#134: The New Day vs. The Usos, WWE Hell in a Cell (10/8/2017).
This is a Tag Team Hell in a Cell Match for The New Day's Smackdown Tag Team Championships.
Smackdown Live in 2017 had a rough time. The roster was thin, as much of the big names they had in 2016 were sent to Raw. Jinder Mahal’s WWE Title run wasn’t working. And Shinsuke Nakamura’s main roster debut was floundered rather quickly. Inside of all of that, though, was one undisputed shining light: the incredible rivalry between The New Day and The Usos over tag team gold. They had multiple great matches starting back in the summer, and this was the big blow off match between both teams. You could say this was a match fitting for Hell in a Cell.
Both teams stare each other down, and they quickly grab weapons. Big E has a chain, Xavier Woods has a kendo stick, Jey Uso had a kendo stick, and Jimmy Uso has a chair. They brawl immediately. Big E with a shoulder tackle to Jey. Woods with a forearm to the face of Jimmy. He wraps the chain around his fist, and Big E propels him to hit Jimmy face first. He covers, and Jimmy kicks out. Big E looks to spear Jey off the apron, but Jey avoids it, and Big E hits the Cell Wall.
Xavier with a dropkick to Jey, and Jimmy dives over the top with a splash onto Woods. Big E is in the ring, and he connects with his spear anyway to Jimmy, sending him back first into the Cell Wall. Fans are hot for this already. Woods blows his trombone, then breaks it across the midsection of Jimmy. Big E grabs another trombone from under the ring. Woods breaks it across the midsection as well. Now Big E hands him a cowbell of all things. Woods goes to work hitting Jimmy with it.
Big E now brings a gong into play. Woods plays it, then smashes it across the back. Jimmy throws a chair at Woods, and Jey superkicks him for a two count. Jey has two kendo sticks, and Jimmy has one. The Usos take turns attacking Big E with it, breaking them over his back. They both strike Big E in the chest with them as well. The Usos now double team Woods on the floor, and they use one of the kendo sticks to trap him against the cage wall. Jey connects with a running Samoan Wrecking Ball, crushing him against the steel.
Back in the ring, The Usos continue their double team attack on Big E, who fights back with a Belly to Belly Suplex to Jey. Jimmy with a hard right hand to Big E on the apron. Big E sends him spine first into the ring post. Jimmy with a superkick to Big E. Jimmy rushes Big E, who catches him with a Urinage off the apron, right into a backbreaker from Woods to the floor. Back in the ring, The New Day hit Up Up Down Down, and Jey breaks up the pin attempt off of that.
Big E clotheslines Jey to the floor. Woods grabs more Kendo Sticks. Big E holds Jey against the cage, and Woods unloads with shots to the midsection. The New Day use two of the sticks to trap Jey’s whole body against the cage. Woods drives the kendo stick into the midsection, and trash talk Jey. They now turn their attention to Jimmy, smashing his face against the steel steps. Big E holds him there, and Woods goes to the top rope. Jey has escaped his prison, and turns the tide by attacking Big E and Woods.
The Usos double team Big E, with Jey holding Big E on his shoulders. Jimmy dives from the ring, shouldering Big E into the steel wall. In the ring, The Usos hit double splashes from the top rope, but he’s still able to kick out from that. They now have two pairs of handcuffs, and they cuff Woods to the ring post. They hit Woods right in the midsection with the kendo stick. He tries to kick them away, but to no avail. They each take turns hitting Woods with the sticks.
Big E sends Jimmy to the floor, and swats the stick away from Jey. Huge belly to belly suplex, and now Big E goes after Jimmy. He lifts him up, and drives him hard into the Cell Wall. He lifts him again, and sends him into the Cell again, but also Jey. Back in the ring, Big E pulls the straps down and hits the Big Ending to Jimmy, but he kicks out at 2. Jey goes to superkick, but Big E catches it in a Stretch Muffler. Jimmy superkicks him twice, and then both Usos superkick him. They go to the top rope, and hit dueling splashes to Big E, and Woods jumps into the ring to break up the pin attempt!
The Usos have kendo sticks again, and they take turns on Woods’ back. He’s fighting through the pain, and he headbutts both men down. Despite being handcuffed, he won’t back down! He gets caught, and eats more rib shots from the kendo sticks. They place a chair on his ribs, and go to the top rope. Another set of dueling splashes – the Double Uce – and Jey makes the cover to win their 5th tag team titles.
Like many of WWE’s modern day Hell in a Cell Matches, this felt more akin to a Hardcore Match than a Cell Match at times, but both teams utilized the cage enough to not make it seem too out of place. This was still a fantastic finale to the great 2017 feud these guys had. It had great heat, intensity, and a sense of urgency. A win would’ve meant the world to all four men, and they worked hard to articulate that to the crowd.
Some of the kendo stick spots were unique and pulled off right. The violence was unquestionable as well. This isn’t the best match these two teams had – I personally think their match during the SummerSlam kickoff show earlier in the year is – but it’s still a fine match. The New Day and The Usos have excellent tag team chemistry together, and here, it took center stage inside the Devil’s Favorite Match.