WWE WrestleMania 15 Fantasy Booking - 9 Matches To Make It Better

2. Hell In A Cell - The Undertaker vs. Mankind

It's hard to understand how the WWF's first Hell in a Cell match since that Hell in a Cell match ended up being so ill-thought out and executed. A mind-numbingly boring and painful to watch encounter between two methodically paced heels bored the asses off the Philadelphia crowd and the millions watching at home. How could they have gotten it so wrong? Looking back The Undertaker vs the Big Boss Man was only booked as a Hell in a Cell match to add some intrigue to a nothing feud. The cell was barely used at all to enhance (if that was even possible) the content and outside of the ending, the structure wasn't really required. The opportunity WWF had for an epic second main event at Mania is almost too painful to look back on now and think it didn't happen. Mankind, having just lost his three month feud with The Rock over the WWF Title, was the 3rd biggest wrestler in the company at the time. Undertaker, probably the fourth, really starting to build momentum with his Ministry persona and in need of an epic match after some months outside of the ring. The Undertaker vs Mankind... the first time they have squared off against each other since the King of the Ring in 1998 with the rematch once again being in the Hell in a Cell. Replaying that match and those Foley bumps over and over again in the highlights would have sold tickets and buys like candy to a baby. What a tantalising second main event to a roster that in 1999 didn't have too much depth for an undercard.

The main issue with Foley doing another Hell in a Cell match with Taker is the expectation that Foley must once again do a death-defining, crazy bump. What's the point in a rematch without being able to top what went before it? However, let's not forget that in real-life, Foley would compete in the WWF less than a year later in a Hell in a Cell match and would do a crazy fall for HHH... so he did have it left in him. But the trump card of the match over the Foley vs Taker match number 1 is the actual wrestling and the match they could have before the crazy stuff happens. They didn't have that last time but could here. 10 minutes of action before the madness, this time controlled, kicks in. Of course the finish would have to see The Undertaker going over. Whether the Undertaker knew in 1999 that he had been undefeated at WrestleMania and could foresee how big a deal that was going to be later in his career is open to debate but even without the power of hindsight, Taker's storyline needed the victory.

The finish should see The Brood (Gangrel, Edge and Christian) descent from the top of the cell as they do in the original match and cost Mankind the contest. Though instead of "sacrificing" Mankind by hanging him, they kidnapp him and cart him off to the back where on the next night on RAW we find out he has been turned to the dark side, back with his former manager Paul Bearer. The Undertaker's latest recruit in his Ministry of Darkness is a big addition and one that takes the Deadman closer to his ultimate goal of conquering the World Wrestling Federation.