It spawned a photoshop of Zayn in a family photo alongside Reigns and The Usos, who are real-life cousins, that caught his attention on social media:

Jey Uso responded to the photo on Instagram, calling Zayn the "help dawg" of the faction.

The three-time intercontinental champion has shown how it's possible to get over and make a weekly impact without needing a top-tier title reign.

He put together a terrific feud with actor Johnny Knoxville leading up to WrestleMania, where the Jackass star picked up a win using various antics, and his interactions with Paul Heyman as part of the Bloodline storyline have been fantastic.

It'll be interesting to see where things go from here as Zayn's overexuberance will likely cost The Bloodline at some point, which could either thrust him into a marquee feud with Reigns or simply mark the end of an increasingly entertaining angle.

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WWE Could Freeze Sasha, Naomi Contracts

The biggest ongoing story in wrestling is still very much unsettled. A week after Sasha Banks and Naomi walked out on Raw during the broadcast over frustration with their booking, not much has been determined about their futures.

WWE has stripped them of their women's tag team titles and suspended them indefinitely, along with burying them on air, but that's about it. We've heard nothing from either of the two women about how they view their future in the company.

Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio said it's possible the company chooses to freeze their contracts while they're suspended. 

"Naomi's contract did not have much time left. I think it was about two months. As we've talked about, she was negotiating a new deal," Meltzer said, per Ringside News. "Based on the wording of their contracts, WWE has the right to suspend and freeze. Now, would that hold up in court? I don't know. Will they challenge it in court? I don't know, but based on the contracts they signed, if you fail to perform and we suspend you, we can also freeze your contract."

Meltzer said it would be "tougher" for WWE to bring back Banks now that she has effectively walked out on the company on two separate occasions.

That said, time tends to fix all bad blood. It's possible an extended break into the summer will rejuvenate Sasha and allow her to return to the fold, potentially earning some level of guarantee she'll be at the top of the card.

Naomi is in a more difficult situation with her contract set to expire and her general star level lower than Banks. She is also married to Jimmy Uso, which adds another layer to the mix given the Usos' status at the top of the card with Roman Reigns. 

Title Unification a Last-Minute Change

WWE apparently never had plans to deliver on its proposed tag team title unification.

Meltzer said the decision to unify the championships and put them on the Usos came at the "last minute."

"They had no planned finish. ... The plan was always the angle at the end; it was never Riddle and Orton winning," Meltzer said. "It was probably a DQ for Roman Reigns interfering. ... As for what they would do about the finish, they went back and forth, and then Vince eventually made the call. ... The decision itself wasn't made until Friday."

Reigns is reportedly set for a program that includes singles matches against Riddle and Randy Orton at the two July live events, Money in the Bank and SummerSlam. The undisputed WWE Universal champion is not currently slated to be on the Hell in a Cell card.

It's unclear what direction WWE will take the Usos now that they have unified the gold. It's possible they will have a rematch with RK-Bro at Hell in a Cell, which would be one way to strengthen the card given Reigns' seeming absence.

That being said, it's a little strange that WWE didn't wait until HIAC to unify the tag titles if they were simply going to run with the Reigns-Riddle-Orton angle at the following live events. 

Cody vs. Rollins Set for HIAC Main Event

WWE is putting its eggs heavily in the Cody Rhodes basket.

With Reigns not slated to work at Hell in a Cell, Meltzer says the match between Rhodes and Seth Rollins inside the structure will be the main event. This would mark the second straight premium live event to be headlined by a non-title match.

The only championship defended at this month's WrestleMania Backlash was the SmackDown women's championship. Bianca Belair vs. Asuka is currently the only championship match scheduled for Hell in a Cell, and we're less than two weeks away from that event.

Rollins vs. Rhodes has certainly done enough over the last couple of months to earn the Hell in a Cell treatment. Their matches at WrestleMania and WrestleMania Backlash were both excellent, and Rhodes has clearly established himself as the top babyface of Raw since making his return to WWE. 

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Latest Details on Sasha Banks and Naomi Leaving Raw

Sasha Banks and Naomi were scheduled to take part in Raw's main event on Monday night alongside Becky Lynch, Asuka, Doudrop and Nikki A.S.H. The six-pack challenge was slated to determine the No. 1 contender for Bianca Belair's Raw Women's Championship.

Instead, the bout was changed to a singles match between Lynch and Asuka, with Asuka picking up the victory to earn the match against Belair at Hell in a Cell on June 5.

WWE then took the extraordinary step of providing behind-the-scenes details about why it couldn't deliver the promoted main event. In the statement, the company said Banks and Naomi "walked into WWE head of talent relations John Laurinaitis' office with their suitcases in hand, placed their tag team championship belts on his desk and walked out":

They claimed they weren't respected enough as tag team champions. And even though they had eight hours to rehearse and construct their match, they claimed they were uncomfortable in the ring with two of their opponents even though they'd had matches with those individuals in the past with no consequence. Monday Night Raw is a scripted live TV show, whose characters are expected to perform the requirements of their contract. We regret we were unable to deliver, as advertised, tonight's main event.

Fightful Select reported the women's tag team champions expressed concern about the direction of the division after multiple ideas they pitched were turned down, and the duo also denied they raised concern about "unsafe" opponents.

Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio added Banks is now facing "a lot" of backstage heat following the walkout. Naomi's status wasn't mentioned.

Given the nature of WWE's statement and the subsequent reporting, it's unlikely the situation is a work. There's still a lot of uncertainty about what actually sparked the walkout, though.

It creates a lot of intrigue moving toward SmackDown on Friday night, though the company could provide more details about the state of the women's tag division before that point.

Money in the Bank Cash-In Option Expected To Stay; Vince McMahon's Role

Questions were raised about the future of the Money in the Bank contract after Cody Rhodes mentioned in a promo video the winners "will win the chance to main event WrestleMania."

The MITB contract has long featured a cash-in option, giving the holders a chance to receive their title shot anytime, anywhere at a moment's notice. While that included WrestleMania, it hadn't previously guaranteed a place in the Mania main event.

H. Jenkins of Ringside News reported the MITB stipulations are expected to remain the same as past years and Rhodes' comment in the commercial was a "major source of confusion with writers and producers."

Meltzer noted that Rhodes' remark was added to the script by Vince McMahon, but the reasoning is unclear since the creative team was told no changes are being made to the MITB contract.

The cash-in element is a major part of what's made the MITB idea such a long-term success, so it would be a surprise if that's removed for a single WrestleMania title shot, especially since there's nine months between the two PPV shows.

For now, it appears McMahon was merely working with semantics since technically anyone has the "chance to main event WrestleMania" and it seems there's no significant changes on the horizon for either the men's or women's contract.

Rhodes Considers Himself the Best in the World

Rhodes returned to WWE at WrestleMania 38 in April after a six-year hiatus that included stops with various promotions, including working as both a wrestler and executive for AEW.

He's received a significant push since his return, picking up back-to-back PPV victories over Seth Rollins and getting plenty of air time on Raw to push the "American Nightmare" gimmick.

While Roman Reigns' dominant run as the Universal champion combined with his WrestleMania win over WWE champion Brock Lesnar to unify the company's top belts has made him a popular choice as the best wrestler in the world, Rhodes believes he's the one who deserves that distinction.

He also told Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated it's not necessarily a close competition.

"I think I'm the best wrestler in the world. And I think it's by a large margin," Rhodes said. "That upsets a lot of people, but I don't mean it to draw ire. This is all I do. I'm not in charge. I'm here to hone my craft, build my body and win matches. Every week, I have to be better. That's the ultimate clarity for me."

Rhodes has definitely upped his game since he departed WWE in 2016. The fan support since his return suggests he's due for a major title run in the near future.

As for Reigns, the former two-time intercontinental champion said questions about who's actually better can't be answered until they face off.

"The difference between the two best wrestlers in the world is that one has both titles to prove it," Rhodes told Barrasso. "The WWE championship is the biggest title in the game. That's never been in dispute, and that's not a knock on any title anywhere else. The way to define the best in the world is the one holding the belt, and that's Roman Reigns."

So far, WWE has resisted the urge to use Rhodes' momentum since his return to throw him into a feud with Reigns, but it seems like only a matter of that before that storyline arrives.

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