Hell in a Cell
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Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling cage-based match held in WWE (formerly World Wrestling Federation). It features a large roofed steel cage structure or "cell" which encloses the ring and ringside area. While similar to the steel cage match in profile and structure, unlike the steel cage match wherein exiting over the cage results in a win, only executing a pinfall or submission will result in a win. As in a steel cage match, disqualifications do not apply. The original Cell was 16 ft (4.9 m) high and weighed over two tons but has since been replaced by an amplified version of 20 ft (6.1 m) and five tons. Twenty-six Hell in a Cell matches have taken place in WWE since its inception in October 1997.
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History [edit]
The original concept for the Hell in a Cell structure was created by Jim Cornette. As detailed in the Kayfabe Commentaries release "Timeline of WWE: 1997", Cornette described this concept as a combination of a cage which surrounded the majority of the ringside area (this was a cage design which was popular in Memphis wrestling promotions), and the cage used in both the NWA and WCW for their WarGames matches (which had a top on the cage).
The Hell in a Cell match was first introduced at WWF Badd Blood on October 5, 1997 at the Kiel 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 1997 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, 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. At Badd Blood, Michaels defeated The Undertaker and won the number-one contendership to the WWF Championship. The cage's size also makes the use of weapons possible as well. Wrestlers usually use weapons in Hell in a Cell by taking them from under the ring.
Hell in a Cell matches are rare in WWE as it is designed to be the climax to most feuds. There have only been 26 such matches in WWE, 23 of which have been broadcast on pay-per-view events due to the logistical difficulty in setting them up and its perception as a special attraction due to the nature of the match. In 2009, WWE presented its first pay-per-view event to specifically feature the Hell in a Cell for its marquee matches. Despite the match's profile, prior to the first self-titled Hell in a Cell pay-per-view event, championships were defended six times out of sixteen of the Hell in a Cell matches. The first time a title was defended in the match was at the 2000 No Way Out with Triple H retaining the WWF Championship in the sixth Hell in a Cell match. The first time a title changed hands in a Hell in a Cell match was in 2009, when The Undertaker won the World Heavyweight Championship from CM Punk. The Undertaker has been involved in the most Hell in a Cell matches having competed in twelve and shares the record for most wins at six with Triple H. Only two matches have been broadcast on television, both in 1998 on Raw is War. Both of those matches went to a no contest.
Two variations of the match have happened, though neither of them are considered Hell in a Cell matches by the WWE. The first was Kane winning the WWE Championship from Stone Cold Steve Austin in a First Blood match at King of the Ring inside the structure; the match was not intended to take place inside the cell but the edifice was lowered over the ring as the match progressed. The second featured Big Boss Man challenging Al Snow for the WWE Hardcore Championship in a Kennel from Hell match at Unforgiven. 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.
List of Hell in a Cell matches [edit]
| No. | Match | Stipulations | Event | Date and Location | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shawn Michaels defeated The Undertaker | Singles Hell in a Cell to determine the #1 contender for the WWF Championship at Survivor Series | Badd Blood | October 5, 1997 St. Louis, MO |
29:57 |
| 2 | The Undertaker and Stone Cold Steve Austin Defeated Mankind and Kane went to a no contest | Tag Team Hell in a Cell | Raw Is War | June 15, 1998 San Antonio, TX |
10:38 |
| 3 | The Undertaker defeated Mankind | Singles Hell in a Cell | King of the Ring | June 28, 1998 Pittsburgh, PA |
17:00 |
| 4 | Mankind vs. Kane went to a no contest | Singles Hell in a Cell | Raw Is War | August 24, 1998 Philadelphia, PA |
7:41 |
| 5 | The Undertaker defeated The Big Boss Man | Singles Hell in a Cell | WrestleMania XV | March 28, 1999 Philadelphia, PA |
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, CT |
23:59 |
| 7 | Kurt Angle (c) defeated The Undertaker, Triple H, Steve Austin, Rikishi, and The Rock | Six-man Hell in a Cell for the WWF Championship | Armageddon | December 10, 2000 Birmingham, AL |
32:26 |
| 8 | Triple H defeated Chris Jericho | Singles Hell in a Cell | Judgment Day | May 19, 2002 Nashville, TN |
24:31 |
| 9 | Brock Lesnar (c) defeated The Undertaker | Singles Hell in a Cell for the WWE Championship | No Mercy | October 20, 2002 North Little Rock, AR |
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, TX |
21:01 |
| 11 | Triple H defeated Shawn Michaels | Singles Hell in a Cell | Bad Blood | June 13, 2004 Columbus, OH |
47:26 |
| 12 | Batista (c) defeated Triple H | Singles Hell in a Cell for the World Heavyweight Championship | Vengeance | June 26, 2005 Las Vegas, NV |
26:54 |
| 13 | The Undertaker defeated Randy Orton | Singles Hell in a Cell | Armageddon | December 18, 2005 Providence, RI |
30:31 |
| 14 | D-Generation X (Triple H and Shawn Michaels) defeated Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon, andBig 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, ON, 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, FL |
21:24 |
| 16 | The Undertaker defeated Edge | Singles Hell in a Cell | SummerSlam | August 17, 2008 Indianapolis, IN |
26:43 |
| 17 | The Undertaker defeated CM Punk (c) | Singles Hell in a Cell for the World Heavyweight Championship; first time a championship has changed hands in a Hell in a Cell match | Hell in a Cell | October 4, 2009 Newark, NJ |
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) | Tag Team Hell in a Cell | 18:02 | ||
| 20 | Randy Orton (c) defeated Sheamus | Singles Hell in a Cell for the WWE Championship | Hell in a Cell | October 3, 2010 Dallas, TX |
22:51 |
| 21 | Kane (c) defeated The Undertaker | Singles Hell in a Cell for the World Heavyweight Championship | 21:38 | ||
| 22 | 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, LA |
15:54 |
| 23 | Alberto Del Rio defeated John Cena (c) and CM Punk | Triple Threat Hell in a Cell for the WWE Championship | 23:58 | ||
| 24 | The Undertaker defeated Triple H | Singles Hell in a Cell with special guest referee Shawn Michaels | WrestleMania XXVIII | April 1, 2012 Miami Gardens, FL |
30:52 |
| 25 | CM Punk (c) defeated Ryback | Singles Hell in a Cell for the WWE Championship | Hell in a Cell | October 28, 2012 Atlanta, GA |
11:22 |
Participant List [edit]
| Superstar | Victories | Appearances |
|---|---|---|
| The Undertaker | 6 | 12 |
| Triple H | 6 | 9 |
| Shawn Michaels | 3 | 4 |
| Randy Orton | 2 | 4 |
| Batista | 2 | 2 |
| CM Punk | 1 | 3 |
| Kane | 1 | 3 |
| Alberto Del Rio | 1 | 1 |
| Brock Lesnar | 1 | 1 |
| John Cena | 0 | 2 |
| Kurt Angle | 1 | 1 |
| Mark Henry | 1 | 1 |
| Mick Foley | 0 | 4 |
| Steve Austin | 0 | 2 |
| Big Boss Man | 0 | 1 |
| Jake Roberts | 0 | 4 |
| Big Show | 0 | 1 |
| Chris Jericho | 0 | 1 |
| Cody Rhodes | 0 | 1 |
| Edge | 0 | 1 |
| Kevin Nash | 0 | 1 |
| Chris Jericho | 0 | 1 |
| Rikishi | 0 | 1 |
| Ryback | 0 | 1 |
| Shane McMahon | 0 | 1 |
| Sheamus | 0 | 1 |
| Ted DiBiase | 0 | 1 |
| The Rock | 0 | 1 |
| Vince McMahon | 0 | 1 |
