Hell in a Cell
There is no denying that “Hell in a Cell” is the most brutal and terrifying match in the WWE. In this death-defying match, a 20ft cage of steel surrounds the ring, limiting the amount of space the wrestlers have to maneuver. There is no disqualification, no count outs, and no restrictions whatsoever. You and your opponent are allowed to do whatever you want to each other and use whatever weapons are available under the ring, which is what makes the match so brutal (not so much the fact that you are encased in a 20ft cell of hardcore steel). These matches often end in blood and career-threatening injuries. This demonic structure has been utilized for over 13 years, and now we find ourselves in the 13th year (one of the devil’s favorite numbers) wherein “Hell in a Cell” gets it’s own pay-per-category. In this pay-per-view, every main-event match takes place inside “Hell in a Cell”. There was wide speculation that this event would not prove to be successful. “Hell in a Cell” is that one special match that usually takes place once or twice a year. It is the great solar eclipse of the WWE–the finisher of all rivals, and quite frankly, the match is so brutal that it is only limited to certain superstars who have proven themselves to endure such pain and suffering. To have an event with multiple “Hell in a Cell” matches lessens the importance and prestige of the match. Whatever the case, whatever the opinion, there is one thing that the entire WWE universe has agreed on. That is, there is one man who deserves to grace the cover of the event (as shown in the photo above). That same man is the MASTER of the “Hell in a Cell” matches. He has been in more “Hell in a Cell” matches than any other wrestler and the torturous chamber was designed specially for him and his victims. That man, is THE UNDERTAKER.
Emerging from the darkness of Hell in November of 1990 at Survivor Series (a very popular pay-per view in the WWE), the Undertaker has since became a force to be reckoned with. Also referred to as “The Phenom”, the Undertaker will be remembered for a lot of things, such as going undefeated for an entire year after he debuted, his omnipresent entrance, his remarkable Wrestlemania streak, his relationship to manager, Paul Bearer, and younger brother, Kane, his “Ministry of Darkness” (a group of people who have been sacrificed to the demons in hell and who’s souls were in control by the Undertaker), the countless amount of souls he has taken and sent to the fiery pits of hell, and most importantly, being the originator, master, and greatest influence over three of the WWE’s most brutal matches: the Casket match, Buried Alive match, and the “Hell in a Cell” match.
The Undertaker wins the World Heavyweight Championship at Hell in a Cell
The Undertaker took part in the first “Hell in a Cell” match in October of 1997. The torturous chamber was designed specifically for him, by him. It is a place of no escape for his victims and a place were he could execute the most demonic rituals which would often result in excruciating pain and being sent to hell. After being in more “Hell in a Cell” matches than any other wrestler and making the match his domain, it was only right that the WWE had the Undertaker grace the cover of the event, as well as the first match of the pay-per view. The first “Hell in a Cell” match of the pay-per view event was between the Undertaker and then-world heavyweight champion, CM Punk. (see photos of the match) On Sunday, October 25, 2009, in a 10-minute match, the Undertaker would prove to be victorious by being the first superstar ever to win a Championship or World title at the “Hell in a Cell” pay-per view event–another impact to add to his long list of accomplishments. At this event, strictly inspired by the dead-man, the Undertaker captured the World Heavyweight Champion, making it his 7th World title reign. As Jim Ross best puts it, “If Yankee Stadium is the house that Ruth built, then Hell in a Cell belongs to Undertaker!” (watch the Undertaker defeat CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship)
The other two matches that took place inside the “Hell in a Cell” were John Cena vs Randy Orton for the WWE Championship, and DX (Triple H & Shawn Michaels) vs. The Legacy (Ted DiBiase & Cody Rhodes). Even though these were fairly decent matches, none came close to the adversity and intensity of that in the Undertaker vs. CM Punk match. The Randy Orton vs. John Cena match is the first “Hell in a Cell” match that didn’t include the Undertaker or Triple H. The Viper, Randy Orton, vowed to defeat the WWE Champion, John Cena, and reclaim his Championship. Indeed he did, making it the second time a Championship has changed hands inside the “Hell in a Cell” (the first time being Undertaker defeating CM Punk for the Word Heavyweight Championship). The DX vs. Legacy match resulted in DX having the upper hand. Some parts of the match took place outside of the cell, as a lot of “Hell in a Cell” matches do. In some instances, a member of one team would be locked outside of the cage, resulting in a two on one encounter inside the cage. At the end of the match, DX proved to be victorious, and as one of the many stimuli of the “Hell in a Cell” matches, the rivalry saw somewhat of an ending.
The Undertaker sends Edge to Hell in one of the most memorable Hell in a Cell matches--Summerslam 2008
Other matches, that were not main-event matches, so therefore did not take place inside a “Hell in a Cell”, were the Unified Tag team Champions, the Intercontinental Champion, the U.S. Champion, and the Diva’s Champion, all which resulted in the current champion retaining their Championships. Overall, the pay-per view received mixed reviews. A lot of the negative feedback suggested that multiple “Hell in a Cell” matches was a bad idea and that such a match of great prestige should be rarely seen on television (as rare as once a year). The good reviews were in favor of the Undertaker being the “face” of the pay-per view, making history multiple times inside the steel structure that he has influenced. Undertaker’s 10th “Hell in a Cell” match at the pay-per view made history as he became the first to win a Championship at the event and the first time a Championship has ever changed hands. He also took part in the first match ever at this event. The DVD sales of this event were fairly well so this proves to be a moderately successful event by the WWE.
