10 Worst WWE Hell In A Cell Matches EVER - According To Dave Meltzer
3. CM Punk Vs Ryback (Hell In A Cell 2012, *1/2)
Marginally worse than their battle on opposite sides of the heel/face divide a year earlier, CM Punk's WWE Title clash with Ryback was hampered by a rotten finish that destroyed the momentum of the 'Big Guy' at the worst possible time for the company.
Panicking over a real life injury sustained planned challenger John Cena, WWE booked themselves into a corner by positioning the red hot undefeated Ryback as a viable Number One Contender to Punk's title and lengthy championship reign. However, a summer heel turn for the 'Voice Of The Voiceless' had signposted a Royal Rumble showdown with The Rock, rendering the months in the build-up to the blockbuster clash largely moot.
Desperate to protect Ryback but stuck on the Punk/Rock showdown, WWE elected to book a dreadful finish in which corrupt referee Brad Maddox fast-counted the challenger. As a one-off, it wasn't ideal, but the company still had no intention of shifting the title in rematches, resulting in further defeats and setbacks for the previously indestructible monster.
The match itself failed to remind audiences exactly why they'd fallen head over heels for him ahead of the disappointment of his defeat. The event drew one of the best B-show buyrates of the year, highlighting genuine curiosity that quickly dwindled in the aftermath.