Top 5 WWE Hell in a Cell matches at the pay-per-view
The most brutal, violent and career-threatening WWE pay-per-view is only a few weeks away. Hell in a Cell returns on Sunday, October 25th.
Hell in a Cell is a fantastic spectacle. Reaching twenty feet into the air with five tonnes of steel enclosing the ring, one cannot deny that the cell is an incredible and imposing sight. The cell lowers to ominous music as a wave of anticipation and excitement grows in the arena. Why? Because those who are watching know they are about to witness a match like no other.
Initially, WWE only used the Hell in a Cell match for special occasions, blood feuds or a climatic end to a rivalry. Due to the violence these matches provide, they were an instant fan favourite and still are.
Hell in the Cell matches started being used more frequently, before the unforgiving structure would get its own pay-pay-view in 2009. It has been part of WWE’s recurring shows ever since.
We first saw the heinous structure on October 5th, 1997 at WWE In Your House: Badd Blood. The match saw Shawn Michaels taking on The Undertaker in a wild and wonderful brawl that was like nothing WWE fans had ever seen before, and they loved every second of it.
The Undertaker would become synonymous with the cell and went on to have fourteen Hell in a Cell matches, the most out of any WWE Superstar.
There have been many great matches to take place inside the demonic structure, such as: Cactus Jack vs. Triple H at No Way Out in 2000, The Undertaker vs. Triple H at WrestleMania 28 and, of course, the infamous The Undertaker vs, Mankind bout at King of the Ring 1998.
In this article, we will be looking at Hell in a Cell matches that have taken place from 2009 onwards. Below are the top five Hell in a Cell matches showcased at the pay-per-view.
#5 Kevin Owens vs. Shane McMahon (Hell in a Cell 2017)
Kevin Owens and then-SmackDown General Manager, Shane McMahon were previously in a very bitter and personal feud. It all started at SummerSlam 2017, when Shane was the special guest referee for Owens and AJ Styles' WWE United States title match. Owens and Shane would get into a shoving contest during the match, which allowed Styles to get the win.
Over the following weeks, Owens and Shane continued to clash. Tensions would escalate as they started viciously attacking one another.
WWE Chairman, Vince McMahon then set up the Hell in a Cell match between the two warring competitors. Owens met Vince in the ring and shockingly took him out with a brutal headbutt, superkick and frog splash. The match was everything many expected it to be, given the two daredevil competitors involved.
They brawled, battered and beat each other senseless. KO and Shane littered the match with nerve-racking sequences and insanely dangerous spots in and around the cell. They would make it to the top of the cell for a nail-biting finale and a great surprise of an ending left everyone shocked, with Sami Zayn returning to help Owens pick up the win.
It was a crazy and exhausting affair, and one that needs way more love than it gets. Go and check it out.