Hell in a Cell….to a wrestling fan those words mean two things – crazy metal structure and even crazier hardcore match. This year, The Cell will once again descend from the rafters and another chapter will be written. But before that happens let’s look back the beginning of the legacy and what mad it a marque match.
Hell in a Cell, much like other unique matches (buried alive, boiler room brawl, and casket matches) started with The Undertaker. In 1997, The Deadman and The Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels were involved
in a story that was building to a cage match. But a standard steel cage wouldn’t be enough and The Cell was born. At 16 ft tall and over two tons, The Cell created a looming presence trapping the wrestlers inside. Despite this match involving two one day Hall of Famers, it’s most remembered for the debut of Kane. It was the launching pad for a new character and one of the most destructive families in wrestling.
The most memorable Hell in Cell match took place the next year. It set the bar so high that I don’t think anyone will ever top it or should try to. It once again involved The Undertaker but this time Mankind, Mick Foley, was locked inside. Well, locked inside being a loose term because immediately both wrestlers climbed on top on the cage. From here the legacy of The Cell was born.
In an attempt to steal the show, which they did, Foley told the Undertaker to throw him off the top and through the Spanish announce table. (side note – when will they ever learn to move that table away from the action) This moment in wrestling might be one of the top five most talked about moments of all time. I have friends that have never seen a match but have seen Mick Foley thrown from the cell. Ring announcer, Good Ol’ JR Jim Ross, captured the moment perfectly by stating “As god as my witness, he is broken in half!”
That was the end of the match right? Nope.
After the medical staff tried to stretcher Mankind back stage he pushed them away and once again climbed on top of the Cell. Again, bad things happened to Mick. This time The Undertaker choke slammed Mankind and the cage broke. Foley fell back into the ring and lay motionless in the middle. Foley later said he was knocked out and it was the worst bump he ever took.
This was the end of the match right? Not quite.
Mankind would get back up and continue the fight. The match concluded with 
another chokeslam and a tombstone on top of hundred of thumbtacks.
With that, the bar was set.
In total 32 Hell in a Cell matches have taken place. The match even became popular enough that a whole pay per view was created to showcase it. It should be no surprise that the Undertaker holds the record for most appearances with 13, winning 8 of them. However it might surprise you that despite being apart of that bar setting match Mick Foley has never won inside the Cell, loosing all four of his matches.
Sunday the Cell will descend from the rafters for the 33rd time and Shane O Mac will try and defeat The Undertaker. While I doubt they will top Mick Foley flying through the air it won’t surprise me if Shane goes Coast To Coast and the Cell once again steals the show.
