Hell in a Cell

'Hell in a Cell' 2017 in Detroit, Michigan

Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE). It features a large "cell" structure, a 5-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fencing which encloses the ring and ringside area. Unlike the steel cage match, only an in-ring pinfall or submission will ordinarily result in a win (though in Hell in a Cell at Judgment Day 2002 Triple H pinned Chris Jericho atop the cell to win the match), and there are no disqualifications. The original Cell was 16 ft (4.9 m) high and weighed over two tons but has since been replaced by a more robust version of 20 ft (6.1 m) and five tons. The first match took place at Badd Blood: In Your House in October 1997; a total of 40 Hell in a Cell matches have occurred. The match type spawned its own pay-per-view event in 2009, WWE Hell in a Cell, since which the event has been held annually in October and occasionally September. This event generally features one to three Hell in a Cell matches on the same card.

History

The Undertaker holds the record for the most Hell in a Cell matches with 14, most recently at WrestleMania 32.

The Hell in a Cell match was first introduced at WWF Badd Blood on 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 Undertaker's loss to Bret Hart two months prior at the WWF SummerSlam 1997 in a WWF World Heavyweight 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 climatic end to the feud, their following bout was originally scheduled to be held as a steel cage match. However, instead of a normal cage enclosing only the ring, a larger roofed structure was constructed, 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 brother Kane) becoming the number-one contender to the WWF World Heavyweight Championship.

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 NWA (National Wrestling Alliance) and WCW (World Championship Wrestling) for their WarGames matches (which had a top on the cage).[1] 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.[2]

The first title defense in Hell in a Cell was at No Way Out 2000 with Triple H defending the WWF Championship against Cactus Jack. The first title change inside Hell in a Cell was in 2009, when The Undertaker won the World Heavyweight Championship from CM Punk.

The longest Hell in a Cell match was held at Bad Blood 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 has the record for most victories at eight.

All Hell in a Cell matches have been broadcast live on Pay-Per-View with the exception of two matches, which were televised on WWF Raw is War in 1998. The Hell in a Cell match on the June 15th edition of Raw is War, showcasing Stone Cold and Undertaker vs. Kane and Mankind, ended with Stone Cold and Undertaker winning after Raw is War went off the air. On the August 24th edition of Raw is War, Mankind fought his tag team partner at the time, Kane, in a Hell in a Cell match. This match went to a no contest after Stone Cold Steve Austin interfered and assaulted Kane. Hell in a Cell matches have appeared at the flagship event of the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE), WrestleMania, three times (WrestleMania XV, XXVIII and 32).

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 (2016) when Banks defended the Raw Women's Championship against Flair. To date, this has been the only women's Hell in a Cell match.

Ahead of the 2018 edition of the pay-per-view, 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.[3]

Other appearances and variations

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 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 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 the 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 Cena brawled Orton on top of the structure. The match was declared a no contest. The fourth time was on the 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, Randy Orton, and Seth Rollins and John Cena and Dean Ambrose, which Kane, Orton and Rollins won. At Hell in a Cell 2017, Shane McMahon and Kevin Owens competed in the first Hell in a Cell match contested under a Falls Count Anywhere stipulation.

In WCW, the Hell in a Cell match is seen as the structural successor to the Thundercage (originally called the Caged Heat match) match type seen in WCW, which was virtually identical in basic construction; however, the Thundercage was rarely used by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and thus fans had little to no knowledge of its existence. The Thundercage actually precedes Hell in a Cell by roughly two and a half years, as the Thundercage was used in the match between Ric Flair and Big Van Vader for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship in February 1994 at SuperBrawl IV. It was also used in matches between Sting and The Great Muta.

List of Hell in a Cell matches

Dallas holds the record for hosting the most Hell in a Cell matches with five. Four were held in Dallas proper and one in the western suburb of Arlington.

In second place is Miami, which has hosted four Hell in a Cell matches with three in Miami proper and one in the suburb of Miami Gardens. In third place is Newark, Boston, and San Antonio. All three of which have hosted three Hell in a Cell matches.

NumberMatchStipulationsEventDateLocationLength
1 Shawn Michaels defeated The Undertaker Singles Hell in a Cell to determine the #1 contender for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship at Survivor Series Badd Blood: In Your House October 5, 1997 St. Louis, Missouri 29:55
2 The Undertaker and Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated Mankind and Kane Tornado Tag Team Hell in a Cell Raw Is War June 15, 1998 San Antonio, Texas 10:38
3 The Undertaker defeated Mankind Singles Hell in a Cell King of the Ring June 28, 1998 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 17:10
4 Mankind vs. Kane ended in a no contest Singles Hell in a Cell Raw Is War August 24, 1998 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 7:41
5 The Undertaker defeated Big Boss Man Singles Hell in a Cell WrestleMania XV March 28, 1999 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 9:48
6 Triple H (c) defeated Cactus Jack Singles Hell in a Cell for the WWF Championship. If Cactus Jack lost, he would have to retire as an active wrestler in the WWF. No Way Out February 27, 2000 Hartford, Connecticut 23:57
7 Kurt Angle (c) defeated The Undertaker, Triple H, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Rikishi and The Rock Six-man Hell in a Cell for the WWF Championship Armageddon December 10, 2000 Birmingham, Alabama 32:12
8 Triple H defeated Chris Jericho Singles Hell in a Cell Judgment Day May 19, 2002 Nashville, Tennessee 24:06
9 Brock Lesnar (c) defeated The Undertaker Singles Hell in a Cell for the WWE Championship No Mercy October 20, 2002 North Little Rock, Arkansas 27:18
10 Triple H (c) defeated Kevin Nash Singles Hell in a Cell for the World Heavyweight Championship with special guest referee Mick Foley Bad Blood June 15, 2003 Houston, Texas 21:01
11 Triple H defeated Shawn Michaels Singles Hell in a Cell Bad Blood June 13, 2004 Columbus, Ohio 47:26
12 Batista (c) defeated Triple H Singles Hell in a Cell for the World Heavyweight Championship Vengeance June 26, 2005 Las Vegas, Nevada 26:54
13 The Undertaker defeated Randy Orton Singles Hell in a Cell Armageddon December 18, 2005 Providence, Rhode Island 30:31
14 D-Generation X (Triple H and Shawn Michaels) defeated Mr. McMahon, Shane McMahon and Big Show 2-on-3 Handicap Hell in a Cell. This also marked the debut of the "amplified" version of the cell Unforgiven September 17, 2006 Toronto, Ontario, Canada 25:04
15 Batista (c) defeated The Undertaker Singles Hell in a Cell for the World Heavyweight Championship Survivor Series November 18, 2007 Miami, Florida 21:24
16 The Undertaker defeated Edge Singles Hell in a Cell SummerSlam August 17, 2008 Indianapolis, Indiana 26:43
17 The Undertaker defeated CM Punk (c) Singles Hell in a Cell for the World Heavyweight Championship Hell in a Cell October 4, 2009 Newark, New Jersey 10:24
18 Randy Orton defeated John Cena (c) Singles Hell in a Cell for the WWE Championship 21:24
19 D-Generation X (Triple H and Shawn Michaels) defeated Legacy (Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase) Tornado Tag Team Hell in a Cell 17:48
20 Randy Orton (c) defeated Sheamus Singles Hell in a Cell for the WWE Championship Hell in a Cell October 3, 2010 Dallas, Texas 22:51
21 Kane (c) defeated The Undertaker Singles Hell in a Cell for the World Heavyweight Championship 21:38
22 John Cena (c) defeated Alberto Del Rio, CM Punk, Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger Five-Man Hell in a Cell for the WWE Championship Raw
(Dark Match)		 September 26, 2011 Kansas City, Missouri 5:01
23 Mark Henry (c) defeated Randy Orton Singles Hell in a Cell for the World Heavyweight Championship Hell in a Cell October 2, 2011 New Orleans, Louisiana 15:54
24 Alberto Del Rio defeated John Cena (c) and CM Punk Triple Threat Hell in a Cell for the WWE Championship 24:07
25 The Undertaker defeated Triple H Singles Hell in a Cell with special guest referee Shawn Michaels WrestleMania XXVIII April 1, 2012 Miami Gardens, Florida 30:52
26 CM Punk (c) defeated Ryback Singles Hell in a Cell for the WWE Championship Hell in a Cell October 28, 2012 Atlanta, Georgia 11:22
27 CM Punk defeated Ryback and Paul Heyman 2-on-1 Handicap Hell in a Cell Hell in a Cell October 27, 2013 Miami, Florida 13:48
28 Randy Orton defeated Daniel Bryan Singles Hell in a Cell for the vacant WWE Championship with special guest referee Shawn Michaels 22:07
29 John Cena defeated Randy Orton Singles Hell in a Cell to determine the #1 contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship Hell in a Cell October 26, 2014 Dallas, Texas 25:52
30 Seth Rollins defeated Dean Ambrose Singles Hell in a Cell 14:00
31 Roman Reigns defeated Bray Wyatt Singles Hell in a Cell Hell in a Cell October 25, 2015 Los Angeles, California 23:08
32 Brock Lesnar defeated The Undertaker Singles Hell in a Cell 18:10
33 The Undertaker defeated Shane McMahon Singles Hell in a Cell. If Shane McMahon won, he would gain control of Raw and Undertaker would be barred from competing at WrestleMania again WrestleMania 32 April 3, 2016 Arlington, Texas 30:08
34 Roman Reigns (c) defeated Rusev Singles Hell in a Cell for the WWE United States Championship Hell in a Cell October 30, 2016 Boston, Massachusetts 24:35
35 Kevin Owens (c) defeated Seth Rollins Singles Hell in a Cell for the WWE Universal Championship 23:15
36 Charlotte Flair defeated Sasha Banks (c) Singles Hell in a Cell for the WWE Raw Women's Championship 22:25
37 The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) defeated The New Day (Big E and Xavier Woods) (c) Tornado Tag Team Hell in a Cell for the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship Hell in a Cell October 8, 2017 Detroit, Michigan 22:00
38 Kevin Owens defeated Shane McMahon Falls Count Anywhere Hell in a Cell 39:00
39 Randy Orton defeated Jeff Hardy Singles Hell in a Cell Hell in a Cell September 16, 2018 San Antonio, Texas 24:50
40 Roman Reigns (c) vs. Braun Strowman ended in a no contest Singles Hell in a Cell for the WWE Universal Championship with special guest referee Mick Foley 24:10

Participant list

Males

Wrestler Victories Appearances
The Undertaker 8 14
Triple H 6 9
Randy Orton 4 7
Shawn Michaels 3 4
Batista 2 2
Brock Lesnar 2 2
Kevin Owens 2 2
Roman Reigns 2 3
John Cena 2 4
CM Punk 2 5
Kurt Angle 1 1
Mark Henry 1 1
Jey Uso 1 1
Jimmy Uso 1 1
Stone Cold Steve Austin 1 2
Alberto Del Rio 1 2
Seth Rollins 1 2
Kane 1 3
Big Boss Man 0 1
Rikishi 0 1
The Rock 0 1
Chris Jericho 0 1
Kevin Nash 0 1
Mr. McMahon 0 1
Big Show 0 1
Edge 0 1
Cody Rhodes 0 1
Ted DiBiase 0 1
Sheamus 0 1
Dolph Ziggler 0 1
Jack Swagger 0 1
Paul Heyman 0 1
Daniel Bryan 0 1
Dean Ambrose 0 1
Bray Wyatt 0 1
Rusev 0 1
Big E 0 1
Xavier Woods 0 1
Jeff Hardy 0 1
Braun Strowman 0 1
Ryback 0 2
Shane McMahon 0 3
Mankind/Cactus Jack 0 4

Females

Wrestler Victories Appearances
Charlotte Flair 1 1
Sasha Banks 0 1

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Timeline History of WWE 1997". Kayfabe Commentaries. Retrieved 2018-06-24.
  2. ↑ "Vince Russo's Nuclear Heat #4: WWE Hell In A Cell Origins, Kane's History, More - Oct 23, 2015". YouTube. Retrieved 2015-10-23.
  3. ↑ "Hell in a Cell structure gets a fiery red makeover". WWE. Retrieved 2018-09-17.
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