In this new clip from the WWE Hell in a Cell, Roman Reigns absolutely owned Rusev. The WWE superstar used the intimidating structure of the cage to his advantage, although the Bulgarian Brute would not go down easily.
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This was Rusev’s first time in the Cell, but he managed to give Reigns one of the biggest battles of his career in an effort to retain his U.S. title. The two went at it from the time the bell rang.
There were several times during the match when Rusev looked like he was going to defeat Roman Reigns.
Rusev managed to make an attempt to lock his submission maneuver, the Accolade. However, even at that, Rusev could not break down Roman Reigns.
Accolade with chain should’ve beaten Roman Reigns. Great visual+wouldn’t have made Roman look weak. Rusev needed a big win here. #WWE #HIAC
โ Scott Fishman (@smFISHMAN) October 31, 2016
In the end, Reigns won by hitting Rusev with a leaping spear off the stairs and then was able to get the pin.
To get an entire play-by-play of the match, go here.
The WWE Universe shared a photo on Twitter showign Reigns holding the belt after the match. They tweeted the photo with the caption: “#USChampion @WWERomanReigns stands TALL as he holds onto his #USTitle! #HIAC.”
#USChampion @WWERomanReigns stands TALL as he holds onto his #USTitle! #HIAC pic.twitter.com/Gu7eJ0ZR47
โ WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) October 31, 2016
For the past couple months, Reigns and Rusev have been at odds. The beef between the two wrestlers dates back to when the Big Dog interrupted a wedding celebration in the ring by the Bulgarian Brute and his real-life bride, Lana, according to Bleacher Report.
The disagreement led to a United States Championship match at SummerSlam. However, the bout never took place as Reigns and Rusev began to pummel one another before the bell. After the brawl, the Super Athlete needed to be helped out of the arena.
WHERE DID @WWERomanReigns COME FROM?! #RAW #SupermanPunch pic.twitter.com/gPrG2HqXbn
โ WWE (@WWE) October 4, 2016
Rusev went on to disappear from the WWE programming for weeks after SummerSlam, but then he resurfaced during the match between Kevin Owens and Roman Reigns, in which the Big Dog needed to win in order to get a shot at the WWE Universal Championship.
While Rusev cost Reigns the match, he got revenge at teh Clas of Champions when he beat Rusev. Reigns then became the United States champion for the first time.
Who were you rooting for in this WWE Hell in a Cell match?
[H/T WWE, Bleacher Report]