7 WWE Hell In A Cell Facts And Figures You Need To Know
4. The Cell Doesn’t Contain Everything
The premise behind Hell in a Cell is similar to that of cage matches – it’s designed to keep the competitors in and anyone who wants to run interference outside. Unfortunately, even for Hell in a Cell, that is often not the case.
About half of all 33 Hell in a Cell matches either featured competitors going outside the cell or someone interfering – if you count three instances in which the referee became physically involved (Mick Foley, Brad Maddox and Shawn Michaels). Six of the first eight cell matches either ventured outside or involved outside interference, a pace that thankfully slowed down dramatically. Still, nearly half of the last 20 cell matches have not stayed confined to the cell or had some form of interference. That includes WrestleMania XXXII’s cell match between Undertaker and Shane McMahon, with Shane-O-Mac leaping off the top of the cell in a futile effort to vanquish the Deadman.
This is not necessarily a bad thing. Some of the most memorable moments in Hell in a Cell matches have taken place outside the structure or have been “screwjobs”: Undertaker tossing Michaels into the cage like a lawn dart, Foley falling off the cell… and through the cell, Maddox screwing over Ryback and Michaels screwing over Daniel Bryan.
But when Hell in a Cell is sold as being a prison, it’s definitely not as secure as a maximum security facility, it’s more like the one on Dukes of Hazzard.