'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Last weekend, WWE concluded the 12th edition of Hell in a Cell PPV. A total of three titles were on the line, including the WWE Championship, Universal Championship, and the WWE SmackDown Championship. While Roman Reigns successfully defended his Universal Championship against Jey Uso, other titles changed hands.
Drew McIntyre lost his WWE Championship to Randy Orton after an extended feud. In addition, Sasha Banks defeated her former best friend Bayley to win the SmackDown Women's Championship for the first time in her WWE career. All the three title matches took place inside Hell in a Cell. But did you know that Hell in a Cell was first introduced as a stand-alone stipulation in WWE over two decades ago?
The promotion brought the monstrous steel structure in 1997, and the rest is history. As exciting as Hell in a Cell sounds, this particular structure has witnessed its fair share of jaw-dropping moments. In this article, we will take a quick look at the five scariest HIAC spots in WWE history. So, without further ado, let's begin.
#5 The Undertaker throws Rikishi off the Cell (WWE Armageddon, 2000)
It’s been two decades, and this is still one of the most unforgettable moments in the history of Hell in a Cell matches in WWE. Back in 2000, the promotion booked a 6-man Hell in a Cell Match for the WWF Championship. This match featured The Undertaker, Triple H, Steve Austin, Rock and Rikishi, and the champion – Kurt Angle.
Halfway through the match, Vince McMahon arrived with a truck with an intention to demolish the Cell and put an end to the match. However, his plans were ruined by Mick Foley, who forced Vince to leave the ringside. The latter had managed to get the door open, but then he hurriedly went backstage, leaving the truck behind.
The open door allowed the Hell in a Cell participants to escape the steel structure, and they all started climbing onto the top. Following that, Rikishi found himself squaring off against Angle and Undertaker. After a while, ‘Taker picked his moment and did the unthinkable. He chokeslammed Rikishi off the top of the Cell, and the latter came crashing down to hit the truck, the bed of which was lined with pine chips.
At the time, this spot had the entire arena screaming with anxiety. WWE fans couldn’t believe their eyes. And well, Rikishi took his time to get back on his feet. The whole match accounted for an entertaining main event that ultimately ended with Angle pinning The Rock to successfully retain his title.
#4 Shawn Michaels’ infamous drop (WWE/F Badd Blood: In Your House, 1997)
The next entry in this list is from the first-ever Hell in a Cell match in WWE history. Back in 1997, WWE introduced this stipulation at Badd Blood: In Your House. This match featured The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels, and the two Superstars squared off for a chance to face Bret Hart for his World Championship.
This Hell in a Cell match featured a spot that saw a WWE cameraman sustain injury after being attacked by Shawn Michaels. This resulted in the Cell's door being opened, allowing both Undertaker and Michaels to escape the steel structure. Following that, Undertaker threw HBK face-first into the cage and the latter started bleeding.
‘Taker and Michaels then went on to climb the Cell. Michaels was hanging near the edge while Undertaker was constantly stomping his hand. In the end, he forced Michaels to let go of the grip, and the latter infamously crashed through the Spanish announce table. This was very well executed, and the spot managed to get the spectators on their feet.
This Hell in a Cell match was also memorable because it marked the debut of Undertaker’s kayfabe brother, Kane, in WWE. The latter attacked The Undertaker and allowed Shawn Michaels to win the match.
#3 Mankind takes a bump onto the thumbtacks (WWE/F King of the Ring, 1998)
There will never be another match like this -- not just WWE, but also in the entire pro-wrestling business. If you are concerned about The Undertaker’s name appearing in each of the slides so far, you will have to bear with me for the rest of the article. He, along with Mankind, delivered the best Hell in a Cell match of all time.
There are three different spots from this match that have made our list tonight. Ironically, the least dangerous of those is from the closing moments of that memorable encounter that took place at WWE King of the Ring PPV 1998. In this match, Undertaker and Mankind squared off in one of the most brutal encounters in the pro-wrestling business and immortalized the Hell in a Cell stipulation in WWE forever.
We will have to toy with the timeline of the match for the sake of this article. After every jaw-dropping moment (to be elaborated in the next slide), it was the last few seconds of the match that had every WWE fan feel like their stomach was churning inside of them. Early on, Mankind had scattered a lot of thumbtacks on the ring canvas and wanted to use it as his weapon.
Unfortunately for him, Undertaker turned things around and managed to gain complete control of their match. He then delivered a devastating Tombstone Piledriver to Mankind, who was left screaming in agony as he rolled over the bed of sharp pins. What's worse is that Mankind had dislocated his shoulder and his ribs were severely bruised at this point. This ended their match as well as the feud and left every single spectator in awe of what had just unfolded in front of their eyes.
#2 The Undertaker throws Mankind off the Cell (WWE/F King of the Ring, 1998)
If you think that end of this WWE Hell in a Cell match was brutal, you should know how it started. This was only the third-ever Hell in a Cell match in WWE history. Mankind and The Undertaker already had an interesting match planned that would be discussed in detail even after more than two decades. As soon as Mankind walked out, he went onto climb the of the Cell.
He had a chair with him and used it to attack The Undertaker when the latter made his way to the top of the Cell. Undertaker, who was looking to end things early, picked Mankind and threw him right off the top onto the Spanish announce table, and the commentators began screaming their lungs out.
Soon after that fall, Vince McMahon and WWE’s medical staff rushed to the ringside and carried him away on a stretcher. You would think that this would be the end of the match, but the reality is far from the truth.
Right before the show, the creative had discussed this spot that would include Mankind’s memorable fall. The Undertaker was reluctant to do that, but Mankind insisted on taking the bump.
#1 The Undertaker chokeslams Making through the Cell (WWE/F King of the Ring, 1998)
The scariest Hell in a Cell moment in WWE history is also from the same match between The Undertaker and Mankind. However, unlike every other spot in this list, this particular moment was not pre-planned. Mankind and Undertaker went back to the top of the Cell and started brawling over on the roof.
One particular part of the mesh of the steel structure looked loose, but it was only designed to show the curve from the weight of both Superstars standing on top of it. But a lot more happened with that part of the cage. The Undertaker chokeslammed Mankind, and the latter went right through the cell, hitting the ring after a dangerous fall. He was actually supposed to just hang from there but instead, that section of the completely collapsed.
Back inside the ring, the impact from the fall resulted in Mankind lying still on the mat. He was knocked unconscious, and it took him several minutes to get back in his senses. Thanks to the improper chokeslam, Mankind survived. But this WWE match still didn't come to an end. Mind you, at this point, Mankind’s tooth was hanging loosely right below his nose after his face was busted open because of the chair that fell right on top of him from the same height.
When Mankind was being taken backstage, he stopped midway and got back inside the ring to end the match. The Undertaker initially thought that Mick Foley was dead and still didn't break his character. Both Superstars locked horns once again and ended the match as planned. This will forever be one of the scariest moments in the entire history of WWE and will always be remembered every time someone mentions 'Hell in a Cell'.
