25 Best Wrestling Moments Of 2024

22. Hell On Earth

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WWE

CM Punk made some big promises ahead of his Hell In A Cell match with Drew McIntyre. He said the blood would flow and that he’d restore the sleeping giant of a neutered gimmick. 

It was hard to believe, particularly since their first two matches, respectively, were melodramatic cliché and a wacky WWE version of a strap match with the daft flashing lights.

Punk and a blood-drenched Drew - who entered the very best performance of his career - did what was thought impossible just a year prior. The match was a gory, hateful epic that never felt like a transparent quest to garner acclaim. Some of the bumps were disgusting; they committed to a quite deranged extent, throwing themselves into the mesh and the steel steps with no means of protecting themselves. 

Even the ever-present crowd-pleasing table that most wrestlers seem to bump through for fun was rendered a painful weapon that must be avoided. Punk fought hard not to take it. 

Purportedly, the spot in which Punk blasted Drew on the top of the head with a toolbox was not approved. In the twisted lore of the Cell, this was actually perfect: it always premised on real, transgressive danger.

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!