WWE Hell in a Cell: Exploring the History of the Randy Orton-Mark Henry Rivalry

With a mere four hours to go before Hell in a Cell 2011, let me take you back through the rivalry of the current World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry and the calculating Viper, Randy Orton.

Mark Henry began to make a name for himself after 15 years earlier this year and began to take charge.

Orton is now on the receiving end of this angry, new and improved World’s Strongest Man.

In the Devil’s Playground, Satan’s Structure or whatever you want to call it, this will surely be an epic encounter and I’m sure the WWE staff are happy that Mark Henry will be enclosed in this 20-foot structure.

August 19th 2011: 20-Man Battle Royale

SmackDown held a 20-man Battle Royale to determine a new No.1 contender for the World Heavyweight Championship.

Mark Henry impressed by demolishing everyone that stood in his way.

A highlight was causing Jimmy and Jey Uso to defy gravity when he threw them into the barricade and the announce table respectively.

Henry won the match and looked set to continue his destructive streak and take the title from Randy Orton.

“That’s fear I smell!”

August 26th 2011: Sheamus Is Inducted into the Hall of Pain

A week later, the WWE continued to build Henry as an unstoppable monster by having him finish a mini-feud  with Sheamus.

He inducted him into the Hall of Pain by slamming Sheamus onto the steel steps and injuring his ribs.

It was brutal.

August 30th 2011: Orton Beaten Down, Henry Stands Tall

Orton defeated Christian in a steel cage and Henry came down to assert his dominance once again.

A World’s Strongest Slam later and he was shown standing tall over Orton, foreshadowing what was to happen at Night of Champions.

Orton did not manage to get any offence in and Henry’s well built persona showed no signs of being de-pushed.

September 9th 2011: Ezekiel Jackson Is Inducted into the Hall of Pain

In what was an unexpected squash match, Mark Henry inducted Ezekiel Jackson into the Hall of Pain. Orton’s mini-feud with Cody Rhodes continued and Mark Henry decided to beat down Randy once again post-match.

Funny how Henry only beats on Orton after he has competed in a gruelling match...

September 16th 2011: The Cutting Edge

In a guest appearance by Edge, the Cutting Edge was brought back for one night only on SmackDown. The Rated-R Superstar interviewed both Orton and Henry.

When the Cutting Edge segment was over, Orton and Henry fought each other, despite the SmackDown locker room trying to break it up.

They surrounded Henry but all flew as if they had just been given a nasty electric shock due to Henry’s power.

Orton became a victim of the World’s Strongest Slam.

Night of Champions 2011: Mark Henry Wins the World Heavyweight Championship

Mark Henry defeated Randy Orton cleanly with the World’s Strongest Slam to attain his first World Heavyweight Championship in a match that was a lot better than I expected it to be.

Henry is now at the top of the mountain.

September 23rd 2011: Lumberjacks and Blood

In a LumberJack match, Henry once again showed unimaginable dominance as he demanded respect from every single Lumberjack that attempted to get the better of him.

He defeated Christian and continued to remove the doubt in people’s minds. Orton went on a rampage after his match with Cody Rhodes and busted him open in a segment that was edited out of TV.

I still consider this segment a part of the WWE canon and I believe Orton is becoming angrier than ever before and despite his loss at Night of Champions, he still remains a threat to Henry.

September 30th 2011: Khali Is Inducted into the Hall of Pain & Orton Slammed

In the final SmackDown before Hell in a Cell, Orton and Henry gave convincing promos to promote interest in their match at Hell in a Cell.

It was the usual “I’m going to end your career” lark and it was good to see. Henry continued inductions into the Hall of Pain as he broke Khali’s leg in a steel chair in the same fashion he dished out to Big Show and Kane.

Orton faced Christian for the 50 millionth time and ended up on the receiving end of the World’s Strongest Slam for the 50 millionth time.

It is a shame because it is this last Strongest Slam that made me think Henry is being built to strongly to win twice in a row.

Who Will Be Victorious in Hell in a Cell?

As you can see, this rivalry has kept contact to a minimum which is essential to building a great feud. This makes it more exciting when they eventually meet inside the squared circle.

Who do you think will win at Hell in a Cell? The end result is not as predictable as some might think as either man could walk away with the title.

It is likely to be as brutal as any other Hell in a Cell match in this era and will definitely be better than the WWE Championship match.

Thanks for reading!