Hell In A Cell

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A Hell in a Cell match is a match seen in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in which the ring and ringside area is surrounded by a roofed steel cage (called "cell"). Nineteen Hell in a Cell matches have taken place in WWE since its inception in October 1997.

The original Cell was 16 feet high and weighed over 2 tons but since been replaced by an amplified version of 20 feet and 5 tons.

Described as a career ender, this type of match is known to end the most intense of rivalries due to its dangerous nature. Indeed, the early occurrences of this match were known for the legitimate and severe injuries suffered during them (the most notorious of which belonged to Mick Foley when he wrestled The Undertaker), and even cause the commentators to break character.

The Hell in a Cell match was first introduced at WWF Bad Blood on October 5, 1997 at the Kiel Center in St. Louis, Missouri. It featured The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels, who had cost The Undertaker the WWF Championship in a bout (where he was special guest referee) against Bret "Hitman" Hart two months prior at SummerSlam. They fought one-on-one at In Your House: Ground Zero, but the match went to a no-contest after they kept knocking out officials who were trying to restore order in the match. Their next match was meant to be a normal steel cage match, but the WWF took it one step further: instead of a normal steel cage enclosing only the ring, a bigger steel structure with a roof was made, enclosing not only the ring but also the surrounding ringside area. The wider space between the ring apron and the cell walls allowed the wrestlers to fight outside the ring, as well as retrieve weapons from under the ring. Also, unlike a steel cage match (wherein escaping the cage is one way to win), the only way to win Hell in a Cell is via pinfall or submission (though no Hell in a Cell match has ended by submission thus far). As in a steel cage match, count-outs and disqualifications do not apply.

Generally, the combatants battle inside the cell while the door is locked and chained to keep out Superstars who would try to interfere in the match. However, there have been Cell matches wherein the wrestlers have fought outside (and even on top of) the cell, as well as non-participants interjecting themselves in the match.

Hell in a Cell matches are rare in the WWE as it is designed to end the most intense feuds and to "shorten careers The Superstars who fight inside the Cell usually beat each other so badly that their rivalry will be ended forever. There have only been 19 such matches in the WWE, 17 of which are seen only on pay-per-view events due to the logistical difficulty in setting them up, the match's dangerous nature, and its perception as a special attraction. There are three Cell matches that have been shown on TV, however, two in 1998 on Raw and the other on September 28, 2009 prior to Hell in the Cell.

Source: Wikipedia