WWE Hell in a Cell 2011: What Is the Best Hell in a Cell Match in WWE History?

WWE's Hell in a Cell is just under six hours away and tonight's show features what have the potential to be two of the better cell matches in recent history. John Cena, CM Punk and Alberto Del Rio are veteran performers who are capable of crafting a show-stealing contest. Mark Henry and Randy Orton have carried the Smackdown brand for the majority of the summer and have shown solid chemistry with one another.

But do either of these matches have a chance at approaching the greatest Hell in a Cell matches of all time? Early in the match's history, Mick Foley, The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels were responsible for creating some of the most memorable, vivid, and scary moments in the history of the sport. They revolutionized an entire match concept and made it the premiere go-to gimmick when a heated rivalry needed a satisfying conclusion.

Pints of blood have been spilled inside the four walls of what was once nicknamed "the devil's playground." Bones have been broken, muscles ripped apart and careers ended (referee Tim White saw his 20-plus year career ended inside the cell). Eighteen men have stepped inside and all will attest to the punishment the cell dishes out. Of all that have stepped inside and watched the door shut and locked behind them, which Superstars competed in the greatest Hell in a Cell match of all time?

Was it the shock-inducing near-mutilation that occurred inside the Igloo in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania? Maybe it was the original, between a phenom and a showstopper. How about Cactus Jack's retirement match in 2000?

All of these matches have created memories that are indelibly etched in the minds of the fans that bore witness to them. But there is one match that personified the brutality of the cell, a match that did not rely on insane bumps or death-defying stunts to convey the hell the competitors had entered into. The match took place in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 26, 2005 and changed the rules for creating an effective and memorable Hell in a Cell match.

For most of 2005, the spotlight had been on a rivalry between Triple H and former Evolution member Dave Batista. "The Game" had consistently underestimated Batista, manipulating the "Animal" without fear that he was intelligent enough to see what was happening. But the fans knew better. As each week passed, Batista would show flashes indicating he knew exactly what Triple H was doing and, sooner or later, would not only call him out on it but would also attempt to take the World Heavyweight Championship from him.

At Wrestlemania 21, Batista defeated Triple H in what was a solid, if unspectacular match. The next month, at Backlash, it was more of the same. Batista was constantly evolving and improving but the match at the April event still left a lot to be desired. By the time the Hell in a Cell match at the Vengeance pay-per-view rolled around, many doubted the relatively inexperienced (in terms of the big-match atmosphere) Batista had what it took to have a truly great match inside a structure Triple H was more than familiar with.

Those doubters would be proven wrong.

Triple H versus Batista at Vengeance in 2005 is the greatest Hell in a Cell match in WWE history because of its simplicity. While the Undertaker versus Shawn Michaels told a tremendous story of the cowardly heel doing everything possible to survive the much larger, more physical and more dominant opponent, and the epic showdown between "the Dead Man" and Mankind featured the two most unforgettable spots in the history of the Hell in a Cell match, Batista and Triple H had a brutal and barbaric FIGHT inside the cell.

They exchanged hard rights and lefts, pummeled one another with power move after power move, and used steel chairs, barbed wire, ring steps and the cell itself to inflict damage. In the end, Dave Batista finished his more experienced opponent off with a spine buster onto the steel ring steps and a Batista Bomb.

The match told its own story. Triple H was the grizzled veteran, the man who prided himself on being smarter than everyone else on the roster, yet he was coming off of two straight pin-fall losses to Batista. He was desperate to win, to continue his streak of victories inside the cell and he pulled out every trick he knew. Batista, on the other hand, was new to the main event scene and still trying to prove his worth there and, more importantly, as World Heavyweight Champion. A big, strong, Superstar from the streets of Washington, D.C., he knew what it took to win a violent street fight.

There has been no Hell in a Cell match since that has portrayed the sheer brutality and violence expected from that type of contest. Batista versus Triple H was the definition of a physical brawl. It was big move after big move until one man could take no more. It was a practice of physical drama that many have been unable to match.

Tonight's event will feature five men that will try. It remains to be seen whether or not they will succeed. As proven by Batista, Triple H, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Mankind, Edge and countless others, the Hell in a Cell match is special. It is a gimmick match type that has captured a place in the heart of many WWE fans. While no longer allowed to be what they once were, due to the family-friendly direction the company has taken in recent years, the Hell in a Cell match should be celebrated for its generally high-quality output. Hopefully the five men locked inside its imposing frame continue its rich tradition.