I’ve been following sports and wrestling since I can remember. Not too much, aside from my family, gives me as much joy as watching my Raiders, Blackhawks, Bulls, White Sox or WWE. Add in some honey Jack to sip on and that’s the equation for a perfect evening!
John Cena vs Brock Lesnar … stop me if you’ve heard that one before. (Actually don’t because I know you’ve heard that one before and I would like you to keep reading!)
Yes the WWE has told us that once Brock Lesnar does come back to TV we will get him and Cena locking up for the third time since SummerSlam. Taking a deeper look at it though, it is hard to have too much of a problem with it.
When Lesnar beat The Undertaker at WrestleMania, the initial reaction was that it just didn’t make sense to have a part-time guy like Brock be the one to end the streak rather than a guy that could use it to further his career like a Daniel Bryan or Bray Wyatt. It turns out, though, that this was the start of building Brock as the seemingly unstoppable beast that they want him to be – which in turn has actually brought a little more relevance back to the WWE Championship. In the immortal words of Ric Flair, “To be the man you’ve gotta beat the man!” … … … … WOOOOOOO! (I tried not to!)
A third straight successful title defense against the standard flag-bearer for the WWE over the last decade is just a way to further the “unbeatable” character of Brock Lesnar. Not even John Cena can beat The Beast – making it that much more meaningful when someone actually does beat him.
So now it’s the same concept but a different character. Instead of using the end of The Streak to further enhance a rising star’s career, it’s beating the guy that ended The Streak. There are a lot of guys on the roster now that are ready to take that step by beating Brock or even just benefit from having a program against him.
The big rumor that has been floating out there for months now is that Roman Reigns, even with the recent injury, will be the guy to take on Brock at WrestleMania. If you’re reading this, you probably have heard that already, so you’ve thought about Reigns in the spot for months now, so I won’t bother going any further with him. But who are the others? Let’s take a look, shall we?
Cesaro
Remember him? He’s the guy that, about nine months ago, was ready to step up to the main event level. Cesaro won the inaugural Andre the Giant Battle Royal at WrestleMania by carrying the Big Show over the top robe making it look like he was picking up a stack of pillow. The next night he lets the world know that he is a Paul Heyman guy!
Well that didn’t last long! Shortly after that Cesaro was back on his own and has basically been a jobber to an extent this summer. The latest example being a two straight falls loss to Dolph Ziggler in a 2-out-of-3 falls match at Hell in a Cell.
Loss after loss after loss may be the angle to start the rise of Cesaro. He is so upset that he keeps losing that he just takes out anyone who gets in his way. The story with Brock writes itself. After some time, Cesaro crosses paths with Paul Heyman and, in so many words, tells Heyman that joining him was the start of his downfall and threatens to take him out. Enter Brock to save the day.
Some writers have said that Cesaro is good enough in the ring to have a world title match at WrestleMania. With a little mic work, he can very easily be one of the top stars. He has the following, he has the charisma, he has the look. A program with Brock could give WWE a main eventer for the next decade.
Dolph Ziggler
Dolph has the same type of problem that Cesaro has in terms of a push, but Dolph’s push has been due for years! It does look like they are going to be using him in a top level story now with his participation in the Authority vs Cena Survivor Series match. Hopefully this will just be the start for Ziggler.
A run through the members of The Authority could culminate with Triple H and Stephanie once again bringing in the hired gun in Brock Lesnar to stop Ziggler. Dolph wouldn’t have to beat Brock to get the career boost he needs, but a strong showing against Lesnar would be a strong building block for a main event character for years.
Bray Wyatt
Bray is a main-eventer now, but he’s not in main-event’s yet. The time is now!
It seems inevitable that Wyatt will, at some point, turn face. It’s just like Stone Cold Steve Austin in 1997 – he wouldn’t have to change his character at all he would just be booked differently. To say that Wyatt is golden on the mic is an understatement and he backs it up in the ring.
I can see Heyman and Brock in the ring a Monday after a pay per view show saying something along the lines of “nobody can slay this beast!” This brings out the odd two-second Wyatt video and Bray on the big screen saying that he has been slaying beasts all his life. Bray needs a program with the champion to help the sustainability of his character. This business should still revolve around wanting to be the champion. Wyatt is due for his shot.
Randy Orton
To be clear, in no way do I think Orton should be the one to beat Brock. That would be a HUGE mistake and a waste of the last 23 years of The Streak. But the pot on Orton turning face is heating up and is ready to boil over. We were teased a Brock/Orton program with an RKO on Heyman recently.
Just a quick one month program with the two would go a long way to getting Orton over as a top face – which is something the company could really use right now.
Ryback
The Big Guy is back! It appears that they are giving him another run as a single face. I watched some of the shows during his run as a top face in 2012 and the crowd was electric! Ryback is a guy that could be successful with a run with the belt!
My prediction for months now was that Kurt Angle was going to be the guy to beat Rusev when he finally comes back to WWE this year. Well, that’s not happening unfortunately. Here is the order that I could see things going : Rusev beats Sheamus for the US Title at Survivor Series – Ryback beats Rusev for the US Title at TLC – Ryback wins the Royal Rumble and goes on to feud with Brock and win the title at WrestleMania. If the crowd gets behind Ryback in the next few months the way they did in 2012, the atmosphere at Levis Stadium would be incredible!
What do you think? Who do you agree with? Who do you disagree with? Who did I forget? Follow me on Twitter @Tadigity24 and let me know!
Time for a little mini-rant!
The Cowboys are playing the Cardinals this week in a battle of two of the NFC’s best teams. After taking a shot in the back last week, Tony Romo’s status for the game is up in the air and will more likely be a game-time decision. Obviously this will play into our decision on what line to put either team. BUT, because we have a game every Thursday, the pools are locked at kickoff.
I don’t get it! Why can’t the one line you use on the Thursday game be locked leaving the other lines available for editing up until their kickoff? Makes sense to me! So to those that run the Fantasy Football sites on Yahoo and CBS, since, you know, they are avid readers of mine, it’s time to change your system!
OK, I’m off my soapbox and ready for a new week of football!
WEEK 9! HERE WE GO!!!
(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)
13 – SEATTLE over Oakland – Do…do you need an explanation?
12 – SAN FRANCISCO over St. Louis – The Rams defensive line is starting to live up to their pre-season expectations. Unfortunately the Rams offense has been hit by the injury bug and will have no chance of putting up enough points against a fresh San Francisco team.
11 – CINCINNATI over Jacksonville – The Bengals have been struggling a bit, but the Jags are still the Jags. AJ Green could be making his return this week. Even if he doesn’t, you shouldn’t have any worries over putting Cincy this high.
10 – KANSAS CITY over New York Jets –Alex Smith is hurting a bit, but the Chiefs offense doesn’t really need a quarterback anyway. The Jets won’t be able to stop Jamaal Charles, which means they won’t be able to stop the Chiefs.
9 – CLEVELAND over Tampa Bay – I know that I have been talking about the Browns a bit the last few weeks, but it does still feel a little odd to put them this high. The fact that it’s a home game against Tampa makes it a lot easier.
8 – PITTSBURGH over Baltimore – Welcome back to relevance Big Ben! I’ll go out on a limb and say that Roethlisberger won’t put up another 500 yards/6 touchdown game, but he will be able to do enough to get a huge divisional win.
7 – Indianapolis over NEW YORK GIANTS – The week ends in Jersey with a Colts team coming to town that has something to prove after giving up the previously mentioned 500 yards/6 touchdown game.
6 – San Diego over MIAMI – The Chargers have looked good despite losing two big division games recently. The second half of the season has traditionally been San Diego’s time to shine. The Dolphins should be able to put up a good fight but the Chargers should be able to hold on and win a close game.
5 – DALLAS over Arizona – We already talked about this one before. Dallas at 5 is based on Tony Romo playing. I think he will and the Cowboys should fight behind him.
4 – CAROLINA over New Orleans – The week starts off in Charlotte with two teams who have three wins…and are playing for first place? The NFC South has seen better days. We’ll make this week’s BOLD PREDICTION that the winner of the NFC South will NOT have a record above .500. Cam needs a bounce back game and he gets it against the Saints defense.
3 – HOUSTON over Philadelphia – This could be the sleeper Game of the Week. The Eagles have looked solid all year but Arian Foster may just be too much for them to handle this week.
2 – NEW ENGLAND over Denver – Brady vs Manning in a rematch of last year’s AFC title game. The change in venue will be enough for the surging Patriots to get a bit of retribution.
1 – Washington over MINNESOTA – It was announced today that RGIII will be back and start. I didn’t have too much faith in him when he was healthy let alone coming back from (another ) injury.
Welcome back! We had another solid week in Week 7, but still could have been better.
Time to see what Week 8 has in store for us!
Week 8! HERE WE GO!!
(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)
15 – KANSAS CITY over St. Louis – The Rams got a home win against the champs last week, but they needed a lot of trickery to do so. You can’t rely on that every week.
14 – DALLAS over Washington – The Cowboys seem to be the real deal this season. It looks like Colt McCoy will be under center for the ‘Skins Monday Night – that’s a good reason to have a lot of confidence in Dallas this week.
13 – DENVER over San Diego – Peyton and the boys have given us no reason to think that we should have anything but a lot of confidence in them at home. The Chargers may keep this close, but a home loss last week showed that San Diego has some chinks in the armor.
12 – NEW ENGLAND over Chicago – The good news for the Patriots is that they get a home game this week…the good news for the Bears is that they DON’T have a home game this week! Seriously, the Blackhawks have more wins in Soldier Field than the Bears do in 2014! Tom Brady is starting to look like the old Tom Brady which isn’t good news for a depleted Chicago secondary.
11 – Miami over JACKSONVILLE – Miami looked really impressive on the road last week. The Fins may be able to make a strong run at the division this season. The Jags are coming off of their first win of the season last week – hard to see them make it two in a row this week.
10 – CINCINNATI over Baltimore – The Bengals are just confusing this year. A lot of the offensive problems, though, revolve around AJ Green and his toe. If he plays, it will be hard to stop Cincy.
9 – ARIZONA over Philadelphia – Hard to imagine but there is an outside chance that this could very well be your NFC Championship game! With Carson Palmer playing the way he is, the Cardinals offense will be able to outscore the Eagles.
8 – NEW YORK JETS over Buffalo – The Jets were a field goal away from an upset in Foxboro last Thursday and the Bills just barely got by half of the Minnesota Vikings at home. The Jets have been close in most of their losses this season – I think this is the week they cross the line.
7 – Seattle over CAROLINA – If you listen closely, you can hear the Packers score on the Panthers again! That game was brutal! It doesn’t get any better as an upset Seahawks team comes to Charlotte. After losing to the Rams, Seattle will be pumped to show they are still the cream of the crop.
6 – Houston over TENNESSEE – Titans fans have started the “Suck for the Duck” campaign (meaning tank the year in order to draft Oregon star quarterback Marcus Mariota) and it looks like the team is obliging. Arian Foster will run all over the Titans so much so that my BOLD PREDICTION is that Arian Foster will have a 200 yard game.
5 – CLEVELAND over Oakland – After looking drastically improved two weeks ago, the Raiders reminded us last week that they are indeed still the Raiders. Look for a huge game for Ben Tate which will allow the Browns to control the game and get the win.
4 – Indianapolis over PITTSBURGH – The Steelers have been very hit or miss this season. Last week they hit and this week the Colts will make sure they miss.
3 – Green Bay over NEW ORLEANS – Sunday Night Football has a shootout on their hands this week. The only thing scarier than the thought of a Saints offense in the dome is this Packer offense in the dome. Rodgers has the team and city R-E-L-A-X ing to the tune of four straight wins averaging over 36 points in that span. Look for win number five this week.
2 – ATLANTA over Detroit – London game number two comes up this week with the Falcons and Lions. Here’s the kicker – the game will be played in prime LONDON time, which translates to a 9:30 a.m. EST kickoff in the states. I’ll be sleeping to the coin told me the Falcons will win.
1 - Minnesota over TAMPA BAY – This could have been a decent game. Unfortunately half of the Vikings offense is gone and the Bucs just can’t seem to get it going. The Vikings were close on the road last week so we’ll give them our one-point line this week.
The wrestling business is always evolving. Back in the days, the steel cage was the end all be all of ending feuds. With the evolution of the steel cage, we have one of the biggest attractions the WWE has to offer now – Hell in a Cell.
The cage that sits a few feet outside the ring onto the floor, has walls that were initially 15 feet and now are over 20 feet high and a roof to keep people out has proven to be the best way to culminate a heated program. This year though, it does seem a little lackluster. Though I will say, the actions of the four men involved in the two matches – John Cena, Randy Orton, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose – went a long way to add intrigue to this year’s show.
Really, though, you can’t blame the WWE for that TOO much. Yes they need to do a bit of a better job creating top stars, but they have been hit by the injury bug worse than a last place fantasy football team! They build Daniel Bryan, and now he’s out for months. Let’s start building Roman Reigns for a possible WrestleMania main event, but now he is out of action. Even a guy like Bad New Barrett, who it seemed was ready for a bit of a push, is out with an injury. It even goes back to unexpected departure of CM Punk to start 2014. But Hell in a Cell is still Hell in a Cell and the history of cell matches adds enough interest to make sure we watch.
So to get us ready for this year’s installment, let’s take a look at what I think are the 10 best Hell in a Cell matches of all time. These matches mostly come from events that had pretty impressive cards, but anytime the hellish structure is hanging over the ring, the crowd is just waiting for the match that brings the cage down to the floor.
#10
MATCH: Triple H vs Chris Jericho
EVENT: Judgment Day
VENUE: Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN
DATE: May 19, 2002
Our countdown starts at what was the first ever Pay-Per-View ever for the WWE, no longer the WWF. An event that saw two of the biggest names in history in the same ring as Stone Cold Steve Austin took on Ric Flair…and Big Show – Hulk Hogan’s 2002 championship run came to an end against The Undertaker - the world was first introduced to a bald Kurt Angle – and, of course, we had the cell.
In this match, Triple H and Chris Jericho ended the rivalry that gave us that year’s WrestleMania main event…well, at least the last match on the card. To culminate the program, Jericho and The Game pulled out all the stops. We had chairs, a ladder, the stairs, Triple H’s patented sledgehammer and, the cherry on top, the 2x4 wrapped in barbed wire.
We saw the end of Tim White’s refereeing career which gave us a reason to have the cell door opened during the match. Anytime the match goes to the top of the cell is a plus. I highly doubt we will see anyone taking a Mick Foley dive off of the new, taller cell - and for the sake of those in the matches thank God! – but just being on the top adds a different element to the match. On his podcast, Jericho has repeatedly said that is a different world looking down from the top of the cell, and how can you argue that? To sum up the fight in this match, we had a camera shot looking straight up from inside the ring with a drop of blood on the camera lens. You can’t script something like that.
After taking a few shots from the barbed wire 2x4, Triple H came back and hit Jericho with the Pedigree on the top of the cage for the win. The two have had great in-ring chemistry since 2000 – the only thing that could have made this match better would be adding a Jericho/Stephanie battle on the mic.
#9
MATCH: Brock Lesnar (c) vs The Undertaker – WWE Championship
EVENT: No Mercy
VENUE: Alltel Arena – Little Rock, AR
DATE: October 20, 2002
Everyone knows that if you want respect in the WWE and you want to be known as a top name in the game, you have to go through The Undertaker – both inside the ring and out. After just six months on the main roster, Brock Lesnar upset The Rock at SummerSlam to become the youngest WWE Champion in history. Still though, something was missing. Some thought he was still just a flash in the pan. It was smart for the WWE to put Lesnar with Taker following the Rock match to solidify Lesnar as a legit star.
Going back to Paul Heyman’s promo from this past Monday, this proved to be another example of how the career of Brock Lesnar seemed to still be pretty similar in a dominant way as it was when he started in 2002 – Lesnar beat Taker in 2002, and I vaguely remember Heyman mentioning something about Lesnar being the 1 in 21-1 or something like that.
The Undertaker gave Lesnar the biggest fight the young champion has had since coming to the WWE in March of that year but the rookie stood toe-to-toe with the phenom. Brock ended up with a clean win over The Undertaker and The Deadman’s face was bloodier than we had every seen. The way that Lesnar won the match proved that he would be a star for years to come - or at least the next 18 months before he thought the Vikings needed a new D-Tackle.
#8
MATCH: D-Generation X vs Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon & Big Show
EVENT: Unforgiven
VENUE: Air Canada Centre – Toronto, ON
DATE: September 17, 2006
Our #8 match involved both Vince McMahon and Shawn Michaels and also took place in Canada. Granted, we heard some expected “You Screwed Bret!” chants early in the match, but as the match went on, even the fans north of the border had to just sit back and appreciated what they were seeing.
This was a really bloody and intense battle that ended the DX vs The McMahons program from the summer of 2006. We saw screwdrivers, trash cans, Shane’s coast to coast Van Terminator rip-off and the Chairman of the Board’s head being shoved up Big Show. I think that gives you a fantastic image of just how nasty this match was.
#7
MATCH: Edge vs The Undertaker
EVENT: SummerSlam
VENUE: Conseco Field House – Indianapolis, IN
DATE: August 17, 2008
The 2008 SummerSlam saw a Hell in a Cell match was the end of the program that gave us that year’s WrestleMania main event…well, at least the last match on the card. You know, I swear I have heard that before somewhere…eh, probably just my imagination.
Edge and The Undertaker provided a great back and forth match here – amplified by Jim Ross on the call. We got the full TLC treatment with tables ladders and chairs and an unorthodox way for the two to get out of the cell during the match. After setting the stairs up outside, Edge jumped off and speared The Undertaker against the cell causing an entire panel of the cage to fall over. Once outside, the crowd came to their feet with Edge spearing Taker from one announce table and through another. Also, once back in the cage, The Dead Man gave Edge a chokeslam off the top rope through two tables stacked on top of each other on the outside of the ring which led to the tombstone and the win for The Undertaker.
But the best was yet to come. After deciding that he wasn’t done with the Rated-R Superstar, Taker brings Edge to the top of a ladder in the ring and chokeslams Edge straight to hell – fireball and all! Because, really, where else are you going to chokeslam someone through in Hell in a Cell? It’s not North Dakota in a Cell! Just like going to the top of the cell, fire is always a special added element to any match that makes it that much more memorable.
#6
MATCH: Triple H (c) vs Cactus Jack – WWF Championship
EVENT: No Way Out
VENUE: Hartford Civic Center – Hartford, CT
DATE: February 27, 2000
Speaking of fire, that smoothly transitions us to the #8 match. It’s a pretty memorable match when fire is used, on a barbed wire 2x4 nonetheless, and it’s not the most memorable part of the match…by far!
This match was billed as the WWF Championship vs Cactus Jack’s career. With that kind of a stipulation, you knew that Jack was going to do something crazy, and the fans were not disappointed. This was also the first time that Triple H found his way inside the cell. As you’ll probably be able to pick up from this countdown, it wouldn’t be his last time.
It obviously would take a lot to beat a crazy man like Cactus Jack to end his career, and it end up taking and a back drop from the top of the cell that sent Jack through the top of the cage and into the ring was what had to be done. Triple H got the win and that was the last that we saw of the man known as Cactus Jack!
In a completely unrelated note, some other fully bearded long-haired flannel wearing man named Mick Foley main evented WrestleMania the following month. Again, completely unrelated.
#5
MATCH: Triple H vs The Undertaker
EVENT: WrestleMania XXVIII
VENUE: Sun Life Stadium – Miami, FL
DATE: April 1, 2012
“The End of an Era” Well, both guys ended up having a few more matches so I’m not too sure how the era ended, but still. Thanks to the use of the mics on the cameras, this match may have been the most psychologically dramatic Hell in a Cell match there has been.
This was the second time that the cell has seen the biggest show of the year. The first being at WrestleMania XV in a pretty forgettable match between The Undertaker and the Big Boss Man. If having two stars as significant as Triple H and The Undertaker wasn’t enough, this WrestleMania rematch added Shawn Michaels as the special referee.
The excitement of “The Streak” always added something to Taker’s WrestleMania match, so the crowd was already on the edge of their seats with every near three count. Hearing the “STAY DOWN” “DON’T STOP THIS MATCH” among other quotes from inside the ring just added to the drama for those watching at home. Throw in the physicality of the match, the surprise debut of a hairless Undertaker and the fact that the cell itself had an entrance song – Metallica no less – and this Hell in a Cell match ranks towards the top of WrestleMania history.
#4
MATCH: John Cena (c) vs Alberto Del Rio vs CM Punk – WWE Championship
EVENT: Hell in a Cell
VENUE: New Orleans Arena – New Orleans, LA
DATE: October 2, 2011
No, this is not a misprint. We actually have a match in the top 10 that does NOT involve Triple H and/or The Undertaker! Obviously it would take a really good performance to keep the two biggest stars in Hell in a Cell history – Cena, Punk and Del Rio were able to do just that.
The three biggest names of 2011 provided a great back and forth…and forth (because there’s three of them) match that really made the crowd feel that any of the three could win at any time. It was Del Rio who actually locked Cena out of a cell and nailed Punk with a couple shots with a lead pipe to get the win and the WWE Championship.
The drama was just starting though as recently fired R-Truth and Miz hit the ring and destroyed everything in the cell, refs and cameraman included, with the entire locker room out and trying to get into the cell to stop them. Once again, a lot of credit goes to good ol JR for his frantic commentary to help set the mood for us to realize just how crazy this situation was.
This is the only match in the countdown since WWE started the Hell in a Cell Pay-Per-View in 2009 and I don’t think that is just a coincidence. I think that a part of what made Hell in a Cell matches so exciting before the Pay-Per-View was the spontaneity of it. The announcement that this program was going to have a Hell in a Cell match at the next Pay-Per-View added to the excitement. Now, you know that Hell in a Cell is coming up in October so a lot of the suspense is gone. I think that was another part of what made the Triple H/Undertaker match at WrestleMania XXVIII so special – it was so unexpected that we would get an additional Hell in a Cell match in a year.
#3
MATCH: Kurt Angle (c) vs The Undertaker vs Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Triple H vs Rikishi vs The Rock - WWF Championship
EVENT: Armageddon
VENUE: Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center – Birmingham, AL
DATE: December 10, 2000
The end of 2000 saw a lot of solid storylines coming to an end. The question remained, which of these programs deserved to be put in the cell? Eh, might as well just throw them all in there!
The story behind it was the Mick Foley was a frustrated commissioner who wanted to put Vince McMahon’s high priced talent in more than just harm’s way by putting them all in the cell. Vince did what he could stop the match, including bringing truck down to the ring to try and tear the cage down. That didn’t work, however it did set up another big Hell in a Cell moment. Rikishi, don’t lie, you know that you read who was in this match and immediately started singing “One of These Things Doesn’t Belong” climbed to the top of the cell and ended up being tossed off by The Undertaker into whatever it was that was in the back of that truck.
The star power alone makes this match so special! How many non-Royal Rumble matches can you think of that includes THIS level of talent. Not only that, but it also started the set up for the main event for what many consider to be the best WrestleMania ever when Stone Cold and The Rock threw punches in the middle of the ring.
#2
MATCH: Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker
EVENT: In Your House – Badd Blood
VENUE: Kiel Center - St. Louis, MO
DATE: October 5, 1997
It’s hard to top the original. When talking about ladder matches, people still reference Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon at WrestleMania X as one of the best. Almost four years later, Michaels stepped into this new structure known as Hell in a Cell with The Undertaker and made history that is still talked about so fondly to this day.
Michaels and Taker set the bar high and not many have been able to reach it to this day. Michaels taking chair shot after chair shot, being “javelined” into the side of the cell and falling from the upper part of the cell to the announce table just let every cell match know that you have a lot to live up to.
Not only was the match intense, but this is where, after months of speculation, we were introduced to The Undertaker’s long lost brother, Kane. Paul Bearer led “The Big Red Monster” down to the ring who tore the door off the hinges and took out The Undertaker giving Michaels the win and a championship match against Bret Hart at next month’s Survivor Series…I can’t really remember anything special happening at that match, can you?
#1
MATCH: Mankind vs The Undertaker
EVENT: King of the Ring
VENUE: Pittsburgh Civic Center – Pittsburgh, PA
DATE: June 28, 1998
If you have any other Hell in a Cell match at the top of your list, you’re doing it wrong.
The match itself started on the top of the cage. Within minutes, JR made one of his infamous calls from this match, “they’re right above us folks, and I don’t like it a damn bit!” Seconds later, his fears were justified as The Undertaker threw Mankind from the top of the cage to the Spanish announce table in what is still considered one of the most famous scenes in WWE history! “Has God as my witness, he is broken in half!” Really, if you want to have a successful Hell in a Cell match, it’s always a safe bet to have JR call it! After about five minutes of trying to get Mankind on the stretcher and out of the arena, they made it almost halfway back up the aisle before Mankind jumped up from the stretcher and pretty much just said, “Nah, I’m good” and went back to the top of the cell! Aaaaaaaand about a minute later The Dead Man grabbed Mankind and chokeslammed him THROUGH the top of the cell and into the center of the ring with Mankind taking one of the most awkward looking bumps you have ever seen.
Later in the match, Mankind introduces a bed of thumbtacks in which he ended up being slammed on. Funny part of it, he didn’t fall right in the middle of the tacks, just the edge. So Mankind, being the logical thinker that he is, told the ref to tell Taker to do it again! Undertaker agreed, chokeslammed Mankind onto the tacks, and hit the tombstone for the win.
How memorable was this match? Stone Cold Steve Austin was, by far the biggest star in wrestling at that time, and possibly ever. That was the same night that he lost the WWF title for the first time to Kane. Nobody talks about that though. All they talk about is Mick Foley and how he solidified himself into the history books of the sport that he loved!
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