WWE: Ranking all 40 Hell in a Cell matches from worst to best
35. World Heavyweight Championship: CM Punk (c) vs. The Undertaker
When and Where: Hell in a Cell on October 4, 2009, in Newark, NJ
The very first HIAC match under the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view banner was terribly disappointing. Going into the night, this had real potential. CM Punk was extremely over as a heel, and the crowd was hot as this match started the event. The two men who would later have a WrestleMania classic instead were given barely 10 minutes.
After an extremely forgettable match, The Undertaker delivered a Tombstone Piledriver to handily put away CM Punk. The moment felt like a true burial for Punk, who had grown into one of the top names on SmackDown, only to seemingly fall to Undertaker without putting up much of a fight.
34. Mankind vs. Kane
When and Where: Raw is War on August 24, 1998, in Philadelphia, PA
One of our few non-PPV Hell in a Cell matches came in 1998. Only a few short months after The Undertaker and Mankind gave us an epic clash at King of the Ring, we saw Mankind back inside the cell. At least, that was the intent. Before the match even started, Mankind tried to climb up on top of the cell.
Referees yanked him off, leading to a brawl in the open doorway between him and Kane. Mankind fought his way around the ring, climbing the other side only to be pulled off by The Undertaker and sent through an announce table. After a mediocre match, Kane looked set for a dominant victory, but Steve Austin apparently had been hiding under the ring.
Austin’s interference caused the match to end in a no contest as he attacked Kane while Undertaker was stuck outside of the ring. Taker climbed the cell in an attempt to get inside, only for Vince McMahon to order the cell be raised to keep Undertaker and Austin separate ahead of their match at SummerSlam 1998.
33. World Heavyweight Championship: Kane (c) vs. The Undertaker
When and Where: Hell in a Cell on October 3, 2010, in Dallas, TX
Kane interrupted and debuted in the first-ever Hell in a Cell, costing The Undertaker that match as well. You’d be surprised to realize that, despite those beginnings, these two first faced off inside the structure nearly 13 years later. You’d be more surprised to realize that, despite the historic potential they carried into this match, it was downright bad.
This barely felt like a Hell in a Cell match, with Kane and The Undertaker wrestling like shells of the competitors they had once been. That’s extra unfortunate considering the moments they had in the years to come. The potential was there, but it just didn’t happen.
An injured referee forced the door to be unlocked, allowing Paul Bearer to enter the fray. He used the urn as a flashlight, blinded The Undertaker, and handed it to Kane to be used as a weapon. Kane turned on his brother, hitting him with the urn before picking up the win.
32. World Heavyweight Championship: Mark Henry (c) vs. Randy Orton
When and Where: Hell in a Cell on October 2, 2011, in New Orleans, LA
Much like the clash between The Undertaker and Kane, this match was just terribly disappointing considering the talent involved. Mark Henry is one of the most talented big men in WWE history and has always excelled at the roles he’s had the opportunity to play.
During this time period, we finally got to see World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry. He defended his title against Orton, but it didn’t feel like Hell in a Cell. The lackluster match went just under 16 minutes, and Henry picked up a dominant, albeit forgettable, victory.
31. WWE Championship: John Cena (c) vs. Randy Orton
When and Where: Hell in a Cell on October 4, 2009, in Newark, NJ
You’ll notice a trend in some of these earlier entries that they simply didn’t belong inside Hell in a Cell. When the structure is at its best, it culminates bitter rivalries in an over the top way. When the structure is at its worst, it’s just sort of there. In this match, it was just sort of there.
John Cena and Randy Orton always seemed like a great match on paper, but their in-ring chemistry just never compared to what they were able to do with other competitors. After a decent match, Orton put John Cena in a sleeper while he was tied up in the ropes. He followed it with the devastating punt to pick up the win in a match I’m already about to forget happened.