“Will somebody stop the damn match?! Enough’s enough! The poor son of a – he’s broken in half!” These are words spoken by the legendary Jim Ross, when witnessing Mick Foley get chokeslammed through the top of the Cell. The Hell in a Cell match has always been considered one of the most barbaric, torturous, life-threatening match types in WWE history, ending careers, and often making them as well. Nowadays, with the WWE’s PG movement, the Cell isn’t quite as ruthless, but it still makes for some hellacious, classic matches, and at times can provide unforgettable moments that will go down in wrestling history. However, it’s not difficult to look back and appreciate the sheer brutality that we have been exposed to by this match type in the past. We’ve witnessed blood, sweat, tears and more blood get spilled inside the Devil’s Playground, leading to moments that will define many wrestlers’ careers when they eventually retire.
It’s a simple idea. Standing 20 feet tall, weighing five tonnes, this monstrous, roofed steel-fenced structure surrounds the ring and ringside area, eliminating the prospect of escape for all who enter its fiery depths. Nobody gets in, and nobody gets out once that door is locked (with few exceptions). But it’s not just the structure that makes for an epic Hell in a Cell match. It helps, but the biggest factor that leads to history being made within this behemoth is the participants involved, and the emotion and intensity that the rivalry has to offer. I have seen a lot of Hell in a Cell matches throughout my time as a wrestling fan (one of them live and in person), and this article gave me the opportunity to go back and relive so many of these glorious moments. This week, with the help of YouTube, I’ve watched hours upon hours of footage from Hell in a Cell’s gruelling history, and today I’m bringing to you my all-time top five Hell in a Cell matches. These are my personal favourites, meaning some of them may be somewhat biased, so if you disagree with them, be sure to let me know your favourites in the comments section below. Let’s begin.
5/ Triple H vs. Cactus Jack
Event: No Way Out
Date: February 27th 2000
Venue: Hartford Civic Centre
City: Hartford, Connecticut
Just over a month after losing an amazing Street Fight against Triple H at Royal Rumble, Cactus Jack wanted to up the ante with his final opportunity at the WWF Championship. It would be inside the Cell, which Cactus Jack was all too familiar with. If he won, he would win the Title that was ripped from his grasps the night after he’d won it at Summerslam, but if he lost, the legend would have to retire. Cactus Jack was in what seemed to be the final stages of a lengthy career, and Triple H was just getting started. But although this match may have been a huge moment in the career of ‘The Game’, the most prominent aspect of this bloody, merciless match was the will and determination of Mick Foley. The fact that he took a back body drop through the top of the Cell, destroying the ring canvas, and stood up under his own power proves him as one of the most resilient wrestlers in history. He was a simple man, who didn’t look like the generic professional wrestlers you would’ve seen back then, and still see today. He was a rather large dude with a fetish for barbed wire, thumbtacks and fire. He has had a lot to prove in his tenure, but this match perfectly encapsulated what made Mick Foley a legend. It is no wonder why he is in the WWE Hall of Fame. And although this was not his final bout, and perhaps his best matches came 4-6 years later, this match was incredible, and both Cactus Jack and Triple H should look back on it with pride.
4/ Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker
Event: No Mercy
Date: October 20th 2002
Venue: Alltel Arena
City: North Little Rock, Arkansas
This is the very first rivalry that I can remember getting stuck into as a kid. Merely six years old, I watched Brock Lesnar take a propane tank and smash Undertaker’s hand. And I loved it. Watching the Deadman try to get even with Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar was the best thing in the world to me. And when it all came to a head at No Mercy, it was probably the most anticipated moment of my very short life at the time. The Undertaker had taken the optimist’s outlook on life, and used his injured hand (or rather, his cast) as a weapon on Lesnar and Heyman. And Stephanie McMahon had evened the odds, placing the match in Undertaker’s own back yard, Hell in a Cell. The match was unbelievable. The way the Phenom’s injured arm came into play told an unforgettable story. One of Undertaker’s attempts to overcome odds, and one of just how animalistic Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman could be. Lesnar ripped Undertaker’s hand to shreds in this match, and put a beating on his arch nemesis. But Undertaker wouldn’t go down without a fight, kicking Lesnar’s ass all over Arkansas with his cast and his natural brawling technique. At one stage, ‘Taker grabbed hold of Paul Heyman’s tie on the outside, and repeatedly launched him face-first into the Steel Wall, causing him to don the proverbial crimson mask. But ultimately it would be Brock Lesnar’s victory, hitting the Deadman with an emphatic F-5 to defeat him at his very own game. Climbing the Cell to celebrate, Lesnar would pose with the WWE Championship and this would be one of the moments that made Lesnar the “Next Big Thing” in the WWE. You know, it’s kind of funny. Brock Lesnar was one of the guys involved with the first wrestling rivalry that I got attached to. Then at my favourite Wrestlemania, he left the WWE, presumably for good. And eight years later, as I was in attendance at Raw the night after Wrestlemania 28, the man returned to the company to take out John Cena. For me, it felt like each of these moments were connected for me and only me, and I’ll never forget that Brock Lesnar was a part of it. And it all started with him busting up Undertaker’s hand and beating him inside Hell in a Cell. You can’t make this stuff up.
3/ The Undertaker vs. Mankind
Event: King of the Ring
Date: June 28th 1998
Venue: Pittsburgh Civic Arena
City: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
This is without a doubt, the most famous Hell in a Cell match that ever took place, and for good reason. After Hogan slamming Andre at Wrestlemania III, Mankind’s tumble from the Cell is probably the most replayed moment in wrestling history. Mankind promised that watching this match, we were going to see something special, and oh my God, was he right. The man came to the Cell, threw a Steel Chair on top of it and started climbing, encouraging Undertaker to do the same. But as they traded blows almost 20 feet above the ring, things backfired on Mankind and he was launched off the structure and through the Spanish Announce Table, leading Jim Ross to utter the now famous words “Good God almighty! Good God almighty! They’ve killed him! As God as my witness, he is broken in half!” After this unbelievable descent, many would’ve believed Mick Foley’s career to be over, and the match hadn’t even started yet. As he was wheeled out on a stretcher, Mankind miraculously stood up and made a beeline for the Cell, scaling the structure once again. But this maniacal man would suffer similar fate to when he climbed for the first time, being chokeslammed through the top of the Cell, falling well over 15 feet to the hard canvas of the ring. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he had a Steel Chair land on his eye on the way down, and ended up with one of his own teeth lodged up his nose. But that wasn’t it either. After the Deadman took care of Terry Funk, and all medical staff got out of there, the Cell was locked and the match finally began. It didn’t last too long, but Mankind mounted one hell of an offence, and decided that two enormous falls weren’t quite enough for him. He wanted thumbtacks. With thousands and thousands of tacks lining the floor of the ring, Mankind would once again become a victim to his own fiendish games, being slammed not once, but twice into the mountain of thumbtacks. And to cap it all off, Undertaker would finish it with a Tombstone Piledriver. Wow. Like I said earlier, there is no way to describe Mick Foley’s inhuman resiliency and never-ending determination. This was without doubt, the moment that solidified Mick as one of the greatest guys to ever set foot in a wrestling ring. The sheer barbarism of this match was unheard of, unmatched and just unbelievable, and it will forever remain one of the most popular moments in the history of the wrestling business.
2/ Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker
Event: Badd Blood: In Your House
Date: October 5th 1997
Venue: Kiel Centre
City: St. Louis, Missouri
Many people say “you can’t beat the original”, and that may very well be true with regards to Hell in a Cell. This match was bloody, personal and awesome. Shawn Michaels was the young, cocky heel with buckets of self-confidence and the European Championship around his waist, and Undertaker was the dark, mysterious demon with revenge on his mind. After inadvertently hitting Undertaker with a Steel Chair to aid Bret Hart’s victory at Summerslam, Shawn Michaels felt the pressure from both the Deadman and the fans, blaming him for costing the Phenom the WWF Championship. Michaels spent weeks alongside D-Generation X, attacking Undertaker and laying waste to him with a Steel Chair. But he was all alone inside Satan’s Structure. And he didn’t like it. A while into the match, Michaels was launched into one of the cameramen at ringside, and when EMTs opened the Cell to tend to him, HBK saw his opportunity to escape. Undertaker stopped him in his tracks, leaving him with only one way to go; up. But as we all know, what goes up must come down, and Mr. Wrestlemania went plummeting towards one of the Announce Tables. Shawn Michaels’ future wasn’t looking too bright as Undertaker looked to be setting up the Tombstone Piledriver, but then everything went dark. Out came Paul Bearer, alongside Undertaker’s half-brother, Kane, who was finally making his much-anticipated debut. The Big Red Machine ripped the Cell door off its hinges, and stood face-to-face with Undertaker, before causing fire to erupt from the turnbuckles and hitting the Deadman with his own finisher, the Tombstone Piledriver. This would give Shawn Michaels the victory, allowing him to live another day. Not only did this mark the debut of Kane, but it set the example for all future Hell in a Cell matches. It was insane, and the ending gave Shawn Michaels the sneaky heel victory, while also leading to a rivalry between Undertaker and Kane. It was an incredible match that will go down in history as the first time two men ever set foot inside Hell in a Cell.
1/ Triple H vs. The Undertaker
Event: Wrestlemania XXVIII
Date: April 1st 2012
Venue: Sun Life Stadium
City: Miami, Florida
I can see many reasons why this wouldn’t be at the top of everyone’s list, but for me, it’s my favourite Hell in a Cell match in history. When you’re talking about “best matches”, look no further than Wrestlemania. And when you throw in three of the greatest wrestlers of all time, and the Hell in a Cell structure, you’re bound to have a historic moment. At Wrestlemania 27, The Undertaker barely survived against Triple H, but was unable to leave the ring under his own power. Undertaker wanted ‘The Game’ one more time on the Grandest Stage of them all, and after weeks and weeks of declination, Undertaker and Shawn Michaels eventually got Triple H to agree to the match. It would be The Phenom vs. The Cerebral Assassin, the End of an Era inside Hell in a Cell, with Shawn Michaels acting as the Special Guest Referee. I was live in attendance at Wrestlemania 28 in Miami, and I swear, this was the greatest match that I have ever seen. Between the atmosphere within Sun Life Stadium, the emotional performances of all three men and the huge show of respect shared by each of them on the Stage after the match, it had to be one of the most emotional, respectful and amazing moments of my entire life. That was one of the greatest nights of my life, and this match was a major contribution to that. I still get Goosebumps when I watch the Undertaker kick out after Sweet Chin Music and the Pedigree. The roar of excitement within the crowd was unbelievable, and the match deserved every cheer that the fans had to offer. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a match with better story-telling in my entire life. It truly was the end of an era, and I’m proud to think that I was one of 78,363 fans in attendance for it. The Undertaker, Triple H and Shawn Michaels made history that night, and for me, this was the greatest match that ever took place inside Hell in a Cell.
Thanks for sticking with me, folks. I don’t often do lists, so if it’s something you’d like to see more of, please let me know. Since it’s Hell in a Cell season, why don’t you take a look at my predictions for tonight’s WWE Hell in a Cell Pay-Per-View by clicking here? And when you’re finished with that, go ahead and make your own predictions with the SLTD Wrestling Predictions League. This is the first round again, so join here and you’ll be in with a definite chance at winning! I’ll be live-tweeting tonight’s show from our @SLTDWrestling Twitter account, so be sure to follow along with us and my mate, @dotoshiro for coverage! If you did enjoy this week’s article, please do give it a like on Facebook, Tweet and Retweet the links and leave your Comments down below, because they really do help us out. Also, be sure to follow my personal Twitter @AdamOB_SLTD, to speak to me about wrestling, my writing, future ‘Under the Spotlight’ topics or anything at all!
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Self-Professed Conversational Wizard.
Admin, Editor and Writer for SLTD Wrestling.
Creator of 'Under the Spotlight'.
Studying Computing in Games Development.
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