10 Most Painful-Looking Wrestling Matches Ever

5. The Undertaker Vs. Mankind - WWF Hell In A Cell 1998

Aja Kong
WWE.com

An enterprising masochist, Mick 'Mankind' Foley knew he stood little chance of bettering the performance of Shawn Michaels at In Your House: Badd Blood. That match entered the canon of classics in part through a flailing, athletic, stamina-driven performance in which he sold for Undertaker as if he were a relentless and indestructible horror movie villain.

This was beyond Foley. (Un)fortunately for him, he was beyond rational thinking.

Foley could barely climb the Cell, such was his knackered physical condition. 'Taker joined him, creating a sense of pure dread. There was only one way down, and a man of Foley's reputation never climbed down from anything. Still, there was something inevitable and inconceivable about the iconic moment that followed. It was something so harrowing that to this day, it feels wrong to watch it. It shouldn't have happened. It wasn't wrestling. And yet, adding to the paradox, it was awesome to watch on the most base, repugnant human level imaginable. The moment didn't need JR's seminal sell-job but - Bah Gawd! - did he put over the agony of Foley's plight. He compelled somebody, anybody, to stop the d*mn match.

Despite the moral protests of several key critics and veterans, in the thrill of the moment, nobody really wanted Foley to climb down from the cage a second time; his searing, unfathomable pain was our poison.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!