5 possible reasons why the Roman Reigns vs Rey Mysterio Hell in a Cell match was moved to SmackDown
Roman Reigns vs Rey Mysterio at Hell in a Cell has been preponed to SmackDown, two days before the pay-per-view. It was a surprising move for WWE, especially since the Hell in a Cell card isn't particularly stacked.
Roman Reigns either wrestles in the first match of a pay-per-view or the last - nothing in between. With the high-stakes Drew McIntyre-Bobby Lashley match at Hell in a Cell, it was likely that The Tribal Chief would have opened the show.
That may not happen either. The match between him and Mysterio is only the second Hell in a Cell match that isn't on pay-per-view, and the first Hell in a Cell match in SmackDown history. Here are a few theories on why WWE shifted the match to SmackDown:
#5. To boost SmackDown ratings
Many WWE may not realize that the mammoth broadcasting rights deal to bring SmackDown to FOX Sports makes the company more money than regular pay-per-views do.
It is by far their biggest broadcasting deal in history, and that's probably why WWE prioritizes SmackDown over RAW. Looking at the stacked roster and consistent programming, SmackDown has, in fact, become WWE's "A-Show."
There have been a few instances since 2019 where WWE has pulled out all the stops for SmackDown. Starting from the first episode of SmackDown on FOX, WWE made a big splash by having Brock Lesnar compete in his first free TV match in over 15-and-a-half years - beating Kofi Kingston for the WWE title in just 10 seconds. Even the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal was shifted to SmackDown.
For years, RAW was prioritized as the "A-Show." No matter how good SmackDown got with the brand split, RAW was always favored with the stronger roster.
A 5-year, billion-dollar deal changed all that, and perhaps that's one of the main reasons why WWE feels like it's ok to move the Hell in a Cell match to SmackDown instead.