Ranking All 30 WWE Hell in a Cell Matches

Rob Wolkenbrod

WWE.com

We took a look at every Hell in a Cell match that has occurred in WWE and ranked them. What match topped the list as number one?

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Since it debuted in 1998, Hell in a Cell has been the most dangerous match ever used in WWE. We’ve seen people get bloodied, lose teeth, break bones, have their careers end (referee Tim White) and nearly die.

The cell isn’t as rigorous as it used to be, though, with WWE now in the PG era. The quality of the bouts have decreased over the years without the extra violence but there’s still been a few that have stood out in recent years. Who doesn’t remember Undertaker and Triple H having their classic bout at WrestleMania a few years back?

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There was also the dramatic Randy Orton vs. Daniel Bryan from WWE Hell in a Cell a few years ago too.

The all-time classics, however, were extremely brutal. They featured stars like Undertaker, Triple H, Mankind, Edge and Shawn Michaels stepping into the gigantic structure and putting on career-best performances.

With this in mind, let’s get to the list. Which Hell in a Cell match topped the ranking at no. 1? What was the worst bout of this kind ever?

Click on below to find out.

Next: No. 30

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30) John Cena (c) vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. CM Punk vs. Jack Swagger vs. Dolph Ziggler – WWE Raw Supershow Dark Main Event, September 26, 2011

This one really can’t be considered a match. It was the dark main event of an episode of Raw, meaning no one on TV was able to see this. Plus, it was a 5-minute match. Not the best way to use a classic gimmick in Hell in a Cell.

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This match did turn out to be one showcasing 5 World Champions, though. If WWE chose to use this for a match on pay-per-view that everyone could see, maybe we could have seen a classic. Cena, Del Rio, Punk, Swagger and Ziggler are all very talented, so they could have put on a good match. But of course, WWE is known for their questionable booking decisions and this is one of them.

Now, let’s get onto some real Hell in a Cell matches.

Next: No. 29

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29) Mankind vs. Kane – WWF Raw is War, August 24, 1998

Mankind and Kane were, at the time, the WWF Tag Team Champions. During this episode of Raw, Kane turned babyface to help Undertaker fend off Paul Bearer. Mankind would come into the ring and take the same punishment from the brothers. This led to Kane and Mankind going into Hell in a Cell.

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Mankind tried climbing the cell but with Undertaker at ringside, the Dead Man tossed him off and into the Spanish announce table. Certainly reminiscent of what happened at King of the Ring.

After some brawling inside the cell (including Kane going back-first onto tacks), Austin came out from under the ring and caused the match to end in a no contest. This is despite Hell in a Cell matches being no disqualification.

Austin would beat up Kane and hit two very awkward Stunners on the Big Red Machine to end things.

Next: No. 28

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28) CM Punk (c) vs. Ryback – WWE Championship Match, WWE Hell in a Cell 2012

Punk was in the middle of what turned out to be a 400-plus day title reign while Ryback was gaining steam as a babyface. WWE was building him up well and he seemed primed for success, having not been defeated yet.

Punk was given a choice of facing John Cena or Ryback at Hell in a Cell. When he took too long to choose, Vince McMahon made the decision for him, making Ryback his opponent for the WWE Championship.

The match was nothing special between these two. The cell was barely used, therefore it didn’t make the match really feel like a Hell in a Cell bout. Instead, it had the feeling of a No DQ match with Punk using the kendo stick to try to control the fierce Ryback.

The turning point of this match came when referee Brad Maddox hit a low blow on Ryback and did a fast count to give Punk the win. The Big Guy would attack Maddox afterwards. Maddox would eventually have a very forgettable run as the Raw GM and is now known as Joshua Kingsley (and is using a fake British accent) in WWE. Yeah, he really made one grand impact.

Despite this poor match, WWE decided to put Punk and Ryback inside Hell in a Cell one more time the next year! How much better was it than this match?

Next: No. 27

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27) CM Punk vs. Ryback and Paul Heyman – WWE Hell in a Cell 2013

It could only rank one slot higher.

The storyline of this match was Punk wanting to get his hands on his former advocate, Paul Heyman. Their feud had started months earlier when Heyman turned on Punk at WWE Money in the Bank, causing him to miss a chance at a WWE Championship match.

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At SummerSlam Heyman’s other client, Brock Lesnar, defeated Punk. He had other Superstars, though, like Curtis Axel and Ryback. The latter was used for this match to try and take out the former WWE Champion.

By the time this match came around, everyone wanted this Punk vs. Heyman feud to end. It led to a very uninspiring bout that didn’t look like it had the interest of anyone. Nothing memorable came from this except Punk “finally” getting his hands on Heyman by beating him with a kendo stick. Ryback was a mediocre heel too, so he didn’t do much for this match.

Punk vs. Ryback and Heyman goes down as one of the worst Hell in a Cell matches of all-time.

Next: No. 26

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26) The Undertaker and Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Mankind and Kane – WWF Raw is War, June 15, 1998

This match came about when Kane and Mankind made a surprise attack on Austin during an episode of Raw is War. They shoved Stone Cold into a casket while Undertaker’s music played. The official announcement for this came during the June 15, 1998 episode, though, as Paul Bearer issued the challenge to Undertaker and Austin for this match, which the latter initially accepted. However, after playing Undertaker’s entrance twice, he did not come out. This led to Austin trying to take on both Mankind and Kane at once.

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Paul Bearer then locked himself inside the cell to be safe from the carnage. This did not end well, though, as Undertaker popped through the ring and beat down his former advocate. This became a memorable moment in Hell in a Cell’s storied history.

While being only one of two Hell in a Cell matches ever on Raw, this can’t really even be considered a match. It only featured Austin brawling with Kane and Mankind and Undertaker crushing Bearer. It ended in a no contest after 10 minutes of action on TV but the babyfaces won when the show went off the air.

This Hell in a Cell match was a prelude to what happened at King of the Ring 1998. More on that later.

Next: No. 25

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25) The Undertaker vs. The Big Boss Man – WrestleMania XV

This feud began when the Ministry of Darkness’ Undertaker and the Corporation’s Vince McMahon started feuding. However, Corporation member Big Boss Man would join in on it to protect McMahon. Boss Man would be put in a “sacrifice” during this feud. Remember this is WWF in 1999.

Eventually, this Hell in a Cell match was created.

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Undertaker would dominate the early portion of this match until Boss Man took out hand cuffs and cuffed ‘Taker to the cell. He began going to work with the nightstick but Undertaker broke the cuff off the cell. The two would continue to brawl after this.

Undertaker would retake control and continue to dominate. Boss Man got in some brief offense but the Dead Man would win with a Tombstone to end this.

After the match, the Brood delivered Undertaker a noose for Boss Man as he was hanged. This didn’t really help this match’s placement in the rankings.

The bout itself was forgettable. It didn’t last any more than 10 minutes and wasn’t very exciting. It seemed like they didn’t have a lot of time to perform before the main event of Steve Austin vs. The Rock for the WWF Championship.

Next: No. 24

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24) Randy Orton (c) vs. Sheamus – WWE Championship Match, WWE Hell in a Cell 2010

Fans have seen lately on WWE TV that Orton and Sheamus just don’t work very well together. They have no in-ring chemistry and have never put on a very good match together. Yet, WWE decided to put them in a three-month feud for some reason. It concluded on this past Monday’s episode of Raw.

The poor showings between Orton and Sheamus didn’t start this year, however. These two men feuded in the fall of 2010.

Orton won the WWE Championship from Sheamus in a 6-pack challenge (a gimmick that is thankfully not used anymore) at Night of Champions. The Celtic Warrior would invoke his rematch clause and this bout inside Hell in a Cell was made.

This match just wasn’t very good. There was barely a feud between these two and to put them inside the cell made little sense, leading to the lackluster bout. What reason did fans have to get invested in this? Why should they have paid $50 to watch this?

Orton would pull out a few nice moves with a powerslam on the steel steps and an RKO to retain the title. That’s about it, though.

Please, WWE, don’t have these two feud again.

Next: No. 23

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23) Kane (c) vs. The Undertaker – World Heavyweight Championship Match, WWE Hell in a Cell 2010

Kane and The Undertaker had a classic rivalry back in the late 1990’s. As you’ll see later on this list, it began during the first ever Hell in a Cell match when Kane was revealed to be the brother of Undertaker and subsequently cost him his match against Shawn Michaels.

Well, back in 2010, WWE decided to revive this old feud between the brothers and placed them inside Hell in a Cell, where they first met. Could they revive this historic rivalry?

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Not quite.

This match was a good idea on paper to do but it wasn’t very entertaining. The cell was barely used and felt like a standard match with the structure sitting around Undertaker and Kane. It was basically a product of the modern-day Hell in a Cell match. The structure isn’t used as much anymore and most of the action takes place inside the ring. It makes for an anti-climatic match that should be better.

This was one of the last times Kane and Undertaker faced off, which was probably for the better.

Next: No. 22

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22) Mark Henry (c) vs. Randy Orton – World Heavyweight Championship Match, WWE Hell in a Cell 2011

Henry was in the middle of the biggest push he’s ever received. He cut what’s now a classic promo about how he was going to retire. John Cena would come out and congratulate him on his career until the leader of the Cenation got hit with a World’s Strongest Slam and declared he wasn’t retiring. It was one of the more shocking WWE moments in recent memory and opened up Henry’s “Hall of Pain.”

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Henry had won his first ever title the month before at WWE Night of Champions. The following night on Raw, Orton invoked his rematch clause and got a Hell in a Cell match with Henry for the World Heavyweight Championship.

There wasn’t much to note from this Henry vs. Orton bout. Like other modern-day Hell in a Cell matches, it featured little use of the steel structure and was pretty much a standard contest. Henry would defeat Orton to retain the belt and move on to feud with Big Show, because WWE loves using that feud so much.

This also marks Orton being in the bottom half of Hell in a Cell matches once again. Whether it’s just him or not being able to perform in the cell is unknown but he does appear again in the bottom half of this ranking.

Next: No. 21

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21) John Cena vs. Randy Orton – WWE World Heavyweight Championship No. 1 Contender’s Match, WWE Hell in a Cell 2014

Nobody wanted to see Cena and Orton face off again. The two had just feuded at the end of 2013 and into the early part of 2014. Even before that, these two went through multiple extensive feuds over the years. WWE had worn out the fans of this rivalry and had no interest in seeing this happen at Hell in a Cell last year.

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So what happened? WWE put Orton and Cena in a no. 1 contender’s match for Brock Lesnar’s WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Fans moaned and groaned over this announcement because no one wanted to see these two battle again. They had just fought at TLC 2013 and Royal Rumble 2014 to a chorus of boos from the fans.

As for the match, it didn’t turn out to be bad but it wasn’t anything memorable. The two men pulled out a flurry of moves in this 25-minute match that resulted in Cena getting the win.

Mr. HLR would go onto lose his title match at Royal Rumble 2015, so it makes this even less important.

Next: No. 20

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20) John Cena (c) vs. Randy Orton – WWE Championship Match, WWE Hell in a Cell 2009

This match was the first of two Hell in a Cell matches between John Cena and Randy Orton.

Cena and Orton were in the midst of a long rivalry. Orton retained the WWE Championship at SummerSlam in a match with Cena. However, he won by intentionally getting disqualified. Unless specified, any WWE Superstar can retain their title via DQ in a match.

A bout would then be created for WWE Breaking Point between the two men for the title. This time, Cena won the belt. It led to this rematch inside WWE’s most dangerous structure.

The match wasn’t anything big to note but it wasn’t terrible. Orton would win the WWE Championship off Cena via the punt, which is now banned in WWE (Orton teases it here and there). There were some nice spots in this match but again, like most modern-day Hell in a Cell matches, the cell was not used much.

Despite being two high-profile names, Orton and Cena’s match sits at no. 20 on the list. They also begin the string of back-to-back-back matches from the 2009 Hell in a Cell PPV.

Next: No. 19

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19) CM Punk (c) vs. The Undertaker – World Heavyweight Championship Match, WWE Hell in a Cell 2009

This was the second of three Hell in a Cell matches to take place at the 2009 PPV. Talk about overkill, right?

CM Punk came into this match as World Heavyweight Champion against The Undertaker, who is nearly invincible in Hell in a Cell matches.

This match was created following their bout at WWE Breaking Point. Undertaker made Punk submit to Hell’s Gate but SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long came out and said the move had been “banned” by Vickie Guerrero a while ago. The match then restarted and Punk locked in Anaconda Vice, leading to his victory. Undertaker never tapped out, though, despite the referee calling for the bell. This just sounds awful, doesn’t it?

As for their Hell in a Cell match, it was one of the shortest in the bout’s history. It also opened up the show, which had never happened before. Despite this, it was an okay match that saw Undertaker defeat Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship. This was also somehow the first time a championship ever changed hands in a match of this kind. It hadn’t in the first sixteen bouts.

Despite being big names, Punk and Undertaker’s match isn’t memorable. If you want to see them in action, go watch their great showing at WrestleMania 29, which was Punk’s final match at the show of shows.

Next: No. 18

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18) D-Generation X (Triple H and Shawn Michaels) vs. The Legacy (Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes) – WWE Hell in a Cell 2009

To top off the 2009 Hell in a Cell PPV, we had our third match inside the steel structure between DX and Legacy. This was the second match that Triple H and Shawn Michaels teamed in inside Hell in a Cell and the first time for Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes.

These two teams faced off at WWE SummerSlam, with DX winning. The Legacy would get a victory in a rematch a few weeks later, leading to this Hell in a Cell match being created.

Things began right off the bat when Legacy attacked DX while they were doing their entrance. This led to Rhodes hitting Cross Rhodes on The Game on the entrance ramp and locking HBK inside the cell. Triple H would eventually work his way in with pliers and lock out Rhodes. DX would win a short time later.

This was another physical Hell in a Cell match but it wasn’t anything special. It does rank over the previous two Hell in a Cell matches on this show, however.

As noted above, DX wrestled in two Hell in a Cell matches. Where does their first one rank on this list?

Next: No. 17

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17) D-Generation X (Triple H and Shawn Michaels) vs. Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon and Big Show – WWE Unforgiven 2006

Yes, that’s right, both Vince and Shane McMahon competed in a Hell in a Cell match. There’s probably a reason this is a forgettable bout.

Anyway, this feud started when DX went out of their way to embarrass the McMahons whenever they could. They mocked them, poured garbage on them and even spray-painted “DX” on a limo. The McMahons would retaliate with ECW World Heavyweight Champion Big Show, though, to take out Triple H and Michaels. Vince would then declare a Hell in a Cell match at the Unforgiven PPV.

This was also the debut of the “super-sized” Hell in a Cell.

Much of this bout featured DX destroying the McMahon group. Shane and Vince were busted open early on while Show sold a low blow for about 5 minutes. The only real offense the heels got in was from Show here and there. Otherwise, the McMahons took a ridiculous beating. They did pretty much cover The Game in blood, however.

Shane did have a really cool spot though. He took out a move from his WrestleMania 2001 playbook and jumped from one side of the ring to the other and kicked the trash cash into the face of Triple H.

Triple H and HBK would win this bout by shoving Vince’s face in Show’s rear-end, hitting him with Sweet Chin Music into a sledgehammer (which broke on impact) for the win.

This may not have been one of the best Hell in a Cell matches but it was one of the bloodiest. As Jim Ross would say, these men all had a crimson mask on. If you want some funny but harsh entertainment, this match would be one to watch.

Next: No. 16

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16) Triple H (c) vs. Kevin Nash – World Heavyweight Championship Match, WWE Bad Blood 2003

The build for this match began the month prior when Triple H caused a disqualification during his match with Kevin Nash for the World Heavyweight Champion. Nash ended up beating down Triple H, which set up this match.

Raw GM Steve Austin would announce Mick Foley as the special guest referee for this bout. Triple H retired Foley in a Hell in a Cell match in 2000.

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This match started with HHH and Nash beating each other down until the former WCW Champion took over for a while. He crushed Triple H into the steel multiple times. Nash would also smash a steel chair into Triple H’s back that made a loud thud throughout the arena. Nash’s domination was a common theme for a good part of this match.

A turning point of this match came when Foley took away a hammer from Triple H. This caused The Game to get angry and push Foley. Foley responded with a shove of his own that got Triple H to the ground in pain and fear. Nash was also busted open by the hammer.

Triple H continued his assault with a screwdriver to the head and a 2 x 4 with barbed wire. Nash would get the weapon and bust Triple H open. We even saw Mr. Socko come out after Triple H bashed Foley with a chair. Foley would pay for this with being beaten down by The Game.

Triple H would get the win after a hit with the sledgehammer and a Pedigree for the pinfall win.

This was a decent bout. It was very slow early on as Trips and Nash methodically beat each other down. The antics with Foley throughout the match added to the drama of this. However, with Triple H standing atop WWE at the time and Nash being in his 40’s, there wasn’t a way the incumbent would be dropping his title.

Next: No. 15

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15) Randy Orton vs. Daniel Bryan – WWE Championship Match, WWE Hell in a Cell 2013

Bryan defeated John Cena for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam 2013. However, he would get betrayed by Triple H, who assisted Orton in cashing in his Money in the Bank. Bryan and Orton then faced off for the title at Night of Champions. The title was vacated, though, after Bryan won on a fast count in his previous encounter with Orton.

Then at Battleground, Big Show came in and punched both Orton and Bryan to make this match end in a no contest. A match would then be created for Hell in a Cell soon after.

Shawn Michaels was also interested into this match as the special guest referee by COO Triple H.

This bout rates as a decent Hell in a Cell match. It featured a lot of interference from Triple H, who made Orton his chosen one in The Authority like he was in Evolution. HBK even hit Sweet Chin Music on Bryan after getting inadvertently shoved. This would lead to Orton getting the win to become the WWE Champion once again.

Next: No. 14

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14) John Cena (c) vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. CM Punk – WWE Championship Match, WWE Hell in a Cell 2011

This match took place during CM Punk’s peak in WWE when he was the hottest thing going in the company. Alberto Del Rio was also a newcomer gaining momentum and John Cena came into this Hell in a Cell match as the WWE Champion.

Cena had defeated Del Rio at Night of Champions 2011 to become the new WWE Champion. The next night on Raw, Triple H announced the first-ever triple threat bout inside the dangerous structure known as Hell in a Cell. Punk got his rematch in this, too.

This was a solid bout all-around. It featured some great wrestling along with Del Rio getting his second WWE title reign. His first came at SummerSlam, which only lasted for a month. This only lasted about six weeks, though, and he never held the WWE Championship again.

Cena would go onto win 5 more titles from here and Punk would have the longest title run in modern-day WWE. So, it’s safe to say this loss didn’t do much damage to either man.

Next: No. 13

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13) The Undertaker vs. Randy Orton, WWE Armageddon 2005

Randy Orton came out for this match with his father, “Cowboy” Bob Orton, who was carrying Undertaker’s urn.

Orton was under the “Legend Killer” gimmick during this time. He had defeated multiple WWE Hall of Famers throughout the year and made ‘Taker his next target. After plenty of antics between Orton and Undertaker, their feud came to a culmination with this Hell in a Cell match.

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Undertaker began torturing the young Orton with a steel chair to the head that busted him open. He got him in the gut and bashed in his skull once again. Ouch. ‘Taker then smacked Orton’s head into the steel steps and threw him into the cell. Orton would finally get an opening with a huge RKO while ‘Taker was on the apron.

The turning point of this bout came when Orton broke out a table and brought it into the ring. It would come into play when Orton got Undertaker onto it. Orton then climbed the top rope and hit a splash on him through the table. It wasn’t the prettiest thing in the world but the table did break.

The other turning point was when Undertaker accidentally knocked out the referee with a punch. Orton then hit an RKO but no referee was able to count. One would get in and count but ‘Taker kicked out. Bob Orton also entered the cell and clubbed the referee after he counted for Undertaker’s Last Ride.

Back in the ring, Orton would counter a Tombstone Piledriver into one of his own. ‘Taker kicked out though and continued to rise to his feet. He would club Bob Orton and his son with the urn, hit a Tombstone on Bob and one on Randy for the win.

This was a solid Hell in a Cell match. This saw Orton and Undertaker tear each other apart and also featured Bob Orton, who annoyingly got involved in this and paid the price. Undertaker never loses Hell in a Cell matches, though, and came out on top here in one of the better bouts of this stipulation.

Next: No. 12

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12) Batista (c) vs. The Undertaker – World Heavyweight Championship Match, Survivor Series 2007

The build for this match was a bit of a mess. Batista and Undertaker had battled at WrestleMania 23 for the World Heavyweight Championship and were probably going to battle for it again in a rematch. However, Undertaker went out with an injury and missed time. This led to The Great Khali having a run with the belt until Batista won it off him. Then Undertaker returned to rekindle this feud and set up this Hell in a Cell match.

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This match had plenty of back and forth, brutal action. Batista hit a Batista Bomb through a table and Undertaker two Tombstone Piledrivers. One of these happened on the steel steps.

Batista was seemingly done until Edge, who was dressed as a cameraman, came into the ring to break up Undertaker’s pinfall. Edge bashed in the Dead Man’s head multiple times to end his chances at the World Heavyweight Championship. Batista would get the pinfall.

The spots in this match were unique and innovative from Batista and Undertaker. This was also just ‘Taker’s second loss inside the steel structure.

Plus, the dramatics from Edge at the end set up a great feud and even a Hell in a Cell match of their own that’s one of the better ones.

Next: No. 11

11) Batista (c) vs. Triple H – World Heavyweight Championship Match, WWE Vengeance 2005

This match’s build began when Batista turned babyface on Evolution (Triple H and Ric Flair). Batista had won the Royal Rumble and got the choice of challenging for the World Heavyweight Championship (owned by Triple H) or the WWE Championship. The Animal chose the former, against Triple H’s wishes, and challenged for the title at WrestleMania. Batista would defeat him.

Triple H would comment the next night that this isn’t over. After a cheap shot on Batista, he set up a Hell in a Cell match. This would be Triple H’s sixth Hell in a Cell match at the time.

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Batista was able to get his hands on Triple H early in this by slamming him into the cell. The Game would quickly fight back and unleash his fury with clotheslines and hard shots into the cell. He even used a chain, whipped Batista with it multiple times and choked him out. Batista would retaliate, though, with multiple chain shots and four spinebusters into the cell!

The turning point of this match came when Triple H took out a steel chair wrapped with barbed wire. He smacked Batista’s back with it twice, causing him to bleed. It certainly did not look pleasant. Even more so when Batista uses it to bust open Triple H’s head.

The second turning point came when Triple H used his dreaded sledgehammer to club Batista in the head. However, The Animal kicked out at two!

Batista would win after hitting a spinebuster on the steel steps and a Batista Bomb just as Triple H was about to hit him with the sledgehammer.

This was a very good Hell in a Cell match. The spots with the chains and the barbed wire steel chair were brutal and showed off the physicality of this match. And whether people like it or not, blood makes these matches look more devastating. Couple it with Jim Ross calling this bout and you’re in for a solid one.

Next: No. 10

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10) Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins – WWE Hell in a Cell 2014

This Ambrose vs. Rollins match was one of the more highly anticipated showdowns of the year. It featured two men with a ton of heat on each other after Rollins broke up The Shield in June earlier that year. Ambrose wanted to crush his former brother; what better place to try to do so than Hell in a Cell?

This main event match was a spot fest that escalated quickly. Both men climbed about half way up the cell and fell off into the announce tables. This made the crowd go wild and set up things for later in the match.

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When they would get back in the cell, Rollins and Ambrose beat the living daylights out of each other. It didn’t look like either man would make it out alive.

However, this match isn’t really remembered for any of this because of Bray Wyatt.

Towards the end of the match, Wyatt appeared in the ring and hit Sister Abigail on Ambrose, causing Rollins to get the win. This set up a feud between these two in the months that followed.

This was a fun Hell in a Cell match but if there was a decisive finish, this may have ranked higher on the list. Rollins and Ambrose haven’t really ended their feud either, so maybe we could get these two back inside the cell down the line.

Next: No. 9

9) Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels – WWE Bad Blood 2004

This was the match of matches to end this historic, violent feud between the two former friends at the time. Michaels had returned to the WWE in 2002 after suffering a back injury that kept him out for four years. When he returned, he did a segment with Triple H, who would turn on his former partner in crime in D-Generation X. This shocked everyone.

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From there, the two battled for a few years with the culmination of the feud being this Hell in a Cell match at Bad Blood to settle the score.

This contest turned out to be the longest Hell in a Cell match by far in WWE’s history and still is to this day. It nearly went an hour as these two just tore each other apart. The match was slow, methodical (too much to a degree since the crowd was pretty out of it) and brutally physical.

This Hell in a Cell match between Michaels and Triple H was memorable and worth the watch, just make sure you have the time and energy to sit down to watch this.

Next: No. 8

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8) Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker – WWE Championship Match, No Mercy 2002

Believe it or not, Undertaker and Brock Lesnar fought prior to WrestleMania 30.

The build for this match started earlier in the fall around the Unforgiven pay-per-view. These two destroyed each other in the weeks leading up to this match, throwing each other into the stages and equipment. Lesnar even broke Undertaker’s arm at one point. This also featured Undertaker allegedly cheating on his wife, which was a bit ridiculous.

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These two immediately began trying to tear each other apart with hard punches and shoulders to the gut. Lesnar would even get bloodied early on by ‘Taker’s cast. The Dead Man continued his viciousness by continuously rubbing Lesnar into the steel and throwing him into it. The pain Lesnar was in and the blood he kept losing only kept getting worse.

A turning point of this match would come when Paul Heyman handed Lesnar a belt. He tied it to Undertaker’s injured hand, and gave it to Heyman, who held it as Lesnar bashed ‘Taker with a chair. He then tried ripping the cast off but Undertaker fought back. Lesnar eventually ripped the cast off.

These two continued to beat each other up. ‘Taker hit a dive through the ropes and smashed Lesnar into the cell. Lesnar kept responding, though, especially with the sickening thud of the steel steps he used.

Undertaker would finally work a comeback while covered in blood. He stomped away on Lesnar and hit a few big clotheslines. He followed this up with a devastating chokeslam and Last Ride, which Lesnar kicked out of.

Lesnar would eventually reverse a Tombstone into an F-5 for the win.

This match was a bloodbath. SummerSlam 2002 may have really put Lesnar on the map but this match solidified his status as “The Next Big Thing.” It’s also a reason why after being gone for so many years, Lesnar was able to come back and be booked as this monster that we know him as today. The former Minnesota Gopher really is one of the few people who WWE has booked properly over the years.

Next: No. 7

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7) Triple H vs. Chris Jericho – WWE Judgement Day 2002

This match’s build began at WrestleMania earlier in the year, when Triple H won the WWE Undisputed Championship off Chris Jericho. The Game then began feuding with Vince McMahon. The Chairman used Jericho to lead an attack, which set up this match.

This match started off with Triple H trying to take out most of his frustrations on Jericho. He threw furious punches to send Y2J reeling and tossed him into the cell to continue the assault.

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Jericho eventually took over, showing his ruthless aggression. This caused his shoulder to be lacerated.

From there, blood would be a big part of this match as both men got busted open. This meant the match got more physical and violent as weapons got involved, including more use of the cell. Triple H even smacked a chair into Jericho while he was holding a ladder.

The turning point of this match came when referee Tim White was inadvertently hit into the cell by Jericho. This led to Y2J hitting Triple H with a chair and going for a pin but there was no referee to count. Jericho would take out his frustrations by beating down White, throwing him into the cell and punching him. This caused the referees to have to break open the chains to check on White and allow a referee to continue the match.

Jericho and Triple H continued to battle, with the latter using a sledgehammer for his assault. He went for a pin and would have got in if a referee was in the ring.

Triple H would win this with a Pedigree on top of the cell.

This match was a rough, brutal contest. It featured Triple H and Jericho just kicking the daylights out of each other. Both men were severely bloodied after using the cell and barbed wire to nearly end their careers. This was a lot of fun, though, and goes down as one of the better Hell in a Cell matches ever.

Next: No. 6

WWE.com

6) Kurt Angle (c) vs. The Rock vs. Steve Austin vs. Triple H vs. The Undertaker vs. Rikishi – WWF Championship Match, Armageddon 2000

This match was made by new WWF Commissioner Mick Foley, who placed six competitors inside Hell in a Cell for the first time. He wanted to increase the odds of Angle losing the title as much as possible, which led to this match. WWE owner Vince McMahon was heavily against this, thinking that every single man in this match was risking his life. Would he try to stop it from happening?

This Hell in a Cell match was one of the most fun ones of all-time. It featured nonstop back and forth action that included some great spots. The best of them may have been with Undertaker and Rikishi on top of the cell.

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Coming into this bout, one of the storylines was “could Undertaker make someone famous?” He would indeed do so by throwing Rikishi off the top of the cage onto the back of a truck that was used earlier by McMahon to try to pull down the cage.

Everyone was also throwing their finishers left and right towards the end of this match. After Angle took a big move, he climbed onto The Rock, who had just took a Stunner, to secure a shocking pinfall. Hardly anyone could tell he pinned Rock since he barely got his arm on him.

This Hell in a Cell match was brutal but very entertaining. It was also one of Angle’s biggest wins early on in his career, especially since he defeated five current or future WWE Hall of Famers.

This is among my personal favorites that I would recommend to any wrestling fan to watch.

Next: No. 5

WWE.com

5) The Undertaker vs. Edge – WWE SummerSlam 2008

This feud began earlier in 2008 when Undertaker and Edge fought multiple times over the World Heavyweight Championship. Their fourth match featured a stipulation of if Undertaker lost, he would be banished from WWE. He would end up losing and be forced to leave.

A few months later, during Edge and Vickie Guerrero’s scripted wedding, it was revealed that he was in love with the wedding planner, Alicia Fox. This caused the wedding to be called off and as a consequence for Edge, Guerrero reinstated Undertaker and set up this Hell in a Cell match.

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Edge tried fighting early on but Undertaker dominated. He threw the Rated R Superstar into the cell multiple times and the steel steps.

Edge would get to retaliate with a spear into the steps while Undertaker was down. He then set up two tables and went for a suplex but Undertaker countered it. Edge would work multiple chair shots on Undertaker and then set up a table in the ring. He also brought in a ladder. Edge would climb the ladder with a chair and jump onto Undertaker while he was on the table to put him right through it.

After a while, Undertaker would take back over with a big boot and a few shots with the steps.

A turning point of this match came when Edge speared Undertaker right through the cell, bloodying the latter on impact. Edge then speared him right through the announce table!

Inside the ring, Edge would go for a spear but get caught in a chokeslam and barely kicked out.

Remember those tables? Well, Undertaker would then toss Edge off the turnbuckle and through the tables.

After a concerto, Undertaker won with a Tombstone Piledriver.

This was a crazy, physical match. The spots with the tables, the multiple spears and the chairs were fun and brutal. Undertaker and Edge really destroyed each other but put on a classic Hell in a Cell match in the process.

Next: No. 4

WWE.com

4) The Undertaker vs. Triple H – WrestleMania XXVII

This was only the second Hell in a Cell match to ever take place at WrestleMania. The first was Undertaker vs. Big Boss Man, which was a forgettable bout.

This match was the continuation of The Undertaker’s feud with Triple H that had been going on since the year prior. The two had wrestled at WrestleMania 27 with the Dead Man getting the win. Now they looked to end their feud in the most dangerous structure of them all.

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Shawn Michaels was also the special guest referee for this match.

Undertaker began this bout by dominating Triple H. HBK went to check on his friend at one point but was shoved back. This had some effect later on.

There were some crazy spots in this match. Undertaker hit a back body drop while on the steel steps. Triple H then hit a spinebuster right back on the steps. He then hit a flurry of chair shots on the back of Undertaker but somehow did not get pinned.

Triple H would then take out a sledgehammer and bashed Undertaker with it, who was barely able to stand. He almost got the pin. As he went for a second hit, Michaels pulled the weapon away and tossed it out of the ring.

As HBK was trying to check on Undertaker, he put him in Hell’s Gate. This led to Triple H bashing ‘Taker with the sledgehammer again. Undertaker would then apply Hell’s Gate onto The Game, leading to the latter passing out. A second referee would enter the cell since HBK was down. ‘Taker then hit a big chokeslam but Triple H kicked out. He then picked up the referee, Charles Robinson, and chokeslammed him.

The turning point came when HBK hit Sweet Chin Music on ‘Taker and Triple H hit the Pedigree. However, Undertaker kicked out!

Undertaker would finally work back some offense and even hit a Tombstone but Triple H kicked out too.

In the end, Triple H couldn’t handle a sledgehammer shot to the face and a Tombstone Piledriver. Undertaker would become 20-0 at WrestleMania.

Like most modern-day Hell in a Cell matches, the cell wasn’t really used. However, this was a brutally physical bout. These two men had scars and cuts all over their chests and backs from the chair shots. They really destroyed each other despite being 40-plus at the time.

This goes down as one of the best Hell in a Cell matches in history and one of the better ones in the past decade. Hopefully more like these can happen in modern-day WWE.

Next: No. 3

WWE.com

3) Triple H (c) vs. Cactus Jack – WWF Championship Match, No Way Out 2000

Triple H would ask Cactus what match stipulation he wanted between the two at No Way Out and demanded Hell in a Cell. He also wanted the Game to put his WWF Championship on the line. However, Triple H said he only will if Cactus put his career on the line, to which he agreed.

Cactus looked for a way out before the match even started but saw about six chains locked around the door. As the PPV name was titled, he had “No Way Out.”

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The beginning of the match started with these two mostly going back and forth until Triple H took control. He threw Cactus into steel multiple times and looked to destroy the now-WWE Hall of Famer. He was bashed in the head with the steel chair multiple times. Cactus would work some of his veteran tactics with a chair low blow and a double arm DDT. However, it didn’t last long as he was thrown into a chair again.

A turning point of this match came with the cage being busted open. It led to the two going outside the ring and busting open Triple H as well. Cactus would get Triple H onto an announce table and hit a nasty piledriver. Cactus then tried climbing the cage but Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley pulled him down. Cactus would then pull out a two-by-four wrapped in barbed wire and bashed Triple H in the face with it. The two would climb to the top of the cage. However, before Cactus could make it all the way up, Triple H sawed his head with the barbed wire, causing Cactus to fall off the cage and into the Spanish announce table!

Cactus would work his way back up but get hit with the barbed wire multiple times. However, he fought back by hitting Triple H, who broke some of the top of the cage. Cactus then lit the barbed wire on fire and hit Hunter in the face. However, as he went for a piledriver, Hunter hit a back body drop then sent Cactus through the top of the cage and into the floor of the ring! It even got pressed in, too.

Somehow, Cactus got up. However, he was ended by a Pedigree a short time later to end his career at the time.

This match was brutal but very exciting. It told a great story of the veteran trying to save his job and doing everything possible. Add in some great spots and you have one of the better Hell in a Cell matches of all-time. This also helped Triple H establish himself as a dominant heel who was making a name for himself in the company.

Next: No. 2

WWE.com

2) Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker – WWF Badd Blood 1997: In Your House

This match was to determine the new number one contender for the WWF Championship.

This bout featured Undertaker essentially going up against the entire Degeneration X. It even featured Rick “The Insurance Policy” Rude for those who don’t remember his brief run in one of WWE’s greatest factions.

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HBK and Undertaker battled for weeks on Raw is War to set up this first-ever Hell in a Cell match. No match like this was ever seen before and Michaels played that up to perfection because before the match even started, he panicked over being trapped in a steel structure with the Dead Man.

Michaels would face a difficult time dealing with Undertaker, who controlled most of the early action. He couldn’t attack ‘Taker without DX in weeks past and it was showing here. This created a terrific story for the match with HBK’s struggles. He did work his way back, though, by finding openings to take down and injure the Phenom. He even took out a cameraman in the process.

However, Michaels and Undertaker methodically brutalized one another. From the symbolism of the chair shots from early in the rivalry to the piledriver into the steel steps, they pulled out plenty of stops.

The cell quickly became introduced as a weapon as well, which set a precedent for future WWE Superstars. Undertaker tossed Michaels into the structure multiple times. It would get used in more dangerous ways in future matches too.

The turning point came when Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter opened up the cell door, which also set the precedent for future matches. This led to both competitors breaking out and continuing their war and using the cell for more blood. They then climbed to the top of the cell, which led to the first fall off the cell when HBK got his hand kicked off the steel, making him crash through the announce table.

However, as Undertaker went to finish off Michaels in the ring, the lights went out and Paul Bearer came out with a masked man. “That’s gotta be Kane, that’s gotta be Kane!” This was the introduction of the Big Red Machine, Undertaker’s little brother. Kane would Tombstone ‘Taker and leave. HBK slowly crawled onto his battered body and successfully picked up the pin to end this brutally entertaining contest.

The first Hell in a Cell match was certainly one of the best. It gave HBK a huge win but introduced one of the better rivalries in WWE history with Undertaker vs. Kane. This match also set the precedent for future the other 29 Hell in a Cell bouts that followed.

Next: No. 1

WWE.com

1) The Undertaker vs. Mankind – WWF King of the Ring 1998

This is arguably the most famous Hell in a Cell match of all time and tops our list as the greatest bout of this kind.

Before Undertaker was even introduced, Mankind climbed to the top of the cell to begin this. Moments later, it turned into a war when ‘Taker met him at the top of it.

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Mankind took early control over Undertaker with chair shots but that’s about all he could get in.

“Good God almighty, that killed him! As God as my witness, he’s been broken in half!”

That was the famous call that Jim Ross made when Undertaker tossed Mankind off the top of the cell and through the announce table. Mankind slammed through the table like a rag doll and was seemingly done for the match. Doctors came out immediately to help him because this was no act of “selling.” Everyone thought this match was done and the cage even got raised with Undertaker on it (to get the stretcher around the structure). But some how, some way, Mankind continued.

Both men climbed back up the cage and moments later, Undertaker threw Foley through the cell, smashing into the ring.

Again, Foley somehow made his way up to his feet. If you watch this match, you can see iconic image of Mankind with his mouth full of blood and a tooth in his nose.

To cap things off, Foley broke out a bag of tacks but ended up getting slammed on his back on them. The pain that he was in must have been excruciating. How could someone handle that and still get back on their feet? Undertaker ended this with a devastating chokeslam on the tacks and a Tombstone Piledriver.

Nothing like this was ever seen on WWE TV and still hasn’t been since. This is with good reason, as Foley somehow finished this match despite getting bones broken, teeth shoved up his nose and tacks in his back. You won’t see a Dean Ambrose or Seth Rollins doing this today.

This match was the most brutal one ever seen inside Hell in a Cell but it is well-worth watching to see one of the more iconic matches in WWE history.

What do you think is the greatest Hell in a Cell match of all-time? What was the worst of them all? Let us know below.

Next: WWE Hell in a Cell 2014 Review

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Rob Wolkenbrod

Robert is an editor, writer, and video editor. He covers the San Antonio Spurs for Forbes and the Toronto Raptors for Hoops Habit.