WWE’s annual Hell in a Cell PPV takes place tonight (Oct. 27, 2013) at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. Three weeks earlier at Battleground, Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton fought for the right to crown a new WWE champion, only for Big Show to come to the ring and remove the referee. When Daniel Bryan complained, Big Show knocked him out, and when Show felt remorse for his actions he knocked out Randy Orton too. The entire show ended in a no contest. This time WWE has allowed the fans to select Shawn Michaels as a special guest referee, and place the entire title match inside an enclosed steel cage, to ensure once and for all that there’s someone holding the WWE Title come Monday – unless Triple H reverses yet another finish on Raw. Regardless the odds makers seem fairly certain that the extra stipulations are going to ensure things are finally settled. This leaves Randy Orton a -750 favorite and Daniel Bryan +450, though be sure to check 5 Dimes for the latest lines before placing your bets. Hell in a Cell also features the long-awaited return of John Cena, who was sidelined after the WWE SummerSlam PPV due to a triceps tear that required immediate surgery. Doctors predicted Cena would be out for 4-6 months, but John didn’t get the nickname “Super Cena” by accident, and instead of waiting until 2014 he’s challenging World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio right here – right now. WWE’s decision to bring him back early and feature him in a title match leaves the book favoring him in a prominent role going forward – one he could only have as “The Champ.” Cena -1700, Del Rio +800. CM Punk is still looking for revenge against his former manager and confidant Paul Heyman, but he’s been handicapped by having to get it inside the same steel cell as our main eventers AND having to face Ryback as well. It’s a good old fashioned 2-on-1 handicap match, but as clever as Paul Heyman is, he’s no master of the squared circle nor plausibly able to pin CM Punk unless Ryback beats him down first. CM Punk beat Ryback at the last PPV in singles competition though, so as of this writing the odds favor Punk defeating both the 2013 Goldberg and his weasel manager. Punk -1200, Team Paul +600. Other matches of interest at the Hell in a Cell PPV are as follows – AJ Lee defends her Divas Title against #1 contender Brie Bella. These are the narrowest odds of the PPV thus far, with Brie Bella a slim -140 favorite to AJ Lee at +100. Cody Rhodes and Goldust are strongly favored to retain their tag titles despite having to defend them in a triple threat, -900 before the PPV with either The Usos or The Shield being +500 to take their straps. Edit: Unfortunately pre-show match between Heyman protege Curtis Axel (+500) and former Dolph Ziggler associate Big E Langston (-900) has been cancelled due to injury. All descriptions and accounts in this article are for entertainment purposes only and shouldn’t be taken as actual gambling advice. WWE events are pre-scripted and the odds tend to reflect the creative direction of the writing team, though WWE has been known to make last minute changes before. If you do wager on the PPV, please gamble responsibly. Enjoy WWE Hell in a Cell this Sunday!
