Hell in a Cell

The Hell in a Cell match was first introduced at Badd Blood on Sunday October 5, 1997, at the Kiel Center, now known as Enterprise Center, in St. Louis, Missouri. The background to the inaugural match was built on The Undertaker's loss to Bret Hart two months prior at SummerSlam in a WWF Championship match which Shawn Michaels was assigned to referee. Michaels had deliberately interjected himself in the match and cost The Undertaker a win which resulted in a match between the two at In Your House: Ground Zero. That match was ruled a no-contest due to the two bypassing and attacking the officials. As a climactic end to the feud, their following bout was originally scheduled to be held as a steel cage match. However, a larger roofed structure was constructed instead of a normal cage enclosing only the ring, enclosing not only the ring but also the surrounding ringside area. The wider space between the ring apron and the cell walls allowed for entering and exiting the ring and for cameras to be situated at ringside. At Badd Blood, Michaels defeated The Undertaker (with interference from The Undertaker's debuting half-brother Kane), becoming the number-one contender to the WWF Championship at the 1997 Survivor Series. The original concept for the Hell in a Cell structure was created by Jim Cornette. He described his concept as a combination of a cage surrounding the majority of the ringside area (the design, he stated, was popular in Memphis wrestling promotions) and the cage used in both the National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling for their WarGames matches (which had a top on the cage).{{cite web|url=http://kayfabecommentaries.com/DVD_TL_1997.html|title=Timeline History of WWE 1997|publisher=Kayfabe Commentaries|access-date=June 24, 2018}} On an October 2015 video podcast, Vince Russo said Cornette probably did come up with the concept, but the name Hell in a Cell came from him.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73iUbSJAvYw&t=4m21s |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/73iUbSJAvYw |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|title=Vince Russo's Nuclear Heat #4: WWE Hell In A Cell Origins, Kane's History, More – Oct 23, 2015|publisher=YouTube|access-date=October 23, 2015}}{{cbignore}} WWE credits the match as being based on the Last Battle of Atlanta.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wwe.com/classics/last-battle-of-atlanta-rich-sawyer|title=Exclusive: How the rarest match in wrestling history was discovered|website=WWE|language=en|access-date=2019-05-22}}

The 1998 Hell in a Cell match between The Undertaker and Mankind remains one of the most iconic matches of all time, with its level of extreme violence and dangerous spots, which led to Mankind getting legitimately knocked unconscious at the end of the match and suffering multiple injuries towards the end of the match. Despite the match's popularity, it remains controversial due to the wrestler's lack of safety. In 2011, this incident was named the number one "OMG!" incident in WWE history. Journalist Michael Landsberg called it "maybe the most famous match ever."{{Cite episode|title=The Undertaker interview|series=Off the Record|network=TSN|date=March 29, 2002|minutes=9}}{{cite AV media notes |title=OMG! – The Top 50 Incidents in WWE History DVD |publisher= WWE Inc |year=2011 }} The first title defense in Hell in a Cell was at No Way Out in February 2000 with Triple H defending the WWF Championship against Cactus Jack. The first title change inside Hell in a Cell was in October 2009, when The Undertaker won the World Heavyweight Championship from CM Punk. The longest Hell in a Cell match was held at Bad Blood in June 2004 between Triple H and Shawn Michaels at over 47 minutes. The Undertaker has been involved in the most Hell in a Cell matches, having competed in fourteen and having the most victories at eight. All Hell in a Cell matches have been broadcast live on pay-per-view except for five matches, three of which were televised on Raw Is War, later Monday Night Raw, with two in 1998 and one in 2021 and one on Friday Night SmackDown also in 2021. The Hell in a Cell match on the June 15 episode of Raw Is War showcasing Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Undertaker against Kane and Mankind, ended with Austin and Undertaker winning after Raw Is War went off the air. On the August 24 episode of Raw Is War, Mankind fought Kane (his tag team partner at the time) in a Hell in a Cell match. This match went to a no-contest after Austin interfered and assaulted Kane. On the June 18, 2021, episode of Friday Night SmackDown, the first televised title match contested inside the structure took place between Roman Reigns and Rey Mysterio for the WWE Universal Championship which saw Reigns retain the title via submission. Three days later on the June 21, 2021, episode of Monday Night Raw, WWE Champion Bobby Lashley faced Xavier Woods in a non-title Hell in a Cell match which saw Lashley win via submission. These matches, along with the two matches at the Hell in a Cell event, were held in a span of 4 days, with Lashley being the only wrestler to have competed in Hell in a Cell matches on back-to-back days. Only one Hell in a Cell match was not televised, the match took place on the September 26 episode of Raw in 2011 as a dark match where John Cena retained the WWE Championship in a five-way match against Alberto Del Rio, Jack Swagger, Dolph Ziggler, and CM Punk in a match that lasted only 5 minutes, making it the shortest Hell in a Cell match. Hell in a Cell matches have appeared at WWF/WWE's flagship event WrestleMania four times (XV, XXVIII, 32, and 39). In 2009, WWE debuted its first pay-per-view event to be named Hell in a Cell.

In 2016, Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks became the first women to step inside the Hell in a Cell match at Hell in a Cell in October 2016 when Banks defended the Raw Women's Championship against Flair, who won the match.

Ahead of Hell in a Cell in September 2018, the structure went through a significant overhaul. The fully crimson-red structure is smaller, with the wires being less pliable, making the structure stronger, yet lighter. Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy faced off against each other in the first crimson cell, a match which Orton won.{{Cite news|url=https://www.wwe.com/article/hell-in-a-cell-new-look|title=Hell in a Cell structure gets a fiery red makeover|publisher=WWE|access-date=September 17, 2018}} The crimson cell would be swapped out for the standard gray one come WrestleMania 39 in 2023.

The structure itself has made four additional appearances, although WWE does not consider them to be Hell in a Cell matches. During the first-ever First Blood match which was between Kane and Stone Cold Steve Austin at King of the Ring in June 1998, the cell used earlier in the night was lowered. The second featured Big Boss Man challenging Al Snow for the WWF Hardcore Championship in a Kennel from Hell match at Unforgiven in September 1999. The match consisted of a standard steel cage with the cell placed atop it and the object was to escape from both the cage and cell while trying to avoid guard dogs that were placed between the ring and cell door. Snow, the first competitor to escape the steel cage and the cell, was declared the winner. The third time was on September 28, 2009, episode of Raw during a gauntlet match with John Cena against Chris Jericho, Big Show and Randy Orton. The cell was lowered after Cena defeated Jericho and Big Show by disqualification when Orton's turn came. Cena ordered the cell to be lowered and then brawled Orton on top of the structure. The match was declared a no-contest. The fourth time was on October 20, 2014, episode of Raw when the Hell in a Cell structure was lowered on orders from Kane during a handicap street fight involving Kane, Orton, and Seth Rollins against Cena and Dean Ambrose which Kane, Orton, and Rollins won. At Hell in a Cell in October 2017, Shane McMahon and Kevin Owens competed in a Hell in a Cell match billed as the first under Falls Count Anywhere rules (despite the Hell in a Cell previously having this stipulation in its rules by default). In October 2020, Roman Reigns and Jey Uso competed in the first-ever Hell in a Cell match contested under an "I quit" stupulation.

The first Hell in a Cell match in 1997 between The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels was highly acclaimed, with Dave Meltzer giving it 5 stars.{{cite web|url=https://sites.google.com/site/chrisharrington/mookieghana-prowrestlingstatistics/wwf_wwe_ppvs_1985_2013_wo_star_ratings#TOC-WWF-In-Your-House-18:-Badd-Blood |title=Dave Meltzer Star Ratings for WWF/WWE PPVs 1985–2013 |author=Harrington, Chris |website=Indeedwrestling.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160129031643/https://sites.google.com/site/chrisharrington/mookieghana-prowrestlingstatistics/wwf_wwe_ppvs_1985_2013_wo_star_ratings |archive-date=2016-01-29 |url-status=dead }} As the match became more common, critics claimed that the concept was being overused, particularly during the 2010s.{{cite web |url=https://www.pwinsider.com/ViewArticle.php?id=140359 |title = USING TALENTS UP TOO QUICKLY, ANOTHER WAY TO BOOK RETRIBUTION, MY FAVORITE GIMMICK MATCH AND MORE {{!}} PWInsider.com}} Former WWE producer Arn Anderson said in 2020 that too many feuds had culminated in a Hell in a Cell match despite not justifying a match of that caliber.{{cite web|title=Arn Anderson says that WWE are overusing Hell In A Cell matches|date=October 7, 2020|website=Sportskeeda|url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/wwe/news-arn-anderson-reveals-wwe-overusing-hell-in-a-cell-matches|access-date=May 25, 2025}} In 2024, prior to a Hell in a Cell match against Drew McIntyre, CM Punk stated that he hoped to revitalize the match's brutality and quality, saying, "I don't want to have a cell that needs a match. I want to have a match that needs the cell."{{cite web|first=Cain A.|last=Knight|title=CM Punk is trying to change WWE’s flawed approach to the Hell in a Cell match|date=October 3, 2024|website=Cageside Seats|url=https://www.cagesideseats.com/wwe/2024/10/3/24261216/cm-punk-explains-hell-in-a-cell-logic-drew-mcintyre-feud-bad-blood-story-brutal-end-restore-gimmick|access-date=May 25, 2025}}

Heavy criticism was directed at the finish of the 2019 match between Seth Rollins and "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt after it became the first Hell in a Cell match to end via referee stoppage.{{cite web|title=WWE 2019 Hell In A Cell: Rollins-Fiend a no contest, Flair becomes 10-time champ|date=October 6, 2019|website=ESPN|url=https://www.espn.com/wwe/story/_/id/27775550/2019-wwe-hell-cell-live-results-updates-grades-ratings|access-date=May 25, 2025}}{{cite web|first=Alfred|last=Konuwa|title=WWE Hell In A Cell 2019 Results: Fans Chant ‘AEW,’ ‘Refunds’ For Fiend Vs. Seth Rollins Main Event|date=October 7, 2019|website=Forbes|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/alfredkonuwa/2019/10/07/wwe-hell-in-a-cell-2019-results-fans-chant-aew-refunds-for-fiend-vs-seth-rollins-main-event/|access-date=May 25, 2025}}{{cite web|first=Carl|last=Bennett|title=WWE has killled one of it’s{{sup|[sic]}} greatest creations – Hell in a Cell is dead|date=October 7, 2019|website=talkSPORT|url=https://talksport.com/wrestling/612443/wwe-hell-in-a-cell/|access-date=May 25, 2025}}

Hell in a Cell matches have been less frequent in the 2020s, particularly since the discontinuation of the Hell in a Cell event. The event was last held in 2022, where Rollins and Cody Rhodes competed in the second Hell in a Cell match to be rated 5 stars by Meltzer.{{cite web|url=https://www.iwnerd.com/dave-melter-star-ratings-wwe-hell-in-a-cell-2022/|title=Dave Melter Star Ratings – WWE Hell in a Cell 2022|work=IWNerd|access-date=February 15, 2023|date=May 31, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220719091404/https://www.iwnerd.com/dave-melter-star-ratings-wwe-hell-in-a-cell-2022/|archive-date=July 19, 2022|url-status=live}} This feat was also achieved by the Punk–McIntyre match at Bad Blood 2024.{{Cite web|url=https://tjrwrestling.net/news/dave-meltzer-ratings-wwe-bad-blood-2024/|title=Dave Meltzer Match Ratings WWE Bad Blood 2024|date=October 11, 2024|last=Harold|first=James|work=TJR Wrestling|access-date=October 14, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241106175653/https://tjrwrestling.net/news/dave-meltzer-ratings-wwe-bad-blood-2024/|archive-date=November 6, 2024|url-status=live}}

File:Shawn Michaels WM24 shot.jpg was the inaugural winner in October 1997]]

File:Undertaker with Fire.jpg holds the record for both the most wins at 8 and the most Hell in a Cell matches with 14, with his final appearance at WrestleMania 32 in April 2016]]

File:WWE Raw 2016-04-04 19-40-26 ILCE-6000 2497 DxO (28352231546) (cropped).jpg holds the record for most women's Hell in a Cell match appearances with 3.]]

• Elimination Chamber

{{reflist}}

• {{official website|http://www.wwe.com/shows/hellinacell}}

{{Mick Foley}}

{{The Undertaker}}

{{Shawn Michaels}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hell In A Cell}}

Category:1997 in professional wrestling

Category:WWE match types