4. Shawn Michaels Vs. The Undertaker (Badd Blood 1997)
The first ever Hell in a Cell match was to provide a means to an end. Michaels needed to be freed up to renew his feud with Bret Hart, while Undertaker was set to wage war with debuting evil brother Kane. The cage match was merely the end of a chapter, though it provided a signature gimmick match that persists to this day. Michaels took a savage beating from Undertaker, including chairs to the head, and a fall from the side of the Cell through a table, a respectable forebear to Foley's insane decision. Kane's entrance late in the match, and confrontation with his brother, only give an already incredible match further legendary status. Hell in a Cell was a home run from the first pitch.
3. Bret Hart Vs. British Bulldog (SummerSlam 1992)
With 80,000+ fans at Wembley Stadium cheering on countryman Smith, Hart was fully prepared to put over his brother-in-law in grand fashion in this Intercontinental title match. Concerns were raised before the match about Smith's physical state, and Hart would be tasked with carrying a suddenly-compromised "British Bulldog" through the best match of either man's career, to that point. Smith held up his end of an absolute masterpiece, following Hart's shorthand instructions for the duration of the lengthy bout, and becoming the first man to withstand the Sharpshooter without submitting. The stadium crowd exploded in hysterics when Smith countered a sunset flip into a double leg-hook pin. Even at less than a hundred percent physical and mental capacity, Smith still performed impeccably, a testament to both his natural skill, and Hart's ring generalship.
Justin has been a wrestling fan since 1989, and has been writing about it since 2009. Since 2014, Justin has been a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine. Justin also writes for History of Wrestling, and is a contributing author to James Dixon's Titan series.
