Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Monday Night Raw that aired on Monday, June 7. Read at your own risk!
Monday Night Raw once again laid the groundwork for a pay-per-view clash between Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley for the WWE Championship, but apparently there will be some changes. The two will clash at the upcoming Hell In A Cell, only this time, there has been a tease that this could be the final showdown between the two. The problem is the stipulation sounds a bit suspicious to me, especially given these two wrestlers.
At the contract signing for the match, Bobby Lashley and his manager MVP agreed to yet another title opportunity for Drew McIntyre under one condition. Should McIntyre lose at Hell In A Cell, he'll forever be barred from challenging Bobby Lashley for the WWE Championship again. McIntyre accepted the terms, on the condition that the match be a one-on-one matchup with no outside interference. To help prevent that, McIntyre requested the two fight within the iconic cell, which has had varying degrees of success of keeping outsiders out of matches in the past.
MVP whispered in Bobby Lashley's ear, and without much more conversation beyond that, the two agreed to the match. After all, why wouldn't they? As a heel, Lashley is not above cheating. If he starts to lose, he'll surely resort to whatever interference necessary to ensure he leaves the PPV champion. In my mind, Lashley and MVP will absolutely orchestrate outside interference if they can. With no real penalty besides their contract being negated and Drew McIntyre being able to re-challenge, there's no real disadvantage for them.
WWE fans have had to see Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre fight for the title a lot in recent months, so one may be tempted to believe the brand would actually make Hell In A Cell the two's final matchup if McIntyre is booked to lose. The reality is a McIntyre win would keep this rivalry going, as would a contract-breaking move at Hell In A Cell. During Monday Night Raw, it may have seemed to some fans a conclusive matchup is the only outcome, but I'd argue that's far from the case.
Plus, let's not forget WWE recently released Braun Strowman. He was the only other main eventer in the mix of this feud between Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre as of late, and now he's gone. With Monday Night Raw's superstars booked up in feuds with each other for other titles, McIntyre is really the only opponent that makes sense for Lashley for the time being. That is unless Daniel Bryan is headed to Raw with a new contract, but there have been no developments on that front.
Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley have had some entertaining matches, but as often has been the case in WWE, feuds that last a long time can get played out with the fans. It's happened with countless duos before, and fan reaction only worsens when stipulations like the latest for Hell In A Cell are introduced that tease some finality when really none is coming. Hopefully, WWE will deliver a definitive outcome, but I believe fans should be prepared for a bit of trickery.
Monday Night Raw airs on USA Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET, and Hell In A Cell is set to stream on Peacock on Sunday, June 20th. While we can only speculate on WWE's intentions for the upcoming matchup, we do know that Drew McIntyre has made getting the championship back in front of fans a goal. Perhaps that will happen in the coming months?
