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The Hell in a Cell structure has been around for over two decades now, and in that time WWE has put on a grand total of 38 HIAC matches. Some of them have been incredibly exciting and fun to watch meanwhile, others haven’t been so great. Somewhere in between, you’ve got these five bouts which most fans seem to forget even took place.
That can be due to a number of reasons, and it doesn’t always need to be because it wasn’t entertaining enough. Sometimes, the timing may not be right and other times it was outshone by different matches on the card – but whatever the case may be, we guarantee that 75% of people reading this couldn’t tell you three things that happened in any of these contests.
Either way there never needs to be an excuse to whip out some HIAC trivia, and with that in mind, here are our five forgotten WWE Hell in a Cell match:
#5 Cena vs Del Rio vs CM Punk vs Ziggler vs Swagger – Raw 2011
It’s not often that dark matches on Monday Night Raw are featured on lists like these, and it’s even rare for those bouts to take place inside Hell in a Cell. As it so happens, this match did, in fact, take place, and it happened way back in 2011 when WWE was in the midst of a minor slump both in terms of star power and ratings in the build-up to WrestleMania 28.
The five-man cluster was just over five minutes long and featured some chaotic action, and of course, Big Match John Cena came out on top. This all went down not long before the hype for John Cena vs The Rock really began, and on reflection, it makes all the sense in the world to give him a victory like this – even if it was only in a dark match.
#4 DX (HHH & HBK) vs Shane, Vince McMahon, and Big Show – Unforgiven 2006
The reunion of D-Generation X, which featured Triple H and 'The Heartbreak Kid' Shawn Michaels, was a little bit milder in comparison to some of their earlier stunts. Obviously, that was always going to be the case in one way or another, but it was disappointing to see that the renewed version of the group wasn’t quite up to the same standards.
However, what can’t be denied is that they had some incredibly fun matches along the way with this being one of them. DX combined to take on the team of Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon, and Big Show, and while we realize how bizarre that sounds, it was quite enjoyable. It may not have been everyone’s cup of tea, but that’s what pro wrestling is all about.
#3 Triple H vs Chris Jericho – Judgment Day 2002
The WrestleMania 18 main event between Triple H and Chris Jericho for the Undisputed Championship was okay. Nothing more, nothing less. It was a match that just sort of existed for the sake of The Game making a triumphant comeback, but the same cannot be said of their rematch at Judgment Day inside Hell in a Cell.
These two men went to war as The King of Kings proved why he’s one of the kings of this match stipulation, alongside The Undertaker. By this point, it wasn’t about winning the championship, and instead, it was about settling an extremely personal rivalry. HHH came out on top, but Y2J walked away with a much higher position on the card from that point onwards.
#2 CM Punk vs Ryback – Hell in a Cell 2012
Back in 2013, the Straight Edge Superstar CM Punk, faced Ryback and Paul Heyman in a handicap HIAC match. It wasn’t exactly a classic, but it was a fun enough encounter, and weirdly enough, it was the second time that Punk and 'Mr. Feed Me More' had come face to face inside the satanic structure.
Their first meeting occurred twelve months prior when Punk was in the midst of his historic WWE Championship reign. Ryback was one of the hottest stars in the company and was clearly being pushed to the moon, but unfortunately for him, that momentum fizzled out after crooked referee Brad Maddox assisted Punk in retaining the strap.
#1 Randy Orton vs Sheamus – Hell in a Cell 2010
Randy Orton and Sheamus have faced off so many times over the years that at this stage, the fans aren’t really interested in seeing it anymore. That makes sense in a lot of ways, but back in 2010, it was still a relatively fresh feud to the point where it was interesting to see what would happen when they fought inside Hell in a Cell.
Unfortunately, the structure itself wasn’t really utilized over the course of the match, but if you’re looking for an entertaining street fight, then this is certainly the bout for you. Orton was beginning his rise to becoming the second biggest face in the company, meanwhile, Sheamus firmly established himself as an upper mid-carder who can occasionally enter the main event scene.
