Unpopular opinion: It is too early for The Fiend to be put into a Universal Championship match at Hell in a Cell
Disclaimer: The views of the author do not necessarily reflect those on Sportskeeda.
The Fiend made his presence known once again this past Sunday at WWE Clash of Champions as he attacked Seth Rollins after his successful Universal Championship title defense against Braun Strowman. On last night's episode of RAW, the match was made official for next month's Hell in a Cell pay-per-view. Just like with Rollins vs. Strowman, WWE has booked themselves into a corner with this match.
While the Fiend gimmick is very over and the best thing on WWE television at the moment, it is much too early for him to be in a World Title program. He has had only one match at SummerSlam against Finn Balor, and for all intents and purposes that was a squash match. Besides that, the only thing Wyatt has done are the Firefly Fun House segments. While those have been successful and entertaining, by no means are they enough get The Fiend a World Title match already. A better plan is to have The Fiend run through the RAW roster first before challenging for the Universal Championship. Royal Rumble would have been a pretty good spot to book his first challenge. If not at the Rumble, he could win the Battle Royal itself and go for the title at WrestleMania.
The other issue is that neither Rollins or The Fiend can afford to lose at Hell in a Cell. Rollins' reign is still somewhat fresh and The Fiend should not take any loses for a long time. WWE could have thrown Braun Strowman in the match at Hell in a Cell, but that would hurt Strowman, who came out looking strong even in defeat. WWE could also book a non-finish to the match, but if it is inside the Cell that diminishes the significance of the match format which took a huge blow last year with the finish to the Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman match. So, in my opinion, WWE has booked itself into a corner once again at Hell in a Cell by rushing The Fiend into the Universal Title picture.