Hell in a Cell

Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a four-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fencing which encloses the ring and ringside area. Unlike the steel cage match, the only way to get out of the Hell in a Cell without damaging the Cell's structure is through its door—but this door is locked by thick chains and a padlock. Only an in-ring pinfall or submission will ordinarily result in a win (although Triple H pinned Chris Jericho atop the cell to win the Hell in a Cell match at Judgment Day in May 2002) and there are no disqualifications. The gimmick was strongly associated with The Undertaker during his career with WWF/WWE, including the inaugural match with Shawn Michaels and a brutal encounter with Mick Foley in his Mankind persona. Both matches featured spectacular falls from the top of the cage which has since become a signature of the match.

The original Cell was 16 ft (4.9 m) high and weighed over two tons, but has since been replaced by a more robust version of 20 ft (6.1 m) and five tons. The first match took place at Bad Blood In Your House in October 1997 and a total of 53 Hell in a Cell matches have since occurred. The match type spawned its own pay-per-view event in 2009, WWE Hell in a Cell, after which the event was held annually in October, although once in September and twice in June. This event generally featured one to three Hell in a Cell matches on the same card, with the main event always contested as a Hell in a Cell match. Following Triple H's appointment as WWE Chief Content Officer in August 2022, the Hell in a Cell annual event was discontinued alongside other gimmick PPVs except for WWE Money in the Bank, Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, and WWE Elimination Chamber.