5 forgotten WWE Hell In A Cell matches
WWE will produce the 12th edition of the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view on October 25. While the Hell in a Cell match was once considered to be the most high-profile match in the company, it has certainly lost its prestige over the years through overexposure.
There were only 16 Hell in a Cell matches from 1997 to 2008, but since the addition of the eponymous pay-per-view in 2009, there have been 26 more such matches in the next 11 years.
The final pay-per-view ended on a particularly sour note with the Seth Rollins vs. Fiend match ending via match stoppage, a stipulation that was unheard of in Cell matches.
Not many Cell matches will be remembered like the 1997 classic between Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker, or the 1998 epic where Mick Foley nearly killed himself. However, there are a few matches that have completely disappeared from the imagination of the casual wrestling fan. This list takes a look at five of them.
#5 Alberto Del Rio vs. John Cena vs. CM Punk - Hell in a Cell 2011
The Hell in a Cell match at the eponymous 2011 pay-per-view featured John Cena defending his WWE Championship against Alberto Del Rio and CM Punk. While the match was solid, the storyline and aftermath relegated the Hell in a Cell stipulation to the background.
2011 was supposed to be CM Punk's year. Punk winning the WWE Championship from John Cena at that year's Money in the Bank after the famous pipebomb promo captivated wrestling fans and reignited interest in the sport. The story of an outsider toppling the corporate endorsed champion was captivating, but WWE ruined it by adding too many characters to the feud.
Triple H, Kevin Nash, Alberto Del Rio, The Miz and R-Truth all became embroiled in the story and by the time Hell in a Cell came about, Cena was the champion once again. The match saw Del Rio capture the gold while Truth and Miz attacked all the wrestlers after the match. Then, Triple H attacked the duo to close out the show.
Fans just wanted to see Punk regain the championship, but the never ending saga involving Triple H continued into the next pay-per-view when Punk had to team with the Game against Truth and Miz.
Punk would eventually win the title from Del Rio at Survivor Series and most fans consider whatever happened between losing and regaining the title to be a blur.