7 WWE Hell In A Cell Facts And Figures You Need To Know
Who's the most successful inside HIAC? Do the champs have an advantage?
This Sunday, WWE will hold its eighth Hell in a Cell PPV, with three singles matches scheduled to be held inside the Hell in a Cell, bringing the total number of cell matches in its 19-year history to 36 by the end of the event.
Twenty of those cell matches will have taken place since 2009 and the advent of the HIAC PPV (meaning 16 took place in the 12 years prior) showing that the pace has more than quickened: it’s at a full-on gallop. Obviously, having a pay-per-view named Hell in a Cell guarantees that there will be at least one cell match per year, but that doesn’t guarantee that the match(es) chosen to take place inside a cell should be. It’s a case of, “Oh, it’s October, so I guess we should fight… inside Hell in a Cell!” rather than settling scores, ending feuds and having epic blowoffs.
Regardless, the 33 HIAC matches that have taken place have produced some interesting results in terms of who’s participated, who’s won and what trends have emerged. Who has won the most cell matches? Who has never won inside the cell? How often is a title defended and changes hands? Who has competed inside the cell? And how successful is Hell in a Cell at actually keeping the competitors inside and others out?
Let’s find out a little more about the ins and outs of the previous 33 Hell in a Cell matches…
7. A Who’s Who Of Superstars
Heading in to Sunday, 35 superstars have competed inside Hell in a Cell. That number will grow by four as Rusev, Sasha Banks, Charlotte and Kevin Owens make their official cell debuts. The list of participants is varied, with people like Vince and Shane McMahon and Paul Heyman having official matches inside the cell. But that list also includes main eventers such as the Rock, Undertaker, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Brock Lesnar and Shawn Michaels.
In fact, 26 former world champions have competed in Hell in a Cell. That list does include former WWE champ Mr. McMahon. Still, it’s interesting that of all the competitors who have battled inside the cell, only eight – less than one-quarter – have never won a world title: Bray Wyatt, Big Boss Man, Rikishi, Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase, Ryback, Heyman and Shane McMahon.
This number will climb in the coming years, but seven WWE Hall of Famers have been locked inside the cell: Austin, Michaels, Edge, Mick Foley, Big Boss Man Rikishi and Kevin Nash. Only two of them have won a cell match, but more on that later…