Every year, World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. WWE investors and fanatics tune in for the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view event in anticipation of witnessing some memorable moments. This year's event in Detroit on Oct. 8 did not disappoint, with CEO Vince McMahon's own son providing the highlight of the night.
Here's a look at the 10 craziest moments in Hell in a Cell history.
Kane's Debut, Oct. 5, 1997
The inaugural Hell in a Cell match was packed with drama and history. In addition to incredible performances by Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker, Michaels took the first ever fall from the top of the cage onto a ringside table. But when it looked as if Undertaker had Michaels right where he wanted him, Kane shocked the audience by making his first-ever appearance, ripping the cage door off its hinges and hitting the Undertaker with his own finishing move. It was the beginning of one of the best storylines in company history. Watch here.
Mankind's Dive, June 28, 1998
The third ever Hell in a Cell match remains the most memorable, with Mick Foley (as Mankind) taking a dive off the top of the cage and crashing through a ringside table. To this day, announcer Jim Ross' call is one of the most famous sound bites in pop culture history: "Good God almighty! Good God almighty! That killed him! As God as my witness, he is broken in half!" Watch here.
Mankind Crashes Through The Roof, June 28, 1998
While the table dive was scripted, the scariest part of the iconic Undertaker–Mankind match from 1998 is an unscripted tumble Mankind took through the roof of the cage when metal fasteners broke during a choke-slam. Foley fell through the roof and into the ring. He was knocked unconscious for several moments but was eventually able to remain in character and smile for the camera with a broken tooth stuck in his nose and blood pouring from his mouth. Watch here.
Big Boss Man Hung On A Noose, March 28, 1999
This came at the height of WWE's "Attitude Era," an edgier time in company history. After winning a rather dull match, Undertaker — who at this point in his career was playing an even more demonic version of himself — and his disciples secured a rope around the Big Boss Man's neck, which then lifted him nearly 15-feet above the ring. Watch here.
Cactus Jack Crashes Through The Roof, Feb. 27, 2000
The next time Foley (this time as Cactus Jack) crashed through the roof of Hell in a Cell it was a presumably scripted decision. In a match with Triple H at the No Way Out event in 2000, a backdrop again broke the roof of the cage but this time Foley appeared to buckle the surface of the ring when he landed and was no worse for wear. Watch here.
Rikishi's Fall Into A Truck Bed, Dec. 10, 2000
Performers had taken multiple falls from and through the cell before, but it was Rikishi's massive size that made this particular performance so memorable. Rikishi, who was billed at 425 pounds, was choke-slammed by the Undertaker off the top of the cell and into a pile of wood chips in the back of a flatbed truck parked below. Watch here.
Edge Choke-Slammed Off Ladder Through The Ring, Aug. 17, 2008
Undertaker and Edge were in the midst of a great rivalry in 2008, and their match at that year's Summerslam event was the highlight. After Undertaker won the match, he choke-slammed Edge through the ring from off a ladder, and flames burned out from the hole in the mat, "suggesting that Edge was thrown straight into Hell." Watch here.
Undertaker's Kick-Out, April 1, 2012
Billed as the "End of An Era," Undertaker once again entered the Cell, this time facing off against modern-day legend Triple H with industry icon Shawn Michaels acting as special referee for the match. Toward the end of the 30-minute affair, Michaels performed his super-kick on Undertaker, who then fell into Triple H's hands as he executed his patented pedigree. The Undertaker's 19-match win streak appeared to come to end, only to see him kick out just before the three-count. Watch here.
Shane McMahon's Elbow Drop, April 3, 2016
After a six-year hiatus, McMahon made his shocking return to the WWE two months prior to this match at Wrestlemania 32. Known for his death-defying falls during his previous stint with the company, fans were clamoring to see what he would do next. As the fairly tame and plodding match neared its conclusion, McMahon climbed to the top of the cage to deliver a 20-foot elbow drop on Undertaker. He missed after Undertaker got out of the way, and crashed through the ringside table. Watch here.
Shane McMahon's Elbow Drop, Pt. 2, Oct. 8, 2017
Not to be outdone, McMahon returned to the top of the cage in his grudge match with Kevin Owens. After some vicious drops on top of the steel cage, McMahon was able to knock Owens off the side of the Cell through a ringside table, an homage to the very first Hell in a Cell match. But McMahon didn't stop there. After placing Owens on another table, McMahon once again scaled the Cell. Like his last fall, McMahon felt the rough end of this drop.
Yo. @shanemcmahon is something else. #HIAC $WWE pic.twitter.com/wBai6PG71M
— Jason Shubnell (@JasonShubnell) October 9, 2017
Image credit: Miguel Discart, Flickr
Jason Shubnell contributed to this report.
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