Ranking The 28 Greatest Hell In A Cell Matches In WWE History
16. DX Vs. The Legacy (Hell In A Cell 2009)
When DX resurfaced in 2006 and then again in 2009, it had to adapt its characteristic style to fit both modern standards and HBKs personal views. In contrast to their feud with the McMahons in 06 that had been strongly comedic and fun, their 09 storyline with Randy Ortons new stable, The Legacy featuring Cody Rhodes and Ted Dibiase, Jr. was far more intense. It featured many of the antics that we had come to know and expect of the once rebellious faction, but it was decidedly more focused on the fact that HBK and HHH were legends who had become the targets of two up-and-coming thoroughbreds. Rhodes and Dibiase rightly viewed it as an opportunity to break out. In hindsight, it is actually surprising that they did not ascend higher up the proverbial ladder because their work against DX was fantastic. They had a three-PPV rivalry that concluded with Hell in a Cell. As with their other matches, the Hell in a Cell bout was quite good. Legacys approach to each match was to divide and conquer, a strategy that elevated Rhodes and Dibiase and made them both look like future stars. That style led to one of the more creatively booked of the Cell matches that have come since the 2008 Edge-Taker bout laid the blueprint for the gimmicks post-Foley existence.
"The Doc" Chad Matthews has written wrestling columns for over a decade. A physician by trade, Matthews began writing about wrestling as a hobby, but it became a passion. After 30 years as a wrestling fan, "The Doc" gives an unmatched analytical perspective on pro wrestling in the modern era. He is a long-time columnist for Lordsofpain.net and hosts a weekly podcast on the LOP Radio Network called "The Doc Says." His first book - The WrestleMania Era: The Book of Sports Entertainment - ranks the Top 90 wrestlers from 1983 to present day, was originally published in December 2013, and is now in its third edition.
Matthews lives in North Carolina with his wife, two kids, and two dogs.
