10 Behind The Scenes Stories From WWE King Of The Ring 1998

5. It Was Pat Patterson's Idea To Bring The Cell Back Down

Kane WWF Title King Of The Ring 1998
WWE.com

If you've ever wondered why the Hell In A Cell structure started coming down during the Steve Austin vs. Kane main event at KOTR '98, then wonder no longer. It turns out that the WWF didn't plan this before the show started.

No, it was a call made on the day after Pat Patterson said, "What if?".

Patterson's logic was that people would be thrilled at the prospect of a second consecutive Cell match right after Mankind vs. The Undertaker. Even though he was right and people were electrified by the visual of the cage almost crushing Austin on its way down, it did feel a tad strange at the time.

Prichard didn't go into detail on what Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler were told to say on his podcast either. Though the announcers made sure to keep their wording fairly vague on commentary, they did sell the structure lowering again like it might be a conspiracy against Austin.

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