WWE Hell in a Cell (2022)

Hell in a Cell 2022 took place on June 5th, 2022. It was the 14th edition of WWE’s annual event built around the steel structure and ultimately, the last to carry its name as a standalone Premium Live Event. Staged in Chicago’s Allstate Arena, the card brought together seven matches featuring talent from both Raw and SmackDown.

Unlike earlier years that would typically have multiple Cell bouts, the 2022 show reserved the stipulation for only the main event, which was billed as the culmination of one of the company’s most heated rivalries between Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins.

Opening Matches

The night began with a Triple Threat for the Raw Women’s Championship as Bianca Belair defended against Becky Lynch and Asuka. The three had been circling each other since WrestleMania season, and the fast-paced match gave the division an energetic showcase to open the card.

Bobby Lashley’s feud with Omos continued, but this time MVP officially joined the fight. Booked as a handicap match, Lashley was out to prove he could take on both his former manager and the giant who had been standing in his way for weeks.

Mid-Card Stories

Kevin Owens faced Ezekiel after weeks of back-and-forth on Raw. Owens refused to believe Ezekiel was who he said he was, while Ezekiel stuck to the story of being Elias’ younger brother. Their feud spilled into the ring at Hell in a Cell, giving Owens the chance to prove his point.

Faction warfare followed when Judgment Day (Edge, Damian Priest, and Rhea Ripley) took on AJ Styles, Finn Bálor, and Liv Morgan. Styles and Bálor had been at odds with Edge in the weeks prior, and Morgan joined their side after Ripley’s turn put her on the opposite team. Judgment Day was looking to cement itself as a force on Raw, while their opponents worked together to cut off the faction’s rise.

On SmackDown’s side, Madcap Moss and Happy Corbin finally settled their split in a No Holds Barred match. The two had turned on each other weeks earlier, trading attacks and insults on SmackDown. With the rules thrown out, the stipulation gave them space to fight in a way that matched the intensity of their feud.

Title Defense and Main Event

The United States Championship was also on the line as Theory defended against Mustafa Ali. With Ali competing in his hometown of Chicago, the match carried an added layer of emotion. Ali’s return to WWE programming earlier in the spring had sparked this rivalry, giving him a shot at gold on a major stage.

The night closed with Cody Rhodes and Seth “Freakin’” Rollins inside the Cell. It was their third Premium Live Event match in a row after WrestleMania 38 and WrestleMania Backlash, and the stipulation was set up as the final chapter in their rivalry. Rollins entered looking to stop Rhodes’ return run, while Rhodes came in nursing a legitimate torn pectoral muscle suffered in training just days earlier.

Choosing to compete despite the injury gave the match added weight and turned an already personal feud into one of the most dramatic stories of the year. With the structure lowering around them, the Cell provided the fitting stage that could finally bring their rivalry to an end.

Hell in a Cell 2022 is remembered most for the main event match. Both for the rivalry it closed and for Rhodes’ decision to wrestle through his injury. It gave the Hell in a Cell structure a sense of importance by saving it for just one match. The Cell itself would remain part of WWE’s calendar, but this show marked the end of an era for the annual June tradition.