The Top Ten Hell in a Cell Matches in WWE History

When it comes to a Hell in a Cell match, I have a few very important criteria. One is that the feud itself is personal enough for a HIAC and that it has an element to it that makes it more important than a regular feud. This is a problem I’ve had since the yearly HIAC PPV has become a thing. It’s no longer about what’s personal, it’s just about whatever feud is happening in October. Biggest culprit is Orton vs Cena from HIAC ’14. They weren’t even a feuding at the time and it felt like a mockery of Hell in a Cell. There was no reason that match had to be in a cell and it really hammered home the point that the cell is becoming a glorified cage match. The other big thing is that the match itself fits the story. It would be weird if Undertaker and Edge were having their incredibly personal feud but barely used the cell and just had basically a normal match in the ring. Over the years there have been so many matches that have benefited from being in the cell because the cell itself was used to enhance the story itself.

#10 – Roman Reign vs Bray Wyatt – Hell in a Cell 2015

This was the culmination of a feud that began around the time of the 2015 Money in the Bank match. Bray Wyatt screwed Reigns out of the contract and began playing mind games with him. This led to Ambrose coming to Reigns’ aid and Luke Harper & debuting Braun Strowman backing Wyatt. The four-month Wyatt and Reigns feud came to a finish at Hell in a Cell 2015 inside the demonic structure. Wyatt and Reigns both destroyed each other, going through table after table, being slammed into the cell itself and taking many weapon shots. After destroying each other for over 20 minutes, Reigns sends Bray head first into the end of a kendo stick and hits a spear for the win in a phenomenal match.

#9 – Triple H vs Chris Jericho – Judgment Day 2002

Despite becoming the first ever Undisputed Champion in late 2001, Triple H managed to dethrone Chris Jericho at Wrestlemania X-8 to take the title from Jericho & Stephanie’s grasps. As champion going into the brand split, Triple H was allowed on either show while Chris Jericho was on Smackdown. After Chris Jericho became partially responsible for Triple H losing the title to Hulk Hogan and coming to Smackdown, their feud rekindled. Only this time, Jericho also had Vince on his side and put Jericho and HHH in a Hell in a Cell at Judgment Day. After receiving organized beatings from much of the Smackdown roster the weeks before Judgment Day, it wasn’t even known if Triple H would be 100% going in. Jericho and Triple H would proceed to destroy each other in the cell, using any weapon and the cell itself to inflict pain. If injuring referee Tim White, the cell door was opened and both men escaped, eventually climbing to the top of the structure. Jericho manages to hit Triple H with a barbed wire 2×4 and lock in the Walls of Jericho. After a hellacious battle atop the cell, Triple H hits Jericho with the 2×4 and follows with a pedigree for the win.

#8 – Mankind vs The Undertaker – King of the Ring 1998

This match might seem low on the list but it’s because I consider it more of an in ring segment than a match itself. It’s one of the more unique ways a match has ever been structured in WWE. I mean it literally starts on top of the cell. Mankind takes arguably the most legendary bump of all time and than takes another legendary bump a handful of minutes later. Foley’s descent from the top of the cell through the announce table will always be one of the most iconic moments in wrestling history. Tables, chair shots, thumbtacks, this match was filled with pain for Mankind. Mick Foley takes an obscenely uncomfortable beating in this match. It’s one of the most watched and talked about matches of all time and while I think it’s got some incredible spots in it, but I can’t put it above matches that had a more fleshed out story to them and told what I found to be more interesting stories.

#7 – Degeneration X (Triple H & Shawn Michaels) vs Legacy (Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase Jr) – Hell in a Cell 2009

Many believed that Legacy had bitten off more than they could chew when they went after DX. After losing to them at Summerslam, Rhodes and DiBiase went back to the drawing board and developed a strategy. In their Submissions Count Anywhere match at Breaking Point, Legacy used a divide and conquer strategy to take out one member of DX and then work their way over to the other one, not allowing DX to get any momentum. They managed to make Shawn Michaels tap out while Triple H struggled to crawl back to ringside. They managed to start off using this strategy at Hell in a Cell too, attacking DX before the bell. They managed to leave Triple H knocked out on the stage and bring Michaels into the cell, locking the door behind them. Legacy beat the living hell out of Michaels while Triple H finally woke up and continued trying to find ways into the cell. As Michaels is on the brink of losing, Triple H manages to use bolt cutters to get into the cell. After evening the odds, Triple H sent Ted DiBiase Jr out of the cell and locked it back up. Triple H puts a chair around Cody Rhodes’ head, which Michaels elbow drops off the top rope. A sledgehammer shot and Sweet Chin Music put down Cody and end the feud with Legacy. This match had an absurd amount of great storytelling in it.

#6 – The Undertaker vs Triple H – Wrestlemania XXVIII

The End of an Era. Triple H failed to end The Undertaker’s streak at Wrestlemania XXVII despite coming incredibly close. He dealt an enormous amount of pain to Taker. So much that Undertaker disappeared for over ten months after the match, which Triple H used to claim that he lost the battle but won the war that night. Undertaker came back and challenged Triple H to a match at XXVIII, which Triple H initially refused. After Undertaker played some mind games involving Shawn Michaels, Triple H accepted under the condition it be done in the cell and Shawn Michaels was inserted as the referee. Much like their match the previous year, both men deliver brutal beatings to each other, this time in the confines of the cell. This match features one of the most absurd near falls of all time, with Undertaker kicking out of a Sweet Chin Music and Pedigree combo from Triple H & Michaels which has never even come close to being kicked out of before. Some people don’t like the overacting in this match but I love that kind of stuff so it didn’t bother me. Triple H comes up short once again, with Undertaker having a second wind later in the match and getting the victory.

#5 – Randy Orton vs The Undertaker – Armageddon 2005

This feud began before Wrestlemania 21 in March of 2005 when Superstar Billy Graham suggested Orton to do what no superstar has done before. Orton developed a huge mean streak during this, killing another legend in Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts and even turning on an RKOing his girlfriend, Stacy Keibler. Undertaker managed to defeat Orton at Wrestlemania but it was not the end of their feud. Orton got the win back at Summerslam with some help from his father. At No Mercy 2005, Randy & Bob Orton defeated Undertaker in a casket match, lighting it on fire and ‘killing’ Undertaker. At Survivor Series 2005 after Randy Orton won the Survivor Series match for Team Smackdown, The Undertaker returned from a burning casket and Orton just narrowly escape. That all led to this match. This Hell in a Cell was so vicious that literally everyone from Randy Orton to Undertaker to Bob Orton to the referee bled during it. Orton seemingly had Undertaker beat at one point with an RKO but the referee was knocked out. Orton even managed to Tombstone the Deadman but just for a two count. Undertaker eventually had his second wind and Tombstoned both Randy and his father, getting the victory.

#4 – The Undertaker vs Batista – Survivor Series 2007

One of only two matches on this list that was for a championship. This was the epic final chapter in the Batista vs Undertaker feud that began before Wrestlemania 23. At Wrestlemania, Undertaker defeated Batista for the World Heavyweight title. At Backlash, both men could not get to their feet by the count of ten in their last man standing match due to Batista spearing Undertaker off the stage. In their steel cage match on Smackdown, both men escaped and landed at the same time, causing Undertaker to retain again via draw. Undertaker missed some time with injury, losing the title to Edge via MITB cash in and Batista went on to win back the title in Taker’s absence. At Cyber Sunday they collided again, this time Batista getting the victory and retaining. So going into the Hell in a Cell match, both men were tied at 1-1-2. Inside the cell, both men completely destroyed each other, ramping up the violence from their original four matches. Undertaker managed to kick out of a Batista Bomb through a table and Batista kicked out of a Tombstone. After Undertaker hit a Tombstone on the steel steps, Edge, disguised as a camera man, stopped Undertaker from winning and hit him with the camera. He followed up by placing Taker’s head on the steps and hitting it with a chair, then dragging Batista on top for the victory in this brutal match.

#3 – Batista vs Triple H – Vengeance 2005

Lots of rich history behind this one. For quite a long time, Triple H, Batista, Randy Orton and Ric Flair basically ran Raw as Evolution. But after Randy Orton was kicked out and Triple H was holding the title again, Batista couldn’t help but seem enthralled about taking the title away from him. It all came to a head after Batista won the Royal Rumble. Triple H and Ric Flair attempted to do anything they could to get Batista to jump to Smackdown and challenge JBL. However Batista saw through their tricks and turned face, defeating Triple H at Wrestlemania XXI for the World Heavyweight Championship. The feud continued a few months, showing more and more hints of violence, until it all wrapped up at Vengeance in the cell. Generally the cell itself is the biggest weapon in the match, however this one was unique. A barbed wire covered steel chair came into play early and became the prized possession of the match. Batista took brutal shots off the back with it but also managed to get it himself and grind it against Triple H’s face. A steel chain also came into play, nearly giving Triple H the match at one point. Eventually Batista used Triple H’s own sledgehammer against him but it was not enough to put him down. After a spinebuster on the steel steps, Batista hit the Batista Bomb to finally put away Triple H in an incredible match.

#2 – Edge vs The Undertaker – Summerslam 2008

Edge walked into Wrestlemania XXIV as the World Heavyweight Champion and was confident that not only would he retain his title, but he would end the Undertaker’s undefeated streak. However Edge quickly realized that he was in over his head and The Undertaker came away with the title. At Backlash 2008, they had a rematch where Undertaker knocked out Edge with the Hell’s Gate submission. This led to Vickie Guerrero banning the move and vacating Undertaker’s title. At Judgment Day they met for the vacant championship but the match ended in countout, keeping the title vacant. At One Night Stand, the title was contested in a TLC match between the two, however if Undertaker lost, he was fired. With help from Zack Ryder, Curt Hawkins, Chavo Guerrero & Bam Neely, Edge defeated The Undertaker and banished him from WWE. However, once Vickie Guerrero found out that Edge had cheated on her with their wedding planner, Alicia Fox, she took drastic measures and not only reinstated Undertaker, but announced Undertaker vs Edge at Summerslam in a HIAC match. Edge began to seem a bit out of it until a promo from Mick Foley where Foley told Edge that if he continues to be the way he is, Undertaker will destroy him at Summerslam. Edge proceeded to snap and beat the living hell out of Mick Foley in the ring. The next week, he tipped Vickie Guerrero out of her wheelchair, telling her that he’s going to be taking her, Undertaker and all of La Familia to hell with him. The match itself was amazing for many reasons but my favorite being the callback spots. They utilized the camera, which Edge used on Undertaker in his cell match with Batista. They utilized tables, ladders and chairs. The Undertaker even gave Edge a spear and a one man con-chair-to before hitting the Tombstone Piledriver for the win. Post match Undertaker even chokeslammed Edge off a ladder through the ring, into a hole which proceeded to go up in flames.

#1 – Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker – Badd Blood 1997

The original Hell in a Cell. Undertaker & Michaels’ feud began when Michaels was the special guest referee for Bret Hart and Undertaker’s WWF title match at Summerslam. Michaels got involved and managed to cost Taker the match. At In Your House: Ground Zero, Undertaker and Michaels fought to a no contest which sparked the idea for the first ever Hell in a Cell at In Your House: Badd Blood, with the winner getting a title shot at Bret Hart at Survivor Series. And we all know how that played out. Undertaker brutalized Michaels for a good portion of this match, using the cell as a weapon of destruction. After a camera man went down, the cell opened up and HBK and Undertaker took the fight to the outside. Undertaker stood atop the cell as Michaels tried to climb up, only to have his fingers stomped on and causing him to fall through the announce table. Back in the ring, Undertaker seemingly had the match won before the lights go out and Paul Bearer introduces Undertaker’s half-brother, Kane, in his debut. Kane rips the door off the cell and Tombstones Undertaker, allowing Shawn Michaels to win the first Hell in a Cell.