Opinion: The 5 Greatest WWE Hell In A Cell Matches (So Far)

2. D-Generation X vs Legacy (Hell In A Cell 2009)

Hell In A Cell 2009

On its surface, this match was purely designed to get Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr. into the main event scene on the backs of solid veterans Triple H & Shawn Michaels. However, the entire backstory to this match was about a year in the making. And oh what a glorious year it was. Cody & Ted's Legacy stablemate (and leader, really) Randy Orton was arguably at his vicious heel best in 2009 and engaged in a long-standing feud with his former mentor Triple H. From a handcuffed Trips watching his wife Stephanie get DDT'd and kissed by the Viper, to The Game's window-smashing break-in of Orton's house; this feud was deeply personal. Soon, Rhodes & DiBiase, acting as Orton's henchmen, got very involved which caused an outnumbered Triple H to spend a lot of time convincing his best friend HBK to return and help him take out Legacy once and for all.

This match is the rubber match in their feud, the stakes were high. And in my opinion, it delivered. If based off nothing more than the pure emotion & edge of your seat feel of the match, it's an instant classic. With the clever move of Legacy locking Triple H out of the cell and dishing out a brutal, methodical beatdown of Michaels, and Triple H trying desperately to unlock & return to the cell to save his best friend in furious fashion, emotions ran high during this one. Shawn Michaels, one of the absolute best at conveying the emotions of the story, sold the Legacy beat down like ice to an Eskimo. And Trips unleashed his brutal side in glorious fashion, isolating Rhodes for the revenge beat down and the win. Add in steel chairs, chains, announce tables and steel steps and you've got the sheer and utter chaos that made this match.