WWE Hell in a Cell 2014: Superstars with Best Hell in a Cell History

WWE Hell in a Cell 2014 offers Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins the opportunity to begin their own legacies inside The Devil's Playground, to add to a match's history that Mick Foley, Triple H and The Undertaker have dominated so far. 

In the 17 years that WWE's wrestlers have battled inside that structure, a small number of gladiators have made it their personal showcase. There is a repetition of names when one compiles the best and most memorable Hell in a Cell matches ever.

The following list ranks Hell in Cell's biggest stars based on the number of appearances in the cell, their contribution to the match's legacy and the number of classics in which they participated.

Note: Star ratings come courtesy of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t ProFightDB.com). 

7. Kane

• Total Appearances: 3
• Hell in a Cell Matches Rated Four Stars or Higher: None

Kane will forever be associated with the Hell in a Cell, as it was the monster's birthplace.

The first-ever Hell in a Cell match saw him bathed in red light as he attacked his brother and began what would be a Hall of Fame-worthy career. Being linked to the match's history in that way is enough to land him here.

His performances when he's actually competing in the structure haven't been impressive, though.

He competed in two of the first four battles inside The Devil's Playground, but neither of those bouts compare with the classic Undertaker bout or even some of the better editions from recent years. His first two Hell in a Cell meetings happened on Raw and certainly felt like they belonged on free TV rather than pay-per-view.

A letdown against Undertaker in 2010 doesn't help his case either.

Still, he was key to Hell in a Cell's early history as either the masked man who decided the outcome of the first one or the bruiser who slugged it out with Steve Austin and Mankind when the concept was still novel. 

6. Randy Orton

• Total Appearances: 5
• Hell in a Cell Matches Rated Four Stars or Higher: None

Randy Orton has been a solid, steady contributor inside the Hell in a Cell. He hasn't provided the lasting images or the instant classics others have but has been the best of his peer group, WWE's go-to star in the event's last few years.

Since the Hell in a Cell became the focus of an annual pay-per-view back in 2009, Orton has fought inside that cage in four of the five events. He's set to add to that resume when he battles John Cena at this year's show.

He has the same amount of appearances as CM Punk but a better collection of matches to brag about.

Punk was involved in one of the most disappointing Hell in a Cell matches of all time in 2012 when he took on Ryback and Paul Heyman. The year before, his first collision with Ryback won't make many fans' list of the show's best offerings.

Orton has a dud as well, namely his clash with Mark Henry in 2011, but he counters with really good outings in 2013 vs. Daniel Bryan, at Armageddon 2005 against Undertaker and in the first Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, where he bested Cena. 

5. Batista

• Total Appearances: 2
• Hell in a Cell Matches Rated Four Stars or Higher: 2

Even with limited opportunities, Batista made a deep, forceful impact on Hell in a Cell history.

Both of his matches inside that steel edifice were home runs. At Vengeance 2005, he and Triple H met in a brutal, blood-soaked battle. The Animal then met The Undertaker at Survivor Series 2007 in another standout Hell in a Cell match.

There's a strong argument to be made that both of those bouts rank among the top 10 in Hell in a Cell history. The number of men who appear twice on that list isn't plentiful, and even fewer can boast that 100 percent of their matches in that structure were classics.

Men with more chances to impress surpass Batista on this list, but one wonders what he could have done with another handful of wars inside The Cell.

4. Shawn Michaels

• Total Appearances: 4 as wrestler, 2 as referee
• Hell in a Cell Matches Rated Four Stars or Higher: 1

When discussing the best Hell in a Cell matches, one cannot leave out the first one. Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker set the bar so high that many will argue it has yet to be surpassed. A bloody Heartbreak Kid crawling on the mat and crashing into a table from the side of the cage remain two of the match's most memorable moments. 

His work as a referee adds to a strong legacy in the ominous structure. He added emotion and shock value aplenty to both Triple H vs. Undertaker at WrestleMania 28 and Randy Orton vs. Daniel Bryan from 2013.

He fails to make it into the top three here, though, because three men have either been in more great Hell in a Cell matches or made an even bigger impact on its history.

His two times inside the steel alongside Triple H were both good matches but not as powerful as the best dramas we have witnessed The Cell. 

3. Mick Foley

• Total Appearances: 4
• Hell in a Cell Matches Rated Four Stars or Higher: 2

Mankind vs. Undertaker at the 1998 King of the Ring isn't the best Hell in a Cell clash in terms of in-ring artistry, work rate or any standard measure of a wrestling match. It is, however, the one bout that has resonated most with fans.

Over 15 years after Mick Foley took his violent flights through wood and steel, this remains one of the most discussed and fondly remembered WWE matches ever.

That alone earns Foley consideration for this list, but he did far more than that inside the structure. He fought in four of the first six Hell in a Cell matches, including a stellar showing against Triple H at No Way Out 2000.

Foley's fearlessness shaped what fans expected from this gimmick bout; he was its insane pioneer.

Only the men who opposed him in his two best outings in that cage pass him on this list. 

2. Triple H

• Total Appearances: 9
• Hell in a Cell Matches Rated Four Stars or Higher: 4

Name your 10 favorite Hell in a Cell matches, and chances are Triple H was in the majority of them.

From 2000 to 2005, The Game was in six Hell in a Cell matches. In that span, he thrived against Cactus Jack, grabbed the audience's attention opposite Batista and fought one of the underrated Hell in a Cell bouts ever with against Chris Jericho at Judgment Day 2002.

Consider also that he's been in more of those matches than anyone not named Undertaker and that he and The Deadman composed the greatest Hell in a Cell match of the PG era, and one wants to call him "Mr. Hell in a Cell."

The only trouble is that The Undertaker's claim to that title is indisputable.

1. The Undertaker

• Total Appearances: 12
• Hell in a Cell Matches Rated Four Stars or Higher: 7

No one has entered the Hell in a Cell more often than The Undertaker. No one has crafted more masterworks inside it than him.

Take Undertaker out of Hell in a Cell's history, and it crumbles.

He battled in the first (and some say greatest) match of its kind. He clashed with Mankind in the most memorable version of the bout. He then took on Triple H at WrestleMania 28 in the best collision inside that structure since WWE moved away from blood.

His contests against Brock Lesnar, Edge, Randy Orton and Batista are all worth revisiting as well. 

With Undertaker likely done toiling inside The Devil's Playground, he leaves as its king. His contributions span over a decade, and his wins and losses comprise much of the match's history.

The journey to catch up to him is going to take years upon years and a stockpile of greatness.