Best Hell In A Cell Match?

[CBright7831 0]

HBK/Taker is my personal favorite followed closely by Taker/Lesnar and Taker/Edge and Batista/HH are tied at third.

[PILLS! PILLS! PILLS! 0]

Guilty as charged, I love Taker/Mankind from KOTR 98. People can bash it if they want, but, man- crazy, unheard of, and (despite many poseurs on the indie scene trying to outdo it) the entire fiasco, with Jim Ross (who was very, very, very important to the match) putting everything over to perfection, made for a rightfully memorable match.

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0]

I picked Taker/Mankind because I liked the finish of the match better than the 1st HIAC.

[Aero 0]

Taker-Mankind is in my top three, but nothing else tops HBK-Taker for me. I thought that match was insane at the time. Taker-HBK was always one of my favorite feuds, and I thought they used the gimmick perfectly. The match included everything it needed to include: blood, violence, HBK getting his ass kicked. I know some hate the Kane finish, but I've always been able to look past it. Besides, that one Tombstone that Taker took wasn't just any Tombstone... it was a SUPERNATURAL KANE TOMBSTONE.

[Psycho Penguin 0]

Taker/Mankind is my favorite because it's the match that got me into wrestling and very few matches beat it for me in terms of pure entertainment, but I have to give a shoutout to the incredible HHH/Batista one. Let's face it. Their first two matched SUCKED. But HIAC was simply incredible with the awesome pacing and some great spots at the end, including a spinebuster on the stairs, followed by HHH going for the sledgehammer spot he did at X-7 against Taker but being too weak and Batista finishing the powerbomb for the finish. Great match. Both are in my top 10, by the way.

[Thanks for the Fish 0]

I went with Undertaker vs Lesnar, but just off foggy memory. I remember thinking it was badass at the time, but can't recall anything about it now, other than it was bloody as hell.

 

Where is the Kennel in the Cell option?

[cabbageboy 0]

Let's not kid ourselves here...this comes down to either UT vs. HBK or UT vs. Mankind. There have been other quality HIAC matches but none that match the sheer insanity and freshness of those matches and how they shocked people.

 

I voted for UT vs. Mankind since it stunned me so much at the time. UT vs. Michaels is probably a better actual wrestling match, but my disdain for 1993-97 Shawn prevents me from voting for it. Besides, it has a run in finish.

 

#3 almost has to be Foley vs. HHH but since the ring was padded for the finish it can't match Foley actually crashing to the ring in the UT match. All of the other matches might be solid at times, but they don't really MATTER the way the first 2 did.

[Psycho Penguin 0]

If UT vs HBK wasn't the first it would not be as loved or remembered today. It's a decent match but there's been better HIACs. This is the perspective of someone who recently watched it for the first time.

[LetsGoShelton 0]

If UT vs HBK wasn't the first it would not be as loved or remembered today. It's a decent match but there's been better HIACs. This is the perspective of someone who recently watched it for the first time.

 

Exactly.It definitely hasn't aged that good to be considered the "greatest HIAC" ever like it's hyped to be.It birthed all the others

but is it the best? Not to me.

 

[The Truthiness 0]

Who picked DX vs The Mcmahons and Big Show? Show yourself.

[Diamonddust 0]

The first two are my favorites, but I also really enjoyed Cactus/HHH.

 

Shawn/UT told a great story and was just a sick brawl at times. Mankind/UT will go down as one of the most well known and influential matches of all time, even though it might not have been a 5 star classic or anything. It's still something to watch the bumps Foley took in that one.

[King Kamala 0]

Who picked DX vs The Mcmahons and Big Show? Show yourself.

 

Come on dude, DX making Vince McMahon kiss The Big Show's naked ass was the kind of intensity we expect from a Hell In The Cell Match!

[bob_barron 0]

I was at that show and I was so enthralled by it, that I walked around the ACC looking for a t-shirt so I wouldn't have to watch the match

[FroGG_NeaL 0]

Wasn't that the debut of the larger cell?

 

At least it had that going for it.

 

The first is still my favorite. There have been a few that are better over all, but that one was just sick.

 

 

[King Cucaracha 0]

Taker/Mankind for me.

 

Taker/HBK was revolutionary for it's time and worthy of the 5 star billing when it happened. But while still very good, it's not quite the same after repeat viewing. Michaels getting up/being dragged up so quick after the table bump always bothered me a little. Taker/Mankind may not be the 'best match' as such, but it's the best Hell In A Cell, if that makes sense. No matter how many times I see Foley's bumps it's still amazing. Another factor in it's favour is the memorable performance from JR and Lawler on commentary, maybe JR's best.

[haws bah gawd 0]

I voted Brock vs Undertaker.

 

WWE can always talking about how their new big man flavor of the month "beat the Undertaker like he has NEVER been beat before", but Brock fucked up 'Taker something fierce in this match. IMO, this is what put Lesnar over the top as a monster and the face of the company, more-so than him beating the Rock (who was getting boo'ed out of the building for the majority of the match). This is what gave Brock his "street cred". Aside from Eddy Guerrero at Judgement Day 2004 (best blade job EVER, IMO), I don't think anyone has bled like 'Taker bled in this match. After the shot to the head with the stairs, 'Taker gushed blood for the remainder of the match. Now, I won't defend 'Taker, because he didn't sell hardly anything for Brock at the September PPV, but he had his working boots on for this match.

 

HBK vs Undertaker is good from a historical perspective, but hardly worthy of the best HIAC ever.

[Diamonddust 0]

I'll throw a nod to the 6 man Hell in the Cell simply because I got to see that one live.

[RepoMan 0]

I chose HHH-Cactus Jack. I didn't like the gimmic spot at the end, but it was an epic match to (kinda) end an epic feud that solidified HHH as the best heel in the biz.

[Perfxion 0]

I picked Taker/HBK because it was the best MATCH of any HIAC. The bumps and the brawl told a story of Taker kicking Shawn's ass. Shawn cheating like crazy, gets a few shots in. Gets extremely cocky, and then Taker goes back to the ass whipping.

 

My two problems with HIAC 2 is that the match peaks 5 mins into it. The second spot was a fuck up and Foley is knocked out silly. Hell, in his own book, he says that he had to watch the match 3 times just to talk about it. He only remembers the first bump and the climbing back up the cage.

 

2: Plus the real match part just sucked as a man who should not be in the ring is "wrestling" Taker(who has a broken ankle) in a craptastic brawl that should have just been a quick pin when Taker got in the ring so Foley could seek some medical help.

[Anakin Flair 0]

I voted Brock vs Undertaker.

 

WWE can always talking about how their new big man flavor of the month "beat the Undertaker like he has NEVER been beat before", but Brock fucked up 'Taker something fierce in this match. IMO, this is what put Lesnar over the top as a monster and the face of the company, more-so than him beating the Rock (who was getting boo'ed out of the building for the majority of the match). This is what gave Brock his "street cred". Aside from Eddy Guerrero at Judgement Day 2004 (best blade job EVER, IMO), I don't think anyone has bled like 'Taker bled in this match. After the shot to the head with the stairs, 'Taker gushed blood for the remainder of the match. Now, I won't defend 'Taker, because he didn't sell hardly anything for Brock at the September PPV, but he had his working boots on for this match.

 

HBK vs Undertaker is good from a historical perspective, but hardly worthy of the best HIAC ever.

 

I have to disagree- Vince was a bloody mess two minutes into the Buried Alive match with Taker. But I will agree that Brock/Taker is one of the best HITC matches, and one of my personal favorites.

 

Having watched all of these, though, my absolute favorite is stilll Taker/Mankind. Just all kinds of sick.

[The Metal Maniac 0]

HBK/Taker.

 

I put that one above Mankind/Taker, because it's the better match. Mankind/Taker, while a crazy spectacle, was basically three bumps spread over 15 minutes. There's not much storytelling going on in there, and at some points in the match I really wonder what's going on. I mean like, when Mankind breaks up the Old School, it's like, the first bump Undertaker takes in the match, and he lays around like he's as hurt as Mankind is. I mean, I understand the actual reasoning (they had to buy time) but it looks odd when watched.

 

HBK/Taker has a killer story running through it, with Taker finally getting his revenge on the fucking dickhole who cost him the world title. He beats HBK so fucking bad that HBK resorts to taking out a cameraman and heading for the door when they come to get the cameraman. And even that doesn't work, as Undertaker beats him up outside the cage forcing HBK to try and escape up, and then Taker follows him up there and CONTINUES to kick his ass, knocks him down through the table as he tries to escape again, and KEEPS COMING like the motherfucking terminator.

 

I find it odd that some people say that HBK/Taker doesn't hold up well after repeated viewings, cuz that's how I feel about Mankind/Taker. Once you've seen those bumps, what else is there to that match?

[Blade2kxx 0]

I voted Brock/Taker because it felt like what HIAC should be. It was a total, all-out, violent, blood-filled brawl. They didn't leave the Cell to do high-spots, they stayed in and pummeled each other into puddles of blood. Hell, even Heyman bled!

 

HBK/Taker and Taker/Mankind are more remembered, but I think that match stands as what HIAC SHOULD be.

[Papacita 0]

I find it odd that some people say that HBK/Taker doesn't hold up well after repeated viewings, cuz that's how I feel about Mankind/Taker. Once you've seen those bumps, what else is there to that match?

I agree with this post. As somebody who didn't see the PPV live, I found the Taker/Mankind match a little boring by the time I got to see it, because I already knew the big bumps were coming. On the other hand, I've come to appreciate HBK/Taker over the years when for the longest time I felt it was overrated.

[CheesalaIsGood 0]

I find it odd that some people say that HBK/Taker doesn't hold up well after repeated viewings, cuz that's how I feel about Mankind/Taker. Once you've seen those bumps, what else is there to that match?

I agree with this post. As somebody who didn't see the PPV live, I found the Taker/Mankind match a little boring by the time I got to see it, because I already knew the big bumps were coming. On the other hand, I've come to appreciate HBK/Taker over the years when for the longest time I felt it was overrated.

I'm with both of you up to a certain point. Taker/Mankind probably will not hold up for many who may not have seen it live. Having seen it live it is burned into my memory as one of the most wild roller coaster rides I've ever had just watching tv. I thought Foley had fucking died in front of my eyes. After having watched wrestling for so many years prior with jaded eyes, this brought me back in ways I hadn't even thought possible. Nowadays when I see it on DVD it comes across as more of a scene from a movie. Still high in drama but not quite a match.

 

I never saw HBK/Taker live so it never had quite the same impact on me. Still a very awesome match.

[The Truthiness 0]

DX vs. Vince/Shane/Big Show [ 2 ]

 

The Undertaker vs. Edge [ 2 ]

 

Come on people. Why?

 

 

I waited to watch the HIAC DVD, before I made a pick. I knew I was just going to end up going with Taker/Brock, but I had remembered Batista/HHH being pretty damn awesome, so I had to watch it again.

 

Taker/Brock is still the best, but I'd have to say Batista/HHH is almost just as good.

 

Triple H has always been awesome in cage matches, which is why I'm surprised his Cell match with HBK was so bad. I thought HHH/HBK in a Cell would set a new standard, but it didn't.

 

[CBright7831 0]

I kept thinking HHH/HBK was going to go 60 minutes at one point but thankfully it ended at 47:22.

 

I was so tired of that feud by then too.

[The Truthiness 0]

Shawn just isn't good at cage matches, Outside of the 1st HIAC, I don't remember one good cage match from Shawn.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

I'm going to go with HHH/Cactus. I know the end was somewhat gimmicky, but the emotions involved in that match were incredible and it was still a great brawl almost as good as the Street Fight a month earlier. I know it wasn't Foley's last match, but it was his last match as a full-time performer and I still see it as being the end of his actual career and his last truly great match.

[ChrisMWaters 0]

Shawn just isn't good at cage matches, Outside of the 1st HIAC, I don't remember one good cage match from Shawn.

I know it was listed in a mid-90s magazine made by WWF, so it may be biased...

 

But there was a Michaels/Jannetty cage match back in the day. Was that any good?

[King Cucaracha 0]

Shawn just isn't good at cage matches, Outside of the 1st HIAC, I don't remember one good cage match from Shawn.

I know it was listed in a mid-90s magazine made by WWF, so it may be biased...

 

But there was a Michaels/Jannetty cage match back in the day. Was that any good?

 

I assume that's the one on the Cage Matches DVD (Bloodbath?). If so, it's good but not great. That was during Shawn's 93 phase where he was surprisingly heavy-looking.

 

There was that handicap Cage Match on Smackdown against Edge and co. which was pretty good.