Original plans called for CM Punk to feud with Seth Rollins upon his WWE return. While Cody Rhodes was always going to win the Royal Rumble, the idea was that the Second City Saint would later battle Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania.
Unfortunately, Punk was legitimately injured in the 30-man match while taking Drew McIntyre's Future Shock DDT. However, that resulted in the year's best pro wrestling storyline with McIntyre and Punk going to war with each other.
They're currently one apiece, with McIntyre beating Punk at SummerSlam and the Best in the World earning a win back in a Strap Match at Bash in Berlin.
Talking to ComicBook.com, the Scottish Warrior explained why their final bout - at the upcoming Bad Blood PLE - needed to take place inside Hell in a Cell and praised WWE for making the stipulation matter.
"I put him down in a straight singles match, back alley brawl or any kind of match, but it is what Hell in a Cell was designed for. It was so stupid that we had a PLE called Hell in the Cell. A couple of guys would have a random cell match. A couple of girls would have a random Hell in the Cell match, just because that's the name of the PLE. I had one with Randy Orton. That was justified when we're in, you know, a blood feud at the time, but every other, like the other match I had with Lashley, not justified."
"So many matches I saw at Hell in the Cell just for the sake of having a cell match. Just wasted the cell, which was known as literally the last resort. And now to get away from it for a while, to keep it away as it is such a dangerous match," McIntyre said. "It had some mystique. Let it build that mystique back up. Let a story build that Punk and I built organically through a genuine dislike for each other, but also professionally, we're very good at our jobs. But it got to the point where, how do we finish this? I know how. Hell in the Cell, the last resort, a true blood feud. A true blood feud ending well."
Inside Hell in a Cell will be where the story ends and McIntyre is already looking beyond Punk. However, he's also aware of just how special this angle - which, when all is said and done, will have lasted for close to a year - has been for both men.
"Next for me is what it's always been about. I didn't come to WWE 17 years ago, never mind the work I've done over the past few years, to make up the numbers. I came to eat them up, to be number one, and this past year, I have been World Champion for five minutes and 46 seconds and lost it because of Punk...So, yeah, maybe I get my hands on that World Title finally and have a significant run with it finally. With people in the crowd, maybe finally. It was a necessity for the time, and I'm proud of what we did to give people that escape and myself being the flagbearer and the one that stepped up. It's not exactly how I dreamt of it as a kid, so I'd like to finally get that run."
"So let's get Punk in the rearview mirror. Let's let people make documentaries about it. They'll talk about us together for the rest of time because of these last ten months. Ten months in a modern story may as well be ten years. People's attention spans, especially to keep them as interested as they've been, we'll always be associated with each other into the future. But I can't have the end of that story being the Punk one, and he won't win. And we are the true main event of Bad Blood. Whatever I keep reading online, whatever might materialize, I don't know. I always speak my mind, but I know the fans know this is the real main event of Bad Blood."
Bad Blood takes place on October 5; according to recent reports, there's some uncertainty in WWE whether this Hell in a Cell match should main event the show or Roman Reigns' return to team with Cody Rhodes against The Bloodline's Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu.
Stay tuned for updates.