WWE Hall of Famers win big: 4 Hell in a Cell matches at WrestleMania
WWE's Hell in a Cell is one of professional wrestling's most infamous structures. The Devil's Playground has hosted some of the greatest and most watched moments in the history of WWE.
Since its inception in 1997, there have been 52 Hell in a Cell matches. However, only four of those matches happened on The Grandest Stage Of Them All. WrestleMania 15 was the first to play host to Hell in a Cell. Night Two of WrestleMania 39 was the most recent time WWE featured the hellish structure.
Each time a Hell in a Cell match was featured at WrestleMania, either a WWE Hall of Famer or a future Hall of Famer was the one to come out victorious. Six men have competed inside the cell at The Show of Shows, and four of them are WWE Hall of Famers.
Without further ado, let's look back at the four times WWE offered a dose of Hell at WrestleMania.
#4. WWE WrestleMania 39, Night Two: Edge vs. "The Demon" Finn Balor
The big blowoff match between Edge and Finn Balor happened inside Hell in a Cell at WWE's most recent premium live event. The feud started in June 2022 when Edge was ousted from The Judgment Day right after inducting Balor into the group. On April 2, 2023, Edge and Balor would finish their war.
Balor brought out The Demon for WrestleMania while Edge channeled his own dark side, calling back to his time in The Brood. Both wrestlers heavily relied upon weapons to tell a story inside the cell. Tables, chairs, kendo sticks, and a ladder were the foreign objects used within the bout, making the battle resemble a TLC match inside Hell in a Cell.
WWE Hall of Famer Edge came out of this match with the win, concluding the contest with a Con-Chair-To to The Demon. Edge is the only wrestler to compete inside Hell in a Cell while already being a member of WWE's HOF, considering that he headlined the Hall of Fame's Class of 2012.
#3. WrestleMania 32: Shane McMahon vs. The Undertaker
A lot was on the line when Shane O'Mac stepped inside Hell with The Demon of Death Valley. If Shane had won the match, he would have gained control of Monday Night RAW. If The Undertaker lost to McMahon, he would no longer be allowed to compete at WrestleMania.
In his first match in almost seven years, McMahon put up the fight of his life against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 32. Towards the end of the bout, Shane shocked fans by jumping off the top of the cell for a failed elbow drop attempt on The Deadman. The Undertaker moved out of the way at just the right moment as Shane came crashing down.
Undertaker carried Shane's body into the ring and finished off their battle with a Tombstone Piledriver. Hence, The Undertaker's legacy at WrestleMania continued.
The Deadman would wrestle at The Show of Shows three more times before retiring in 2020. In 2022, Undertaker's career was honored as the headlining act for that year's WWE HOF class.
#2. WrestleMania 28: The Undertaker vs. Triple H - with special guest referee Shawn Michaels
If You Had 1 Hour To Live What Match Would You Watch?
The Match I’ll Watch Has To Be Triple H vs. The Undertaker End Of An Era
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The Hell in a Cell match between The Undertaker and Triple H was dubbed "the end of an era" by WWE. Both wrestlers were veterans and legends of bygone eras. Representing the last of a dying breed, both warriors did battle inside The Devil's Playground at WrestleMania 28.
A year prior, The Undertaker defeated Triple H at WrestleMania 27. However, The Deadman would need to be carried out by medical staff after collapsing outside the ring following the bout. At WrestleMania 28, The Demon of Death Valley looked to improve his image while The Game tried to do something that HBK couldn't.
WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels was named as the special guest referee for the Hell in a Cell match at 2012's WrestleMania. Triple H laid in a heavy beating on The Deadman during the bout, causing HBK to ask The Undertaker if he wanted to end the match numerous times. However, there was no quit in The Deadman at WrestleMania 28.
Alright today's favourite is favourite #WrestleMania MATCHES
This is the first favourite of a fellow Wrestling fan, The End of an Era, Hell In A Cell , Undertaker vs Triple H with HBK as special ref .
This match is a perfection of a 4 year story
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The Undertaker mounted a comeback and emerged victorious once again, improving The Streak to 20-0. Following the match, all three men involved would embrace each other in a hug in front of the WrestleMania entranceway, signifying the end of an era.
The Undertaker says goodbye to the "End of an Era" storyline with Shawn Michaels and Triple H. sportskeeda.com/amp/wwe/5-bigg… #WWE #RAW #SmackDown
Triple H is the only wrestler to compete against The Undertaker at three separate WrestleMania extravaganzas, the first being WrestleMania X-Seven in April 2001. He's also the second man to wrestle The Undertaker at back-to-back WrestleManias, the first being fellow DX member Shawn Michaels.
In 2019, Triple H and several other members of D-Generation X were inducted as a group into the WWE Hall of Fame. This made HBK a two-time Hall-of-Famer, considering he was the headliner of the 2011 class.
#1. WrestleMania 15: The Undertaker vs. Big Boss Man
Undertaker vs. Big Boss Man – Hell in a Cell Match: WrestleMania XV https://t.co/eS02DIThYl
In the weeks prior to 1999's WrestleMania, The Undertaker had made the life of Vince McMahon a living hell. The Chairman turned to The Big Boss Man to deal with his sinister tormenter. In the penultimate match of WrestleMania XV, McMahon's corrupt cop would attempt to take down the leader of The Ministry of Darkness inside Hell in a Cell.
Boss Man was able to put up a strong fight against The Undertaker, but he was unable to successfully put away The Deadman inside the cell. Both men bled during the bout, but The Deadman was the one to walk away as the victor following a Tombstone Piledriver.
Boss Man and The Undertaker's WrestleMania match gets its fair share of criticism, but it features one of the most memorable and disturbing post-match segments in the history of Hell in a Cell.
Following The Deadman's win, The Brood descended from the ceiling and lowered a hangman's noose down into the cell. The Undertaker then fastened the rope around Big Boss Man's neck. Paul Bearer pressed a button to raise the cage, leading to the Boss Man hanging above the ring by his neck.
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There are GREAT WrestleMania moments that we always remember BUT ...
What is a WrestleMania moment that we wish we could forget???
I’ll start ... WrestleMania XV ... Undertaker vs. Big Boss Man, the match ended with a hanging!!! https://t.co/LxgsU69bR1
The wrestler who played Big Boss Man passed away on September 22, 2004. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame posthumously in 2016.