4 things WWE wants you to forget about Hell in a Cell
The famed Hell in a Cell will claim two more victims at Bad Blood when CM Punk and Drew McIntyre settle their score. The two rivals have feuded since the beginning of 2024, and considering the havoc their program has wreaked, the HIAC was the perfect setting for the finale.
The Hell in a Cell match is one of the most prestigious and intriguing concepts in pro wrestling. Introduced at Bad Blood 1997, several Hall of Famers have stepped inside The Devil's Playground.
The WWE Universe has been treated to some fantastic spectacles inside the unforgiving steel structure. The Undertaker's End of an Era clash with Triple H inside HIAC holds a special place in fans' memory. More recently, Roman Reigns fought Jey Uso in a tearful battle inside the structure in 2020.
However, there is another less memorable side of Hell in a Cell. Some matches were forgettable while others were marred by questionable booking decisions. On that note, let's look at four things WWE wants you to forget about HIAC.
#4. Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman at HIAC 2018 ended in a no-contest
When two rivals step inside The Devil's Playground, nothing is off-limits as the competitors are only limited by their imaginations. Everything is legal, and cell matches often feature gruesome incidences of violence accompanied by a pool of blood.
Although WWE toned down on the use of blood in the PG Era, HIAC was still considered a brutal bout used to settle deep rivalries and determine definitive winners. Nonetheless, despite no rules and regulations, Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman inside the cell in September 2018 ended in a no contest.
Brock Lesnar returned during the main event, broke down the cell door, and laid waste to Strowman and Reigns. Special Guest Referee, Mick Foley, inexplicably called for the bell without determining a winner.
It was a controversial move. If WWE wanted to protect both men, they should have never booked the match to take place inside HIAC. Secondly, such underwhelming finishes undermine the importance of Hell in a Cell for they were never intended to be called off without legitimate reasons.
#3. WWE booked Hell in a Cell matches on RAW and SmackDown in June 2021
WWE was in a tight spot during the COVID-19 pandemic era. This resulted in the company resorting to unconventional yet risky methods. Some of these paid off, while others didn't.
The FireFly Fun House and Boneyard matches were a hit, but booking Hell in a Cell matches on RAW and SmackDown were controversial decisions. In less than a week, WWE had booked four cell matches.
Roman Reigns and Rey Mysterio were set to battle inside HIAC at the titular PLE, but WWE moved the championship clash to SmackDown. This decision deprived the show of a marquee match and reduced the cell to a regular TV bout.
On the RAW after the HIAC premium live event, the company booked another cell match between then-WWE Champion, Bobby Lashley, and Xavier Woods. There was little build behind this bout, and it felt unnecessary.
The match used to remove all distractions and allow the participants to settle their disputes was casually relegated to standard TV matches.
#2. The Undertaker hanging Big Boss Man at WrestleMania 15 was incredibly controversial
As the leader of The Ministry of Darkness, The Undertaker committed many egregious crimes. For example, 'Taker kidnapped Stephanie McMahon and aligned with The Corporation in late 90s.
However, his character pushed the envelope when The Deadman hanged Big Boss Man at WrestleMania 15 in front of a packed crowd. After defeating him inside Hell in a Cell, The Phenom, with the help of Paul Bearer and The Brood, hung his defeated rival from the cell as it was raised above.
While this was the Attitude Era, fans generally appreciated violence. However, this bizarre ending left a bad taste in their mouth. Needless to say, the WWE Universe wants to forget that this happened as this was a blemish in Taker's legacy.
#1. The Fiend vs. Seth Rollins at Hell in a Cell 2019 was a debacle
In hindsight, Vince McMahon should have learned from his mistake at Hell in a Cell 2018. Non-finishes inside HIAC don't sit well with the WWE Universe. However, the company repeated the same mistake the following year with worse execution.
The Fiend, billed as an absolute monster, no-sold Seth Rollins' Curb Stomps, taking nearly a dozen of them. This forced Rollins, the babyface, to lose his calm and bury his rival under a pile of rubble. He ended his onslaught with a sledgehammer shot that caused the referee to ring the bell.
Fans had seen worse and more egregious acts occur inside HIAC. Thus, the finish was universally criticized and the loud crowd voiced its disapproval. It didn't help that WWE flipped the babyface-heel dynamics during the match.
Secondly, red lights and a red cell weren't good ideas either. Thus, it was an overall failure, and The Fiend vs. Seth Rollins is best forgotten.