Is there any point?...

[Johnny Scumm]

In Hell in a Cell matches anymore?

When you look at it, it's a huge structure. BUT, a few things now stop it from being interesting.
1) No blood, now, in a structure as "demonic" as this one, you would expect there to be blood, due to the steel. People being busted open in any match where you're encaged is usually expectant.

2) Nobody visits the top anymore. Obviously, wrestlers are taking more care over themselves, not wanting to cause major injuries etc. But the top of the cell is the best part! You can see people fall 20 feet from the top, through announcers tables (ala Mankind) or you can see people being put straight through the top of the cell, down into the ring (Ala Mankind).

These are the 2 points which really bug me about HiaC, but there are some good points.

1) The match is usually very exciting and always hold the big stars.
2) We saw Edge spear Taker through the cell, which was a great moment, seemed as though it was a replacement for the cell top.

So what do you think? Would you like Hell in a Cell matches in this Era of WWE? Or would you not?

 

[klunderbunker]

Sure there's a point to them, just not in their current schedule. By having a set time on the calendar for them it kind of hurts them for the whole BIG BLOWOFF MATCH thing to a feud. Blood can help a feud and would in these matches but they can work without it. Not the best system but there's certainly a point to them. They draw big money in theory but the main hitch is having them at a set point. If they change that it would be gravy.

 

[Undertaker the 5th]

I think the last good HIAC was Edge vs Undertaker. It would have been a lot better if it had blood. I am not one of those guys that just want blood in every match, but that match would have been badass with it.

In the era we are at the matches aren't really fun anymore. It's nothing more than a normal match with 4 walls. I actually had hopes that Kane and Undertaker were going to tear the house down with blood and big spots at the year's, but they disappointed me. They should go back to just one a year or two instead of the whole pay per view dedicated to them.

 

[StraightEdge for Life]

The problem today with the Hell in a Cell matches today are you know exactly when there gonna happen.

The first cell match I saw was Triple H vs. Kevin Nash at Bad Blood 2003 and I loved the match because of the violence, the sheer brutality and the fact that Mick Foley was the ref.

But what made them so good was the shock value that you got when one was announced.

Now the Edge/Undertaker cell match may not have a any major blood spots (Undertaker's arm was cut, most likely from the spear through the wall), the match itself was pretty good especially the ending.

But now they have a PPV for the match, so now there is no shock to to the announcements.

Like in 2009 for the first PPV, we got DX vs. Legacy, Cena vs. Orton, and Punk vs. Undertaker. In most cases, the loser of the cell match usually goes away for some time (HBK in 04, Triple H in 05, the McMahon's in 06, Edge in 08) and not out the next night like nothing happened (like Sheamus this year facing Daniel Bryan the next night with no visible damage). Hell in a Cell matches shouldn't be used just to fill a PPV, but used to finish off a very bitter feud.

At this point, they need to drop they PPV and just go back to having the match be a surprise to build excitment to the match. Because just look at this year, they just had 2 weeks to build up the Orton/Sheamus and Kane/Undertaker cell matches.

 

[DiscipleofWrestling]

In Hell in a Cell matches anymore?

When you look at it, it's a huge structure. BUT, a few things now stop it from being interesting.
1) No blood, now, in a structure as "demonic" as this one, you would expect there to be blood, due to the steel. People being busted open in any match where you're encaged is usually expectant.

2) Nobody visits the top anymore. Obviously, wrestlers are taking more care over themselves, not wanting to cause major injuries etc. But the top of the cell is the best part! You can see people fall 20 feet from the top, through announcers tables (ala Mankind) or you can see people being put straight through the top of the cell, down into the ring (Ala Mankind).

These are the 2 points which really bug me about HiaC, but there are some good points.

1) The match is usually very exciting and always hold the big stars.
2) We saw Edge spear Taker through the cell, which was a great moment, seemed as though it was a replacement for the cell top.

So what do you think? Would you like Hell in a Cell matches in this Era of WWE? Or would you not?

This is what bothers me about Hell in a Cell. Last year, when Orton and Cena went to the top of the cell, people were depressed, crying, pissing, and complaining that Orton didn't go through the cell. I wonder at what point do wrestling fans separate their bloodthirsty wants to physical reality. I don't want people going through the cell doing the stuff that Mick Foley did. Foley damn near killed himself during that match with Undertaker, and while it is a visual wonder, it also started a very dangerous trend by wrestling fans that if you don't kill your opponent by sending him off the cell or through it, the match sucks. The one thing I do appreciate about Hell in a Cell matches nowadays is the fact that people aren't taking dives trying to one up the Foley-Taker match. The last thing I want is an Owen Hart situation where someone gets killed. If that means I'm deprived for the rest of my live from seeing someone break their body for my entertainment in a Hell in a Cell match, so be it. As you said, Edge and Taker did a nice substitute spot in 08 with the wall crash. That was a nice spot that while dangerous in its own way, didn't have the reckless abandon and greater chance of serious injury or worse that a fall off the cage would have.

I think the Hell in a Cell PPV is a terrible waste of the structure. It wastes the cell's importance in storylines to where now any match can be a Hell in a Cell match if it's for a title. Hell in a Cell should be a match that is only seen once in a year (or even two) when a feud has developed with enough heat that when the stipulation is added for the cell, the fans will know they will get their money's worth. For example, Orton and Sheamus was not a feud worthy of Hell in a Cell when it was done in October. Perhaps if the feud went longer and had more notoriety with the fans, it might have worked better.

As far as blood is concerned, I think the Cell should be the one match where blood is allowed to flow. They can advertise the seriousness of the match on TV and air disclaimers about how it may not be appropriate for all members of the family. Then again, if a match is brutal enough, a person can cringe at the action without having to see horror movie type bloodletting.

Again, this should only be a once in a great while match for only the most serious and over feud. For example, the way the Cena-Nexus angle is developing, it would be nice to see Cena and Barrett go at it in Hell in a Cell (at WrestleMania) especially given that Nexus has a tendency to interfere in Cena's matches and help out their leader (Barrett) in his matches. That would make sense from a booking and storyline sense because of how long and how important this feud has been to WWE's year.

 

[sharmaq]

There is a point to Hell in A Cell matches, but not in their current incarnation. I'm not bothered by the fact that you don't get the participants going to the top anymore or the sick bumps through the cell. HHH and Batista didn't leave the cell at all during their HIAC match, and for me that was one of the best HIAC matches so far. Yes there was a lot of bloodshed during that match which you wouldn't get now, and I do feel that there should still be room for that during special matches like HIAC, but that's another issue. The problem lies in my last sentence - HIAC matches just don't feel "special" anymore. In years gone by, when HIAC matches were only used very occasionally as feud enders, the crowd pop would be huge when they were announced. The reaction now is lukewarm in comparison, and as others have alluded to on here, the problem is the HIAC ppv. Knowing exactly HIAC matches are going to occur takes all the excitement out of the announcement of them. And having them at a set point means that quite often they are just another match in a feud, and not the feud ender - which as the WWE's marquee gimmick match, they should be. Prime example, when Cena and Orton were feuding last year, it was sandwiched between an "I quit" match and an Iron man match, which all took place in the space of about a month - which completely took away from the gravitas of the HIAC match (and the other two). The WWE could make HIAC matches seem as important as they did again, they just need to take the simple step of dropping the PPV, and using them purely as a stage to end hotly contested feuds that have built up over months.

 

[Spidey Revivey]

Of course there's a point; as long as it makes money, there is a point.

I love the surprise of a Hell In A Cell as much as the next guy back in the day, but I can understand them toning it down a bit in this time. Blood and excessive violence aren't what WWE is about in the PG Era. Hell In A Cell was once the staple for such kinds of things. But not anymore. I don't feel the need for them to go to the top any more than I feel it's necessary for one to slam the other through the cage.


Doesn't mean I miss it. I love me some Hell. But in all honesty as long as ratings are high for the pay per view and it makes them $$$$$, then there is a point.

 

[flipmood]

hell in a cell should only be for wrestlers with a darker character (mankind, taker), but in todays wrestling world its very difficult to build up a dark character so i see this type of match being forgotten in the future.

 

[Wrestling Free Thinker]

In Hell in a Cell matches anymore?

2) Nobody visits the top anymore. Obviously, wrestlers are taking more care over themselves, not wanting to cause major injuries etc. But the top of the cell is the best part! You can see people fall 20 feet from the top, through announcers tables (ala Mankind) or you can see people being put straight through the top of the cell, down into the ring (Ala Mankind).

Considering how they made the Cell a LOT bigger and higher, HELL NO I don't want them falling off of that or going through that. I'm sure you've heard Foley talk about the injuries he got from that match with Taker? I don't want wrestlers almost dying from jumping off a damn cell.

Saying "it was the best part" sounds to me like you could care less if someone breaks their neck.

Wrestling fans need to be less blood thirsty or the sake of their wrestlers.

 

[Dave]

I would say that there is still use for Hell in a Cell matches these days.

Really, you have it right though. A lot of the of the impact that a Hell in a Cell match used to have has basically now disappeared until the current regime of the WWE. It is no longer used as a blow-off match for some of the most brutal feuds. Nor is it used for brutality for the sake of brutality. However, the WWE have put it to use since the PG Era has come into play and it hasn't lost all of it's impact.

For example, the Hell in a Cell PPV has shown us that it still has a place in the WWE, if it is given the right competitors and right angles placed within it. It used to be that only the best feuds would end up being played out within the Hell in a Cell and the mere mention of that match type was enough to get me excited for any PPV. However, that magic still exists to a lesser extent now.

I definitely see your point but the same could be said of any of the match types in the WWE. In fact, some would question how the WWE as a company could survive within PG restrictions but they have managed it. Without the matches that people want to see, like Hell in a Cell, the WWE could literally cease to exist.

 

[themusicman]

I think you have a point, its not that Hell In a Cell has become to predictable (through having a specific PPV for it) because this could easily be resolved by putting the PPV at the end of the year and using it to blow off whatever feuds you wanted to finish. I think the problem is that the wrestlers, whoever they are, are now restricted by the PG era. I do not intended this to be an anti-pg rant, but this match is designed to be brutal, have blood and all those insane spots discussed earlier, with the PG era their hands are tied, they cant do the things the match was designed to do. As a result the matches seem watered down or done at 50%. I have the same concern regarding next months TLC ppv. I know its to a lesser extent but again with no chair shots to the head, blood or the capacity to do the really big spots I think TLC is going to go the same way.
Im not anti PG or pro it just seems to me that matches like HIAC and TLC will slowly lose their value as the wrestlers wont be able to do the things in the matches that they used to do. Maybe matches like this should be retired so that we can remember them how they were, not what they have become.

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

I certainly think that a HIAC match can work in a PG setting as well. Blood certainly works in this type of setting but its not neccesary. Same with the point that the OP made about going to the top of the cage. It is a good, albeit risky spot but its not like HIAC matches do not work without that spot.

I think what is more of a problem to the legacy of HIAC is the PPV of the same name. It defeats the purpose of the HIAC match in the sense that the HIAC match is a feud ending match. But the WWE seems intent on using the HIAC as a marketing strategy. Its feeding off the legacy of the HIAC match rather than attempting to further the legacy. Most of the matches that have been on the HIAC PPV for the last two years did not warrant a HIAC match.

So the best way to make the HIAC more acceptable is to get rid of the PPV that does shitty numbers anyway and to use it like it is originally meant to be used as a feud ending match.

I would love to see Wade Barrett vs John Cena inside a Cell as the final match of their feud but I doubt whether WWE would do that.

 

[Dzone]

You may have missed THE most annoying thing about current HiaC matches... theres a whole fuckin' PPV about them. HiaC matches are meant to be surprising, scary little buggers but if you make an entire PPV about them it ruins the rare HiaC match surprise aspect for us IWC members, seeing as most of us have atleast seen the attitude era or prior to it.

Stupid McMahon concentrates nowadays on the "money" over the "effect" grr...

 

[Karaoke Superstar]

In Hell in a Cell matches anymore?

When you look at it, it's a huge structure. BUT, a few things now stop it from being interesting.
1) No blood, now, in a structure as "demonic" as this one, you would expect there to be blood, due to the steel. People being busted open in any match where you're encaged is usually expectant.

2) Nobody visits the top anymore. Obviously, wrestlers are taking more care over themselves, not wanting to cause major injuries etc. But the top of the cell is the best part! You can see people fall 20 feet from the top, through announcers tables (ala Mankind) or you can see people being put straight through the top of the cell, down into the ring (Ala Mankind).

These are the 2 points which really bug me about HiaC, but there are some good points.

1) The match is usually very exciting and always hold the big stars.
2) We saw Edge spear Taker through the cell, which was a great moment, seemed as though it was a replacement for the cell top.

So what do you think? Would you like Hell in a Cell matches in this Era of WWE? Or would you not?

I like a HiaC match every now and then, although I hate that they have a gimmick PPV dedicated to them which doesn't make a whole lot of sense. The point of them are to settle a feud that has escalated to a point that a regular match isn't brutal enough. They should develop naturally instead of all of a sudden a ppv occurs and it's like "okay I guess we can wrestle inside a cell".

Blood does occur every now and then in today's HiaC matches although it is unintentional. And it certainly adds more effect and realism to the match. If someone is getting their brains scattered by steel you would expect them to bleed, especially since a fist can do the same.

Still, they can still be entertaining to watch every now and then, but I agree not like they used to be.

 

[H33LTurn]

I dont see the point of having HIAC matches on a PG program. The cage matches are overbooked and due to the lack of blood and utilizing the cell to its full adgantage usually turn out to be a dissapointment. I think we can still use the Steel Cage, because the point of the match is to escape the cage and keep others from interfering. I would like to see the barbed wire steel cage we saw in 2005 with JBL and Big Show make a return. It gives the feeling of danger without the actual danger. But I think its time to put the HIAC to rest, or make an exception for the night of the PPV and make the PPV rated R.

 

[fredstephenson]

for me there is no point as the whole point of the match is brutallity and obviously there isnt any these days so i know there wont be any big bumps or blood so i dont expect much from them anymore and it ruins the whole point of the match for me they might aswell just have a normal match or a standard cage match

 

[mrbrownstone]

Yes there is still a point to them, being to blow off a big time feud. However in their current role they most likely won't accomplish that because they are being used because it is October and they need to have a HIAC match not because it is a big time feud that needs to be blown off inside a cell. I dont really have a problem with there being no blood but the cell and some weapons shold come into play, it should be a violent match even without blood.

Also they are a match that people want to see which should in turn draw money so there is most certainly a point to them from a financial point of view.

 

[LigerBomb]

1) No blood, now, in a structure as "demonic" as this one, you would expect there to be blood, due to the steel. People being busted open in any match where you're encaged is usually expectant.

Blood isn't necessary in a match, not even one in a cell. Like any other gimmick there is a time and a place for it, and of course a cell would potentially be more appropriate but it's not necessary.

2) Nobody visits the top anymore. Obviously, wrestlers are taking more care over themselves, not wanting to cause major injuries etc. But the top of the cell is the best part! You can see people fall 20 feet from the top, through announcers tables (ala Mankind) or you can see people being put straight through the top of the cell, down into the ring (Ala Mankind).

A cell is meant to keep the action inside the structure, not pour it out amongst the crowd. While Foley's legendary actions were great—and thankfully specific—for their time, it was perhaps a bad precedent to set if yours is the thought process it spawns.
It's up to the superstars themselves and the bookers/writers to make the matches mean something and give them "a point"; this is especially true of heavy gimmick matches like HiaC.

 

[The Crock]

Of course there is a point to Hell in a Cell matches. They are the end-all to huge feuds, they're more of a "treat" than regular matches because we see them so rarely. For a HIAC match to be entertaining it doesn't require all those things you talked about. Blood is sometimes a nice touch, but it's generally pointless. As for your second point, there is no way in hell we should be seeing wrestlers go off the top of the cell, or even through it. It's just plain too dangerous. A HIAC match isn't supposed to be all that kind of stuff, sure it is supposed to be "extreme" but it is also very interesting to see how wrestlers innovate with the structure. The HIAC match is about innovation, not gore.... Keep that in mind.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Sure there's a point to them, just not in their current schedule. By having a set time on the calendar for them it kind of hurts them for the whole BIG BLOWOFF MATCH thing to a feud. Blood can help a feud and would in these matches but they can work without it. Not the best system but there's certainly a point to them. They draw big money in theory but the main hitch is having them at a set point. If they change that it would be gravy.

Well said, I still think a HIAC match will work in the current era, maybe not as well without the blood etc but the match can still be incredibly exciting without it.

However, as KB said, having a specific HIAC PPV is stupid as everyone knows that a HIAC match is coming up which completely ruins the pop/excitment/crow reaction when someone challenges another wrestler to a Hell In A Cell match, as the blow off match in their feud. The crowd reaction when Cactus Jack challenged Triple H back in 2000 will not happen again if the crowd knows that the title match at the next PPV will be in a HIAC.

Also, having a PPV dedicated to the same match type is overkill. Why would anyone want to watch 3 of the same gimmick match on one card? It completely eliminates the "special" factor of the match.

So will they work...YES

Do they work in the current HIAC PPV idea....NO

Will they work if they change the PPV and have them as one off, rare blow-off matches?....YES

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Generally speaking, HIAC matches will always have a point as long as there are plenty of fans that want to see them. When it comes to these matches, the biggest complaints I continuously read about involve the lack of blood and, surprisingly often, nobody heading to the top of the cage. The fact of the matter is that the WWE has shown on several occassions that you don't need either to make a good HIAC match. I do think blood can potentially add more to this kind of match but it's not absolutely necessary.

I agree that Edge vs. Undertaker back in 2008 is probably the last truly fantastic HIAC match. It was a very physical match that ranged all over the place and Taker didn't just go in there and dominate Edge from bell to bell. Not a drop of blood was shed nor did they got to the top of the cage. As for going to the top of the cage, there's definitely no point to that. If they do and nobody gets tossed off the top, then the IWC will doubtlessly bitch and moan about it even more than they already do. With the WWE, and some other high profile companies for that matter, taking more precautions when it comes to the safety of wrestlers, don't expect to see anyone tossed off the top of a Cell anytime soon. The altered design of the Cell renders it taller than before so the possibility of severe injury only increases.

 

[Sean Valjean]

Even though HIAC matches take point at a set time of the year now, they could still be used to blow off feuds. The WWE work with this by having a good feud running for a while before hand and have it planned to end at the HIAC ppv. It's so simple, yet they continue to use that ppv to blow off feuds that are only 3 weeks old.

1) No blood, now, in a structure as "demonic" as this one, you would expect there to be blood, due to the steel. People being busted open in any match where you're encaged is usually expectant.

2) Nobody visits the top anymore. Obviously, wrestlers are taking more care over themselves, not wanting to cause major injuries etc. But the top of the cell is the best part! You can see people fall 20 feet from the top, through announcers tables (ala Mankind) or you can see people being put straight through the top of the cell, down into the ring (Ala Mankind).

1. Blood definitely helps these matches, but the Edge/Taker HIAC proved that you didn't need it to have a great cell match.

2. People really need to get over the this. The top of the cell is exciting, but it's not the most important thing in the match. Besides, it's not like guys were always getting thrown off the cell before. Besides that one time with Rikishi, it's was only Foley doing it.

I think cell matches can still work in the era, just not in the current format. HIAC shouldn't be a scheduled event. The cell needs to go back to being that once in a while match reserved for only the most personal of feuds.

 

[BrokenDownUnder]

Honestly, to me..Theyre just a way to get money.

HIAC matches (used to) have some sort of meaning to them. Because they would have alot of build up, and violence that added to that heart and soul of the match.

Now, we all expect it, and its usually something they throw together, Plus theyre somewhat boring now. But i guess business is business, and money is all that matters to Vince.

So, the purpose is: More money.