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WWE Hell in a Cell

This article is about the event series. For the match type, see Hell in a Cell.

WWE Hell in a Cell was a professional wrestling event produced annually by WWE, a Connecticut-based professional wrestling promotion. It was broadcast live and available only through pay-per-view (PPV) and the livestreaming services Peacock and the WWE Network. First held in 2009, the concept of the show came from WWE's established Hell in a Cell match, in which competitors fought inside a 20-foot-high roofed cell structure surrounding the ring and ringside area. Each main event match of the card was contested under the Hell in a Cell stipulation, while one or two other Hell in a Cell matches typically also occurred on the undercard.

Hell in a Cell replaced No Mercy in the October slot of WWE's pay-per-view calendar. In 2018, it was moved up to the September slot, but returned to October the following year before moving up to June in 2021. Hell in a Cell was introduced during WWE's first brand extension period, and the inaugural event featured the Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brands. ECW was disbanded in 2010 and the first brand split ended in 2011. The brand split returned in 2016, and that year's event was held exclusively for Raw, while the 2017 event was SmackDown-exclusive. Brand-exclusive PPVs were then discontinued following WrestleMania 34 in 2018. During the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2021), Hell in a Cell was the only PPV event to be held twice in WWE's bio-secure bubble called the ThunderDome; the 2021 event was also the final PPV to be held in the ThunderDome before WWE resumed live touring in July that year. Hell in a Cell was then discontinued after the 2022 event and its slot was replaced by the resurrected Night of Champions event.

History

In early 2009, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) ran a poll on their website allowing fans to pick the name for that year's October pay-per-view (PPV), which would feature the promotion's established Hell in a Cell match. Hell in a Cell was chosen over No Escape, Locked Up, and Rage in a Cage.[1][2] The inaugural Hell in a Cell PPV then took place on October 4, 2009,[3] replacing WWE's previously annual October PPV, No Mercy.[1] While originally only available on PPV, it also became available on WWE's online streaming service, the WWE Network, beginning with the 2014 event,[4][5] and then also Peacock in 2021 after the American version of the WWE Network merged under Peacock in March that year.[6]

The event was introduced during WWE's first brand extension period, where the promotion divided its roster into brands where wrestlers were exclusively assigned to perform. The inaugural event in turn featured wrestlers from the Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brands,[3] but it would be the only to feature ECW as the brand was disbanded in February 2010.[7] In April 2011, the promotion ceased using its full name, with "WWE" becoming an orphaned initialism.[8] That August, the first brand extension ended.[9] The 2011 event was the first held following the end of the brand split and was notable for featuring the first triple threat match contested inside Hell in a Cell.[10]

After five years, the brand extension was reinstated in 2016,[11] with that year's event held as a Raw-exclusive PPV. This event was notable for having the first women's Hell in a Cell match, which was also the first women's match to main event a WWE PPV.[12] The 2017 edition was then held as a SmackDown-exclusive show. It was notable for having the first Hell in a Cell match with an added stipulation of falls count anywhere, as well as the first in which a tag team championship was defended in a Hell in a Cell match.[13] Following WrestleMania 34 in April 2018, brand-exclusive PPVs were discontinued.[14] The 2018 event was then moved up to September,[15] but the event moved back to October in 2019.[16]

The 2020 event was notable for having the first "I Quit" match contested inside of the Hell in a Cell structure. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was held in WWE's bio-secure bubble called the WWE ThunderDome, which was hosted at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.[17] In 2021, the event was moved up to June and was WWE's final PPV to be produced from the WWE ThunderDome—which had been relocated to the Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida—due to the company's resumption of live touring in mid-July. As a result, Hell in a Cell was the only PPV to be held twice in the ThunderDome.[18] The 2022 event was also held in June and at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois.[19]

The 2022 event would be the final Hell in a Cell event produced, as in 2023, WWE officially discontinued the event. Its slot was initially replaced by what was to be a revival of King of the Ring, rebranded as "King and Queen of the Ring", but that was changed to Night of Champions, in turn reviving Night of Champions.[20][21] This came after reports that WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H wanted to discontinue some of the gimmick events like Hell in a Cell so that the match itself could return to being the culmination of big feuds instead of something that has to be done each year because of the event.[22]

Concept

Main article: Hell in a Cell

The concept of the show came from WWE's established Hell in a Cell match, in which competitors fought inside a 20-foot-high roofed cell structure surrounding the ring and ringside area.[23] Each main event match of the card was contested under the Hell in a Cell stipulation, while one or two other Hell in a Cell matches typically also occurred on the undercard.[1][2] Variants of the Hell in a Cell stipulation were featured, some of which were "firsts," for example, the 2011 event had the first triple threat match contested inside the Hell in a Cell structure.[10] The 2018 event also saw a redesign of the Hell in a Cell structure, which was entirely painted crimson-red and became smaller, with the wires being less pliable, making the structure stronger, yet lighter.[24]

Events

Raw-branded event SmackDown-branded event
# Event Date City Venue Main Event Ref.
1 Hell in a Cell (2009) October 4, 2009 Newark, New Jersey Prudential Center D-Generation X (Shawn Michaels and Triple H) vs. The Legacy (Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase) in a Tornado tag team Hell in a Cell match [3]
2 Hell in a Cell (2010) October 3, 2010 Dallas, Texas American Airlines Center Kane (c) vs. The Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell match for the World Heavyweight Championship [25][26]
3 Hell in a Cell (2011) October 2, 2011 New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans Arena John Cena (c) vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. CM Punk in a Triple threat Hell in a Cell match for the WWE Championship [10]
4 Hell in a Cell (2012) October 28, 2012 Atlanta, Georgia Philips Arena CM Punk (c) vs. Ryback in a Hell in a Cell match for the WWE Championship [27]
5 Hell in a Cell (2013) October 27, 2013 Miami, Florida American Airlines Arena Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton in a Hell in a Cell match for the vacant WWE Championship with Shawn Michaels as the special guest referee [28]
6 Hell in a Cell (2014) October 26, 2014 Dallas, Texas American Airlines Center Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins in a Hell in a Cell match [4]
7 Hell in a Cell (2015) October 25, 2015 Los Angeles, California Staples Center Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell match [29]
8 Hell in a Cell (2016) October 30, 2016 Boston, Massachusetts TD Garden Sasha Banks (c) vs. Charlotte Flair in a Hell in a Cell match for the WWE Raw Women's Championship [12]
9 Hell in a Cell (2017) October 8, 2017 Detroit, Michigan Little Caesars Arena Kevin Owens vs. Shane McMahon in a Falls Count Anywhere Hell in a Cell match [13][30]
10 Hell in a Cell (2018) September 16, 2018 San Antonio, Texas AT&T Center Roman Reigns (c) vs. Braun Strowman in a Hell in a Cell match for the WWE Universal Championship with Mick Foley as the special guest referee.
This was also Braun Strowman's Money in the Bank cash-in match, which was announced prior to the event. 		[15][31]
11 Hell in a Cell (2019) October 6, 2019 Sacramento, California Golden 1 Center Seth Rollins (c) vs. "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt in a Hell in a Cell match for the WWE Universal Championship [16]
12 Hell in a Cell (2020) October 25, 2020 Orlando, Florida WWE ThunderDome at Amway Center Drew McIntyre (c) vs. Randy Orton in a Hell in a Cell match for the WWE Championship [17]
13 Hell in a Cell (2021) June 20, 2021 Tampa, Florida WWE ThunderDome at Yuengling Center Bobby Lashley (c) vs. Drew McIntyre in a Last Chance Hell in a Cell match for the WWE Championship [18]
14 Hell in a Cell (2022) June 5, 2022 Rosemont, Illinois Allstate Arena Cody Rhodes vs. Seth "Freakin" Rollins in a Hell in a Cell match [19]
(c) – refers to the champion(s) heading into the match

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Caldwell, James (June 27, 2009). "WWE News: WWE changes the names of two more PPVs; Report on WWE fan input leading to changes". Pro Wrestling Torch. Archived from the original on June 30, 2009. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
  2. ^ a b Martin, Adam (June 19, 2009). "WWE seeking feedback on PPVs". WrestleView. Archived from the original on June 23, 2009. Retrieved August 3, 2009.
  3. ^ a b c "WWE Hell in a Cell". Prudential Center. Archived from the original on July 6, 2012. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
  4. ^ a b "WWE PPV Locations For Remainder Of 2014". gerweck.net. April 13, 2014. Archived from the original on April 15, 2014. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
  5. ^ Flint, Joe (January 8, 2014). "WWE launching over-the-top network". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 14, 2014. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
  6. ^ Defelice, Robert (March 8, 2021). "Standalone WWE Network App Shutting Down In The US On 4/4, New Details On The Transition To Peacock". Fightful. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  7. ^ Parks, Greg (February 3, 2010). "Parks' ECW TV report 2/2: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of the show, including Vince McMahon's announcement on the future of ECW". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  8. ^ Sacco, Justine; Weitz, Michael (April 7, 2011). "The New WWE" (Press release). Connecticut: WWE. Archived from the original on May 3, 2018. Retrieved November 25, 2021.
  9. ^ Nemer, Paul (August 30, 2011). "Raw Results – 8/29/11". WrestleView. Archived from the original on August 31, 2011. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
  10. ^ a b c "WWE presents Hell in a Cell". Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved September 20, 2011.
  11. ^ Steinberg, Brian (May 25, 2016). "WWE's 'Smackdown' Will Move To Live Broadcast On USA (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on May 26, 2016. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  12. ^ a b WWE.com Staff (August 22, 2016). "Get WWE Hell in a Cell 2016 tickets". WWE. Archived from the original on August 27, 2016. Retrieved September 24, 2016.
  13. ^ a b "WWE Hell In A Cell". 313 Presents. July 29, 2017. Archived from the original on July 30, 2017. Retrieved July 30, 2017.
  14. ^ Sapp, Sean Ross (February 17, 2018). "WWE Eliminates Single-Branded PPV Shows, Shuffles PPV Schedule". Fightful. Archived from the original on May 18, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  15. ^ a b Scherer, Dave (November 22, 2017). "WWE Adds a Fifth Co-Branded PPV, Full 2018 WWE PPV Schedule with Dates and Cites for the Events". PWInsider. Archived from the original on November 26, 2017. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
  16. ^ a b Johnson, Mike (July 19, 2019). "WWE Hell in a Cell Location & Top Matches Currently Advertised". PWInsider. Archived from the original on July 19, 2019. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
  17. ^ a b Johnson, Mike (September 1, 2020). "Lesnar story goes mainstream, WWE PPV scheduled update". PWInsider. Archived from the original on September 3, 2020. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  18. ^ a b Guzzo, Gisberto (May 16, 2021). "WWE Announces Date For Hell In A Cell 2021, MITB Reportedly Scheduled With Fans". Fightful. Archived from the original on May 17, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  19. ^ a b Lambert, Jeremy (March 4, 2022). "WWE Announces Date And Location For WWE Hell In A Cell". Fightful. Archived from the original on March 4, 2022. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  20. ^ Russell, Skylar (March 6, 2023). "WWE Returning To Saudi Arabia In May 2023 For King & Queen Of The Ring Event". Fightful. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  21. ^ Johnson, Mike (April 13, 2023). "WWE PPV name change". PWInsider. Archived from the original on April 15, 2023. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  22. ^ PWMania.com Staff (October 26, 2022). "WWE Hell in a Cell Event is Believed to Be "Completely Dead"". PWMania. Archived from the original on October 26, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  23. ^ "Specialty Matches: Hell in a Cell". World Wrestling Entertainment. Archived from the original on March 7, 2011. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
  24. ^ WWE.com Staff (September 15, 2018). "Hell in a Cell structure gets a fiery red makeover". WWE. Archived from the original on September 16, 2018. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
  25. ^ "Hell in a Cell 2010". World Wrestling Entertainment. Archived from the original on June 6, 2010. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
  26. ^ "Results: Sins of the father". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved October 1, 2010.
  27. ^ "WWE presents Hell in a Cell". WWE. Archived from the original on April 9, 2012.
  28. ^ Cutting, Devin (January 11, 2013). "COMPLETE DETAILS AND LOCATIONS ON ALL 2013 WWE PPV EVENTS". PWInsider. Archived from the original on July 31, 2013. Retrieved January 11, 2013.
  29. ^ Johnson, Mike (January 7, 2015). "Complete 2015 WWE PPV schedule". PWInsider. Archived from the original on January 9, 2015. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
  30. ^ WWE.com Staff (August 5, 2017). "Get WWE Hell in a Cell 2017 tickets now". WWE. Archived from the original on August 8, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
  31. ^ Frost Bank Center [@FrostBankCenter] (June 25, 2018). "Just announced: @WWE Hell In A Cell is coming to the AT&T Center September 16! Tickets go on sale this Friday at 10am" (Tweet). Archived from the original on December 2, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2018 – via Twitter.