Ranking the top 5 Hell in a Cell matches of the PG Era so far

WWE Hell in a Cell is swiftly approaching, which naturally means that we will all get into excitement mode and speculate what events we will see transpire inside the four walls, come September 16th.

The intrigue and danger of the Cell may have diminished since it got its own pay-per-view, but it remains one of the most anticipated match types in WWE today. While it may not offer the feud-closing finality we have been accustomed to in the Ruthless Aggression days, Hell in a Cell still has it's moments of sheer brutality and cringe-inducing pain.

Its reputation as the most destructive match in WWE stems from the first few years of the Cell's existence. The Undertaker wrestled two very different matches in execution, joined together similarly in a spectacle. The Deadman's classic with Shawn Michaels received 5 stars from Dave Meltzer, while the live destruction of Mick Foley at King Of The Ring 1998 remains one of the most iconic moments in the history of the company.

Hell in a Cell set an extremely high bar which would hardly be matched. The following years brought us some equally extreme matches inside Satan's structure, with the likes of ‘Taker vs Brock Lesnar and Batista vs Triple H dazzling in the Cell.

Ever since WWE went PG in 2008, the carnage of Hell in a Cell has been slightly watered down by WWE as there would be a big no-no to some of the most painful tropes of the match. The lack of blood, along with no more chair shots to the head induced a period of lukewarm Cell matches which felt forced in order to suit the WWE calendar.

However, there have been some gems in between. The level of quality and brutality of Hell in a Cell has somewhat returned in recent years. WWE has started to put a lot more thought into planning rivalries in the fall months because of this. Hell in a Cell has started to mean more now, than what it meant five years ago. It has not been all that bad in the last ten years.

With a variation of high spots and hard-hitting in-ring action, here are the top five Hell in a Cell matches of the PG Era. But first, here are a couple of honorable mentions.

• Bray Wyatt vs Roman Reigns (Hell In A Cell 2015)
• Kevin Owens vs Shane McMahon (Hell In A Cell 2017)

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#5 Dean Ambrose vs Seth Rollins (Hell in a Cell 2014)

This resulted in the first bump from the Cell since 2000.

In a period where the value of Hell in a Cell was vastly diminished, every main event of said pay-per-view from 2010 to 2014 ended up being tainted one way or the other. Whether it was Paul Bearer turning heel on The Undertaker, John Cena getting locked outside the cell, Brad Maddox trying to make a statement or Shawn Michaels superkicking Daniel Bryan, we were left disappointed at the end of the pay-per-view which featured the match that ends rivalries.

However, probably the most disappointing one might be the last one from this unfortunate pattern. Bray Wyatt and his hologram interrupted a match that might have been higher on this list if it wasn't for the ending.

Dean Ambrose was finally getting a chance to do as he pleased with Seth Rollins, after the latter turned his back on the former and Roman Reigns, destroying The Shield in the process. There was action before the match even started, as the two former brothers duked it out on the top of the structure.

We would also get the first bump from the Cell since 2000 as both Rollins and Ambrose fell from the side, halfway down their way from the top. This was the moment that revived some of the hardcore magic of Hell in a Cell that had been lost since the inception of gimmick pay-per-views in 2009.

Despite not being the earliest match on this list, this still gave us hope that WWE can make this gimmick work in the PG Era. After the hellacious bump, the two would be locked inside where Rollins had nowhere to escape. There was the usual excellent chemistry between Rollins and Ambrose, with a hardcore touch.

The finish looked to be a fitting and definitive end to the greatest rivalry of 2014, as Ambrose was about to avenge Rollins’ actions from a prior attack by stomping his head onto cinder blocks. However, the lights went out and we got the hologram, Bray Wyatt mumbling something weird and the Eater Of Worlds attacking Ambrose, to cost him the match. It was an unfortunate end to a great match.

#4 Brock Lesnar vs The Undertaker (Hell in a Cell 2015)

This was probably the most non-PG Cell match in the PG Era.

You may remember that Brock Lesnar faced The Undertaker inside Hell in a Cell at No Mercy 2002, a match that remains one of the greatest of its kind. Lesnar definitively won that bout, continuing his ascent to become the Beast of WWE.

Thirteen years later, the two legends waged war once more inside Satan's structure. This would end all their issues, from the 2002 and 2003 feuds to the Streak ending in 2014, to the latest installment at SummerSlam 2015. Thirteen years later, Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker reminded everyone who the real masters were. Their story was the most compelling thing during the latter half of 2015, and the Cell provided an extremely logical conclusion to it.

We got a lot of hard-hitting action between the two heavyweights, with both of them using fists, weapons and the Cell to try and decimate each other. There was a lot of bleeding and something that resembled a chair shot to 'Taker's head. It was a wild match. While not as good as their mega-battle in 2002, both the Beast and the Phenom were at their brutal best here.

These two always bring out the best in each other, except if one of them gets a concussion mid-match. We also saw a really unique and creative finish to this fight, as Lesnar ripped the ring cover apart and exposed the ring floor. The finish was cool and innovative.

After surviving a Tombstone Piledriver on the exposed floor, Lesnar low-blowed the Deadman and F-5ed him to put him away, and deliver poetic justice. It was one last epic in a war filled with a bunch of them, one of the most storied rivalries in the history of the WWE; one that they pretty much booked perfectly.

After the match, like at the previous year, Bray Wyatt made his presence felt. This time, he was joined by his family. Wyatt, Luke Harper, Erick Rowan and Braun Strowman proceeded to batter the living hell out of the wounded Undertaker.

This was an extremely intriguing end to the pay-per-view while being a seamless transition from one feud to another for the Deadman. This would have been the perfect last ride inside the Cell for 'Taker, if only we did not get him and Shane McMahon at WrestleMania 32.

#3 The Usos vs The New Day (Hell in a Cell 2017)

These two teams stole the show last year.

This is the most recent entry on this list, the third ever tag team Hell in a Cell match. The New Day and The Usos were in a long rivalry, lasting around a third of a year, and all their matches ranged from good to stellar. The two teams stole SummerSlam from the Kickoff Show, leaving only one logical conclusion to this classic rivalry.

Jimmy and Jey Uso took a trip to the Devil's playground with Xavier Woods and Big E, with Kofi Kingston watching from outside. The four men inside the cell just battered each other to their absolute limits, showing everybody how great they are at wrestling.

Opening last year's pay-per-view, the Tag Team titles were once again the best part of the show. In a period where every show was putting on an excellent Tag Team Championship match, between The Usos vs The New Day and The Bar vs Rollins and Ambrose, this Cell match was probably the best one.

Xavier Woods was a star here, as he had been during the entire feud with the Samoan twins. Each team laid their offense in with flawless crispness and unimaginable brutality. It blew everybody's expectations completely out of the water. We knew it would be good, just not this good.

One of the Usos being trapped to the corner of the Cell with kendo sticks was one particular highlight in this incredible match that we will remember for years to come. But the performance of all involved, including Kofi and his expressions on the outside, raised the Bar of tag team wrestling in the WWE.

A bar that has not been reached yet on the main roster, since this match. The Usos won the match and the feud, regaining their titles after a Superkick rampage. This match was so good that it practically turned the evil Usos into babyfaces. Two teams that were involved in a bitter and personal feud, for the entire summer and more, suddenly earned a new-found respect for each other. That's what Hell in a Cell can do.

#2 Edge vs The Undertaker (SummerSlam 2008)

Edge finally got his comeuppance here.

Since the transition in July 2008, this was the first Hell in a Cell match under WWE's new PG guidelines. However, it did not feel PG at all. The Cell back then was only used to settle the most intense and long-standing rivalry of the year. The Undertaker and Edge had just that. They main evented three pay-per-views from March to August, including WrestleMania 24.

Edge was the disgusting and smarmy heel that he became famous for throughout, while Undertaker was constantly fighting against the odds, including Edgeheads and authority. So finally, Undertaker would put an end to the Rated R Superstar's devious ways.

The match was brilliant, with a lot of innovative spots. We even saw the side of the cell give in after a Spear from Edge. It was a compromise for a much, much more dangerous spot pitched by the Hall of Famer. Edge wanted to take a Tombstone Piledriver on top of the cell, but it would be way too risky to execute.

That is a spot that would have made his premature retirement come even earlier. The end of the match came when the Deadman actually hit a Spear of his own, before finishing Edge off with the Tombstone. However, this match is best remembered for the post-match events.

After picking up the victory, Undertaker chokeslammed Edge from the top of a ladder. A move that sent him crashing through the ring and into the “depths of hell”. It was an extremely cool visual to end SummerSlam, and the entire Edge vs 'Taker feud as a whole. Once again, this match did not feel PG at all. As mentioned earlier, the stipulation would go downhill for a few years after this match.

#1 Triple H vs The Undertaker (WrestleMania 28)

Masterful storytelling.

There is a recurring theme here. The Undertaker may have been a part-timer for most of the PG Era, but he still has had three of the top four Hell in a Cell matches during this period. The best of them came at WrestleMania 28, the ultimate storytelling supreme from WWE. The Undertaker was unable to walk out of WrestleMania 27 after defeating Triple H and wanted to make things right by challenging him again.

The Game would eventually accept given that it happens inside the Cell. The inclusion of Shawn Michaels as the special guest referee made this match go from memorable to legendary.

The link between all three legends was defined perfectly throughout this one story. The lowering of the Cell to “The Memory Remains” by Metallica after everyone had made their entrance was another great touch. Triple H and Undertaker both had periods of dominance during this match, particularly the Game.

At one point, Michaels even contemplated stopping the match and awarding it to Hunter. However, the Deadman put the guest referee in his Hell's Gate submission to stop him from ending the match. What happened next was possibly the greatest near fall in the history of The Undertaker's undefeated streak at WrestleMania.

Triple H escaped a Tombstone attempt and Michaels hit the Deadman with Sweet Chin Music before the Game nailed a Pedigree. You legitimately believed that the Streak was dead, the emotions were running high. The Undertaker would eventually win the match to make it 20-0 at 'Mania and all three of them would make their way to the stage together.

It was a surreal moment, one high on emotion. It is pretty funny that Undertaker and Triple H are going to face each other once again at Super Show-Down, it will be an impossible task for them to match this effort in any way. This truly was the greatest Hell in a Cell match of the PG Era.