Hell in a Cell Match

Details
Pro Wrestling Match Types

As Dante Alighieri wrote in The Inferno, "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here." The same holds true for this stipulation, considered one of the most brutal in wrestling history: Hell in a Cell.

The Structure

This match, a signature of WWE, features the ring surrounded by a steel cage (made of chain-link fencing), which is larger in both height and width than the cage used in a standard Steel Cage Match. The Hell in a Cell is spacious enough to leave about a meter and a half of ringside area inside the structure, and it is also covered by a roof. The only way out is through a side door, which is locked during the match.

Originally, the Hell in a Cell structure stood at 16 feet (4.9 meters) tall and weighed more than two tons. In recent years, however, it has been replaced with an even larger version standing at 20 feet (6.1 meters) tall and weighing five tons.

Victory Conditions

Victory in this stipulation does not come from escaping the cage, but rather through pinfall or submission inside the ring. There is no count-out, allowing the action to take place both inside and outside the ring without any time limits. Although the door is locked, it's not uncommon for wrestlers to find a way out of the cage during the match. Some of the most spectacular and dangerous moments in wrestling history have taken place on top of the cage, such as Mankind’s legendary fall from the top of the structure.

There are no disqualifications in this match either, meaning the use of weapons, interference from outside parties, and using the cage itself as a weapon are all allowed.

Match Types and History

This stipulation can be applied to all major types of matches. It is most commonly contested as a one-on-one match, but has also featured Tag Team, Handicap, Triple Threat, and even six-man versions (in which it was dubbed the Armageddon Hell in a Cell Match).

Since 2009, Hell in a Cell has become the focal point of a WWE pay-per-view event of the same name.

The Hell in a Cell stipulation is often associated with The Undertaker (who fought in the inaugural match against Shawn Michaels) and, to a lesser extent, Triple H.

Hell in a Cell Match: Info

Hell in a Cell Match: List of Matches

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