Ranking The 28 Greatest Hell In A Cell Matches In WWE History
3. Undertaker Vs. Mankind (King Of The Ring 1998)
This match is a good example of why we need to draw the line in the sand between greatest and best. Taker-Mankind was not even a good match, if we are having an honest discussion. If you were to sit down and try to watch this match three times in a row, could you honestly do it? Is there something about it that makes you want to sit down and watch its 17-minute duration numerous times in a row? Though it is difficult to be harsh on a Foley Hell in a Cell match, the fact of the matter is that Mankind vs. Taker is a two move match. We are historically comparing greatness, which requires a certain firmness of stance. Minutes into the match, the most awe-inspiring visual in wrestling history takes place when Foley gets thrown off the Cell. From then on, Foley is only half there. It is amazing to watch him gut his way through the match, particularly after the inadvertent fall through the top of the Cell just a few short minutes later (how did he finish that match, for crying out loud?). So, let us be reasonable and call a spade a spade. This match simply was two unbelievable stunts and a fall on some thumb tacks. BUT It is THE most memorable Hell in a Cell match; even more so than the original. When people think Hell in a Cell, most revert to memories of Foley falling off the top and through the announce table. That killed him, hollered Jim Ross. As God is my witness, he is broken in half!
"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.
