WWE Hell in a Cell 2016: Power Ranking Every Card in PPV's History

Hell in a Cell has been a fearsome structure in WWE for almost two decades now. Since it was introduced to allow The Undertaker to battle Shawn Michaels with no escape at Badd Blood 1997, Undertaker, Triple H, Mankind, Randy Orton, John Cena and more have stepped inside the cell and defined the bout as one of the most brutal in WWE.

Its legacy has grown so much that WWE has named an entire pay-per-view after the match type where, on average, two Hell in a Cell matches have taken place every year. Over its seven-year run, the best in WWE have put their bodies on the line for pride and championships.

Among the battles inside the cell, Cena has faced Orton, Seth Rollins warred with Dean Ambrose, Kane competed against his brother Undertaker and CM Punk attempted to end the undefeated streak of Ryback. This year, it has been confirmed that we will see battles inside the cell between Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens, Roman Reigns vs. Rusev and Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte.

As a complete PPV, this show also has had some strong matches that were not confined to the cell. Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz vs. John Morrison, Big Show vs. Sheamus and Dolph Ziggler vs. Cesaro were all great matches in the event's history that occurred only with the cell hanging overhead.

As we approach the eighth edition of Hell in a Cell this year, it is the right time to look back on this PPV's history and rank the card of every prior event. This ranking is based on the match quality, importance, brutality and overall success of the card.

WWE Hell in a Cell 2012

Credit: WWE.com

Best Matches: World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus vs. Big Show; Randy Orton vs. Alberto Del Rio.

Hell in a Cell 2012 was largely a misfire by WWE, likely hurt by WWE needing to quickly change up the card after a Cena injury. Beyond a few surprise standout performances from veterans, this show's card felt too much like an episode of Raw than a major event.

Championships were on the line throughout the night, but most of the challengers were not credible enough. Champions Kofi Kingston and Antonio Cesaro battled against The Miz and Justin Gabriel while the tag team division bred two matches: Team Hell No vs. The Rhodes Scholars and Mysterio and Sin Cara vs. The Prime Time Players. The women also had a brief triple threat.

The main event between CM Punk and the still-raw Ryback did not live up to the title of main event at all, but there were two notable standouts. Orton faced Del Rio in a quality bout between long-time rivals. Meanwhile, Sheamus and Big Show found impressive chemistry in an excellently told story where Show seemed indomitable.

There were highlights to this show that made sure it was not completely disposable. However, as a whole, this was an event that really could be skipped. With only one Hell in a Cell match and an ineffective one at that, this show did not really live up to its name.

WWE Hell in a Cell 2013

Credit: WWE.com

Best Matches: WWE Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes and Goldust vs. The Shield vs. The Usos; WWE Champion Randy Orton vs. Daniel Bryan (HIAC); WHC Alberto Del Rio vs. John Cena.

The 2013 edition of Hell in a Cell had a strong start and finish but not much in between. In fact, only one match on the card beyond the best matches got double-digit time to deliver, with the rest over quickly for the most part.

But the three big matches for this show were quite strong. The Shield continued an excellent run of fantastic matches, stealing the show with both The Usos and Rhodes and Goldust. Cena had one of his best matches against Del Rio with a focused assault on the recently rehabbed arm of Cena, who was making his return to WWE that night.

The main event inside Hell in a Cell showed off the impressive chemistry between Orton and Bryan, allowing them to trump overbooking. The other Hell in a Cell match for the night was much less successful as Punk dominated Ryback in a match where the heavyweight was just an obstacle to get to Paul Heyman.

The rest of the card can easily be forgotten with only Dean Ambrose vs. Big E making an impact despite a count-out finish. Again the women's matches had too little time and impact to matter.

This show's strongest events made it stand out, but this was a time when WWE did not put nearly enough effort into developing a whole card. It is possible that this show would rank much higher if Punk vs. Ryback and Heyman were a match more worthy of main event time.

WWE Hell in a Cell 2010

Credit: WWE.com

Best Matches: United States Champion Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz vs. John Morrison; John Cena vs. Wade Barrett; WWE Champion Randy Orton vs. Sheamus (HIAC).

With only six matches on the 2010 card, Hell in a Cell put heavy focus on its individual matches. The first two-thirds of this show were quite strong with many quality performances from a variety of performers. The last third, though, was a disaster.

The show began with Bryan vs. Miz vs. Morrison in an electric submissions-count-anywhere match that easily stole the show. Orton and Sheamus battled inside Hell in a Cell in a physical encounter with strong psychology throughout.

Even the battle between Jack Swagger and Edge, which never hit its top gear, was solid. Cena faced off against Barrett in one of the best matches of the Brit's career. The final section of the show lagged to a halt, however, with a women's match that was a waste of time and a main event bout between Kane and Undertaker that showed both had finally lost several steps, struggling to keep up the tempo.

If not for Kane vs. Undertaker, this show would hold up better with a series of strong matches back-to-back. But it is difficult for any show to ignore the shadow of its main event.

WWE Hell in a Cell 2011

Credit: WWE.com

Best Matches: WWE Champion John Cena vs. CM Punk vs. Alberto Del Rio; WWE Tag Team Champions Evan Bourne and Kofi Kingston vs. Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger; Sheamus vs. Christian.

Hell in a Cell 2011 was a night of overall solid wrestling without a show-stealing standout. The card was fairly balanced throughout with almost every match getting its due time, which allowed them all to deliver as best as possible given the talent.

Rarely do matches fit so well into the opener spot as Sheamus vs. Christian, which moved quickly and smoothly throughout. A battle of Caras followed that defined the original Sin Cara's run, a messy but exciting affair. In a time when tag team wrestling was in a lull, Air Boom had a quality athletic showcase against the perfectly matched styles of Swagger and Ziggler.

Mark Henry and Orton battled in the first Hell in a Cell match of the night, where they barely used the cell but told a good story. Championship fights between Cody Rhodes and John Morrison as well as Kelly Kelly and Beth Phoenix were strong enough for the time and talent involved, but not much more.

Even the main event between Cena, Punk and Del Rio, which was the best of the night, was fun but not wholly memorable. While the three were all putting on strong performances at that time, particularly against one another, they did not quite shine in this triple threat.

This show was propped up due to its undercard overachieving, making for a capable show from start to finish. It is easy to sit back and enjoy the show as a whole, though not much is easily remembered a few days later.

WWE Hell in a Cell 2014

Credit: WWE.com

Best Matches: Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose (HIAC); John Cena vs. Randy Orton (HIAC); Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler vs. Cesaro (Two Out of Three Falls); Gold and Stardust vs. The Usos.

Much like 2014 for WWE as a whole, that year's Hell in a Cell was a solid show that had the potential to be great but only managed to surprise thanks to the committed performances of the wrestlers involved.

The show got off on the right foot with a strong two-out-of-three falls match between Cesaro and Dolph Ziggler. Both the women's matches on the show did not get much time but were decent. Battles between Sheamus and The Miz as well as Rusev and Big Show didn't spark but made good use of their time.

The tag teams represented thanks to a quality bout between Gold and Stardust and The Usos. However, it was really the Hell in a Cell matches that carried the show with another physical encounter inside the cell between Cena and Orton, who truly molded their match into an epic struggle between two of the best in the business.

Then the main event between Ambrose and Rollins told the intense story of two men who truly hated one another. They went through it all, even falling from halfway up the cell. However, the match was slightly hampered by a lackluster finish.

As a whole, this show was solid from top to bottom with a few standout performances. It was a night worthy of the PPV's namesake even if a few shows have overshadowed it in the PPV's history.

WWE Hell in a Cell 2015

Credit: WWE.com

Best Matches: Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker (HIAC); Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt (HIAC); WWE Champion Seth Rollins vs. Kane; Women's Champion Charlotte vs. Nikki Bella.

The latest Hell in a Cell stands up against its predecessors thanks to some excellent top matches across the card. This 2015 edition focused on its money contests and did not leave room for much else.

The stragglers on this show were the midcard title matches as Cena faced a returning Del Rio in an oddly short affair, The New Day fought off The Dudley Boys, who never seemed to find their stride in their last WWE run, and Kevin Owens combated Ryback in a barely five-minute bout.

Other than that, the show shined. Reigns and Wyatt used everything at their disposal to put on a brutal contest inside Hell in a Cell with many weapons and strong storytelling. Charlotte and Nikki Bella put on the first match on the main card truly worthy of the newly-declared women's revolution in WWE and showed off the strength and power of both women.

Rollins gave Kane his final great match of his career, pushing the Big Red Monster to keep the pace up in a contest that felt worth of its stakes. Finally, in the main event, Lesnar and Undertaker put an end to their rivalry in an intense, story-driven affair that was far more worthy of their legacies than their previous matches together in the last couple of years.

With so much time given to the top matches, the undercard did not quite deliver, but everyone with time made the most of it. Both Hell in a Cell matches felt truly deserving of the cell, and the other title matches did not need the cell to deliver.

WWE Hell in a Cell 2009

Credit: WWE.com

Best Matches: D-Generation X vs. Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase (HIAC); WWE Champion John Cena vs. Randy Orton (HIAC); WWE Tag Team Champions Jeri-Show vs. Batista and Rey Mysterio; IC Champion John Morrison vs. Dolph Ziggler.

Perhaps having more Hell in a Cell matches correlates to a stronger event, because the first Hell in a Cell remains the best in the show's history, with three unique matches taking place inside the cell.

This event's underwhelming contests were mainly held back by not having much time as the show focused its efforts on highlighting five strong contest across the night. The only disappointment was the first Hell in a Cell match between Punk and Undertaker, which was over far too quick and felt too one-sided.

Ziggler and Morrison picked up the tempo early with a back-and-forth technical showcase. A tag team bout of Jericho and Show against Batista and Mysterio showed off the explosiveness and storytelling of the veterans, worthy of the legacies of all four men.

Cena and Orton added another chapter to their longstanding rivalry in their first brutal Hell in a Cell match, with many memorable spots and a rare clean victory for Orton over Cena. While unconventional, D-Generation X vs. The Legacy was a worthy main event and the best match on the card, with strong and memorable storytelling.

Overall, this was the best-constructed event of the seven, with more than half the show extremely strong even if the fifth of the eight matches, Punk vs. Undertaker, was not as strong as it should have been.