10 Modern WWE Hell In A Cell Matches That Didn't Feel PG
The most brutal and visceral Cell matches that could have happened decades ago.
The Hell in a Cell stipulation has received major criticism over the years since the implementation of the annual PPV. The days of the cage only being brought out for the most violent and monumental matches, filled with dangerous spots and major blade jobs, are gone. Instead, the brand of the match is more important than the commitment to the structure's aura and the boost it can give to narratives.
While the stipulation most known for its violence and involvement in only the most intense feuds has been neutered immensely in the grander scheme of things, many matches within the Cell in the last 12 years have captured that classic feeling of danger and scale. Whether the feuds were incredibly developed leading into the satanic prison, the performers risked their wellbeing in maddening spots or impeccable psychology, all of these contests have the required status to feel worthy of a classic Hell in a Cell match.
The PG era is not a bad thing overall; this list isn't meant as a dismissal of the good qualities it's brought to WWE and their talent. But in the time period of Hell in a Cell no contests, random feuds and a lack of true intensity, it's refreshing to feel transported to a more brutal time by these wonderful fights.
10. Dean Ambrose Vs. Seth Rollins (2014)
While the second feud between Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose in 2018 was absolutely panned due to the incorporation of Roman Reigns' cancer, the character shifts for Ambrose and a terrible match at TLC, their first feud was widely acclaimed and would be seen as a classic rivalry if not for a few baffling decisions.
They would have great matches with wild finishes at Elimination Chamber and SummerSlam, have a genuinely seismic match at Money in the Bank and engage in some of their best ever intensity in the main event of Hell in a Cell 2014. The former Shield brothers immediately started battering each other, fighting on the top of the cage, taking mutual table bumps, stiffing each other with strikes and attacking with ruthless frenzy.
The two felt genuinely dangerous together in all the right ways, creating that classic Hell in a Cell fight feeling that transcended the PG limitations. Unfortunately the finish involving the holographic Bray Wyatt takes this down a lot and was a sign that WWE didn't see star power in Ambrose, but it still mostly holds up as a genuinely intense Hell in a Cell contest.