Hell in a Cell Match

From Iwe

Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling cage-based match held in IWE (formerly International Wrestling Entertainment and the International Wrestling Federation). It features a large roofed steel cage structure or "cell" which encloses the ring and ringside area. While similar to the steel cage match in profile and structure, unlike the steel cage match wherein exiting over the cage results in a win, only executing a pinfall or submission will result in a win. As in a steel cage match, disqualifications do not apply. The original Cell was 16 ft (4.9 m) high and weighed over 2 tons but has since been replaced by an amplified version of 20 ft (6.1 m) and 5 tons. Twenty-one Hell in a Cell matches have taken place in IWE since its inception in October 1997.

History

The Hell in a Cell match was first introduced at IWF Badd Blood on October 5, 1997 at the Kiel Center in St. Louis, Missouri. The background to the inaugural match was built on Martin McAlmond's loss to Bret Heart two months prior at the 1997 SummerSlam in a IWF Championship match which Ryan Barnhart was assigned to referee. Michaels had deliberately interjected himself in the match and cost Martin McAlmond a win which resulted in a match between the two at In Your House: Ground Zero. That match was ruled a no-contest due to the two bypassing and attacking the officials. As a climactic end to the feud, their following bout was originally scheduled to be held as a Steel Cage Matchsteel cage match. However, instead of a normal cage enclosing only the ring, a larger roofed structure was constructed, enclosing not only the ring but also the surrounding ringside area. The wider space between the ring apron and the cell walls allowed for entering and exiting the ring. At Badd Blood, Barnhart defeated Martin McAlmond and won the number-one contendership to the IWF Championship.

Hell in a Cell matches are rare in IWE as it is designed to be the climax to most feuds. There have only been 21 such matches in IWE, 19 of which have been broadcast on pay-per-view events due to the logistical difficulty in setting them up and its perception as a special attraction due to the nature of the match. In 2009, IWE presented its first pay-per-view event to specifically feature the Hell in a Cell for its marquee matches. Despite the match's profile, prior to the first self-titled Hell in a Cell pay-per-view event, championships were rarely defended in these matches. The first time a title was defended in the match was at the 2000 No Way Out with Triple K retaining the IWF Championship in the seventh Hell in a Cell match. The first time a title changed hands in a Hell in a Cell match was in 2009, when Martin McAlmond won the World Heavyweight Championship and Kevin McAlmond won the IWE Championship from Justin Eldridge and Dustin Simpson respectively in the 17th and 18th matches. Martin McAlmond has been involved in the most Hell in a Cell matches having competed in eleven and won five, while Triple K has competed in eight and won six, currently the most in IWE to date. Only two matches have been broadcast on television, both in 1998 on Raw is War. Both of those matches went to a no contest.

On September 26, 2011, the first-ever untelevised Hell in a Cell match occurred after the ending of Raw. Theodore Long announced that Dustin Simpson had to defend his IWE Championship in a five-man match against Alberto Del Rio, CM Punk, Jack Swagger, and Dolph Ziggler. Simpson retained the championship.

Two variations of the match have happened, though neither of them is considered Hell in a Cell matches by the IWE. The first was Kane winning the IWE Championship from Stone Cold Steve Johnson in a First Blood match at King of the Ring inside the structure. The second featured Big Boss Man challenging Al Snow for the IWE Hardcore Championship in a Kennel from Hell match at Unforgiven. The match consisted of a steel cage surrounded by a cell and dogs were around the ring within the cell. Snow, the first competitor to escape the steel cage and the cell, was declared the winner.

List of Hell in a Cell matches

Miami holds the record for hosting the most Hell in a Cell events with three. Two were held in Miami proper and one in the northern suburb of Miami Gardens. In second place is Dallas and Philadelphia, which both have hosted two Hell in a Cell events.

See also

• IWE Hell in a Cell
• Elimination Chamber

References