WWE: Ranking all 40 Hell in a Cell matches from worst to best
30. Universal Championship: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Braun Strowman
When and Where: Hell in a Cell on September 16, 2018, in San Antonio, TX
I wish I could forget this match happened. It was the 40th and most recent Hell in a Cell match and the main event of last year’s Hell in a Cell pay-per-view. Roman Reigns defended the Universal Championship against Braun Strowman with Mick Foley as the Special Guest Referee.
There is some noteworthy context here, as this was about a month before Roman Reigns revealed his battle with leukemia and relinquished the championship. The match itself started solid, with a few good spots between Roman and Strowman despite not feeling that special overall.
That’s when things went off the rails. Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler ran down the ramp, demanding to have the door be opened for them. Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose quickly showed up, and a brawl between those four somehow ended up on top of the cell. Ziggler and Rollins fought on the side of the cell, both falling through tables.
The entire time, Strowman and Reigns were down on the inside. Oh, then Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman showed up. Lesnar literally kicked the cell open, forcing his way in as Paul Heyman pepper-sprayed Mick Foley to keep the referee from intervening. Back inside, Lesnar destroyed Strowman and Reigns as the most recent HIAC ended in a no contest.
29. The Undertaker vs. Shane McMahon
When and Where: WrestleMania 32 on April 3, 2016, in Arlington, TX
Let’s be clear. This match never should have happened. Not only did Shane McMahon not belong in a match at WrestleMania, or in a match against The Undertaker, they really didn’t need to have that match inside Hell in a Cell. Despite all of that, it was a match with special and memorable moments.
Easily the most memorable was Shane McMahon death-defying leap off the top of the cell, which The Undertaker dodged and left Shane to crash through a table all by himself. We also had some fun spots with the steel stairs and the classic Coast to Coast, but ultimately this was a match we never needed to see.
28. World Heavyweight Championship: Batista (c) vs. The Undertaker
When and Where: Survivor Series on November 18, 2007, in Miami, FL
There are epic classics inside Hell in a Cell from both of these men that you’ll see me talk more about inside of the top ten, but this match just wasn’t on that level. Despite some fun moments, it was the disappointment of the overall match quality that really hinders this one.
Some solid weapon spots and a bit of blood helped things along, but both Batista and The Undertaker felt downright sloppy at times and the match just didn’t feel up to snuff. The most memorable part of the match came when a cameraman inside the cell revealed himself to be “The Rated R Superstar” Edge. Edge took the liberty of attacking The Undertaker with a camera, ultimately helping Batista pick up the win.
27. United States Championship: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Rusev
When and Where: Hell in a Cell on October 30, 2016, in Boston, MA
There were two major factors that hindered this match going in. The first was that it had no business inside Hell in a Cell. It was the first and only time that a secondary championship was defended inside the structure, and it wasn’t exactly a rivalry that earned the stipulation. The additional problem was that fans loved to hate everything Roman Reigns came within spitting distance of, including this match.
Despite those issues, Reigns and Rusev had a decent match with some fun spots. Rusev locked on The Accolade with a steel chain, which should have finished off Reigns, but Roman fought out and ended things with a Spear off the steel steps. This match wasn’t terrible, but it didn’t belong inside the cell and didn’t live up to the potential it possessed.
26. WWE Championship: Randy Orton (c) vs. Sheamus
When and Where: Hell in a Cell on October 3, 2010, in Dallas, TX
And here we have another entry that should never have been a Hell in a Cell match. That being said, this is one of the better ones to fit into that category. Sheamus may feel like a perennial mid-carder now, but he was well on his way to being a career main-eventer during his early run. He captured the WWE Championship for the first time in late 2009 and looked to regain it here by challenging Orton.
Despite a slow start, this turned out to be a really fun match. Sheamus and Orton both had some good spots, and there were some legitimately surprising false finishes. Sheamus’ Brogue Kick wasn’t a guaranteed win at this point, but even I was surprised watching this back that Orton kicked out of such a cleanly delivered kick. Orton picked up a solid win in what was a better match than I’d anticipated.