Since its debut in 1997, there have been over 45 Hell In A Cell matches at the time of writing this. Some of the matches have been all-time classics such as the matches at Badd Blood 1997 and King Of The Ring 1998. But, there has also been plenty of lacklustre matches inside Satan’s Structure too. Here are the top 10 worst Hell In A Cell matches of all time.
10. Mankind vs Kane – Raw Is War, August 24th, 1998
Just two months removed from the classic Mankind vs The Undertaker Hell In A Cell match at King Of The Ring 1998, Mick Foley stepped into the structure once again, this time against his own tag team partner Kane, who were Tag Team Champions at the time. The match mainly served as furthering the storyline of Steve Austin and The Undertaker, which is strange considering neither Superstars were competitors in the match. It isn’t a bad match, but considering how close it took place to the classic cell match two months prior, it is hard to not make a comparison and this match doesn’t hold a candle to Foley’s previous Hell In A Cell match against Kane’s brother.
9. D-Generation X (Shawn Michaels and Triple H) vs Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon and Big Show – Unforgiven 2006
DX and Vince and Shane McMahon have incredible chemistry when working together, and it is evident by this match. Whenever these four are in the ring together then we can expect carnage to ensue and Unforgiven 2006 was no different. While not the best Hell In A Cell match in history, it is far from the worst and worth checking out.
8. D-Generation X (Shawn Michaels and Triple H) vs Legacy (Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase) – Hell In A Cell 2009
The very first Hell In A Cell PPV saw D-Generation X take on Legacy in the main event. It was a well-structured match, with Triple H being locked out of the cell to allow HBK to sell the offence of the two young Superstars. While it was a fun match to watch, it didn’t do anything special that hadn’t been seen before in terms of in-ring action. Apart from The Game being locked out, the cell didn’t play much of a part, and not to the extent we’ve seen from both DX members in the past.
7. Alberto Del Rio vs CM Punk vs John Cena (WWE Championship) – Hell In A Cell 2011
Had this been CM Punk vs John Cena, continuing on from the Summer Of Punk rivalry, it certainly had the potential to be a good match. But, Alberto Del Rio let the match down, with him being overall a very boring performer and one WWE pushed way more than they should of in the early 2010s.
6. John Cena vs Alberto Del Rio vs CM Punk vs Dolph Ziggler vs Jack Swagger (WWE Championship) – Raw (Dark Match), September 26th, 2011
Surprisingly, the Hell In A Cell featured in a dark match on Monday Night Raw in 2011 with five Superstars battling it out for the WWE Championship. While it gets some kudos for being a dark match so something that was only for the live audience to see, but the match is available online, it didn’t bring much to the table and was just a fun way to send the fans home happy.
5. CM Punk vs Ryback (WWE Championship) – Hell In A Cell 2012
CM Punk vs Ryback at Hell In a Cell 2012 is a very disappointing cell match, with the two Superstars not showing much chemistry with each other. A very average match and not one you’ll miss if you never watch it.
4. CM Punk vs Ryback and Paul Heyman – Hell In A Cell 2013
CM Punk vs Ryback wasn’t an exciting feud or match, so WWE decided to do it twice, and the second time didn’t make things any better. This time Paul Heyman was added to the mix, but he failed to anything of worth to the match and overall it is just a very lacklustre match, especially considering how good of a performer CM Punk is.
3. The Undertaker vs Big Boss Man – WrestleMania XV
Just a few months after the classic Mankind vs The Undertaker match at King Of The Ring 1998, ‘Taker once again stepped inside Satan’s Structure to face Corporation member the Big Boss Man. The match itself was fairly average and not a match that accurately represents either Superstars careers. The finish was fairly controversial due to Big Boss Man being hung from the cell. Some will love it, some will hate it.
2. Roman Reigns vs Braun Strowman (Universal Championship) – Hell In A Cell 2018
Had the finish of the match not taken place and a winner was allowed to be decided, even if Brock Lesnar still interfered, then this match would go down as one of the best Hell In A Cell matches of all time. But, with the decision to end a Hell In A Cell match in a no contest, there isn’t anywhere else that this match could rank. The match itself was fun with members of the Shield, Dolph Ziggler, and Drew McIntyre all interfering and brawling with each other before Brock Lesnar kicked the cell door off its hinges.
Really fun match to watch, with it sadly being let down by the abysmal finish.
1. Seth Rollins vs The Fiend (Universal Championship) – Hell In A Cell 2019
It’s not that Seth Rollins vs The Fiend is a bad match, in fact, it is a pretty good match, but the finish is without a doubt the worst finish to a Hell In A Cell match in history, especially considering the original purpose of the match type. After Seth Rollins used a sledgehammer on a pile of chairs with The Fiend underneath, the match was stopped. Many fans in attendance chanted “refund” and “restart the match”, with WWE Hall Of Famer X-Pac saying “how the hell do you get DQ’d in a Hell in a freakin’ Cell?”.
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