10 Best WWE Hell In A Cell Matches EVER - According To Dave Meltzer

9. Brock Lesnar Vs The Undertaker (No Mercy 2002, ****)

Batista Triple H Vegeance 2005 Hell in a Cell
WWE.com

Though Dave Meltzer would narrowly prefer their Cell sequel 13 years removed from the 2002 vintage (more on that later), Brock Lesnar's No Mercy 2002 victory over The Undertaker marked the true moment he embedded himself deeply within the psyche of Vince McMahon as a main eventer for life.

Victory over The Rock at SummerSlam had propelled Lesnar to the summit, but it was a foundation built on mountainous selflessness from 'The Great One'. Such candour wasn't shared by 'The Deadman' a month later, when a listless Unforgiven main event ended with Undertaker hauling the 'Next Big Thing' through the prop stage like he was disposing of household waste.

As ineffective and insecure as he was at the time, Undertaker may have actually felt that way about 'The Beast;. 2002 needed a star like Lesnar, and Vince McMahon was clearly mindful of the fact. Few if any prior stars had been afforded such such a rapid ascent.

Thankfully, memories of the disappointing display washed away in rivers of blood. Both champion and challenger spouted claret in an evenly matched war (still a shock to see in an Undertaker match even then) en route to a dramatic finale that saw Lesnar triumphantly hold the title aloft atop the structure - the undisputed new king of the jungle.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett