3 matches that shouldn't have happened inside Hell in a Cell

The Hell in a Cell (HIAC) match is one of the most intriguing concepts in professional wrestling. Locked inside the Devil's Playground, the two competitors are bound by no rules and regulations, limited only by their imagination.

Historically, the unforgiving steel structure was used to settle the most personal and long-lasting rivalries. Iconic feuds like The Undertaker vs. Triple H and Randy Orton vs. John Cena have reached their climax inside HIAC.

However, under the Vince McMahon regime, WWE launched a premium live event dedicated to the iconic match type from 2009 onwards. While the show guaranteed at least one HIAC match, many fans felt it resulted in less deserving feuds culminating inside the Devil's Playground.

Simultaneously, the cell structure was seldom used outside the PLE, depriving deeply personal feuds, for example, Batista vs. Triple H, from taking place in HIAC.

Let's look at three matches that shouldn't have happened inside Hell in a Cell.

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#3. CM Punk (c) vs. Ryback for the WWE Championship at Hell in a Cell 2012

CM Punk will step inside the unforgiving HIAC with Drew McIntyre at Bad Blood. The Punk-McIntyre saga has lasted for 9 months. With such tremendous animosity between the two rivals, the cell structure is the perfect setting for its climax.

However, the same cannot be said for Punk's battle with the controversial Ryback inside the Hell in a Cell in October 2012. Some were of the opinion that The Big Guy was relatively inexperienced in the ring at the time and lacked the credibility to fight for the WWE Championship.

Furthermore, the program pushed the more personal and intriguing CM Punk-John Cena saga into the background. As for the match itself, a dirty finish with the referee, later revealed to be Brad Maddox, low-blowing Ryback and allowing Punk to retain the top prize.

There was no heat in the rivalry, and the finish was universally panned. It's no wonder this match has faded out of memory so quickly.

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#2. Roman Reigns (c) vs. Rusev for the United States Championship

In July 2016, WWE relaunched the brand-split with RAW and SmackDown becoming separate realms with limited interactions. The annual Hell in a Cell PLE was exclusive to the red brand.

With a smaller roster, WWE had limited opportunities to develop intense rivalries credible enough to warrant a HIAC match. Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks were set to battle in the first-ever Women's Hell in a Cell bout.

Seth Rollins' pursuit of the Universal Championship also reached its climax as he battled Kevin Owens inside the cell. However, the company inexplicably booked a third HIAC bout which was unnecessary and should have been treated as a standard bout.

Roman Reigns defended his US Championship against Rusev. This was, at best, a solid mid-card feud. It was only elevated due to Reigns' involvement. There was insufficient heat in the program, and fan interest wasn't particularly high too.

In the presence of two solid HIAC matches, it made little sense to book another between Reigns and Rusev. The eventual match was decent, but a standard wrestling bout or some other hardcore stipulation would have been more befitting.

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#1. Seth Rollins (c) vs. The Fiend for the Universal Championship

Seth Rollins won the Universal Championship again at SummerSlam 2019 with a Herculean effort. Unfortunately for Rollins, a sadistic monster in The Fiend, the late Bray Wyatt's ominous alter-ego, was slowly casting a dark shadow over WWE.

Rollins battled Wyatt's alter-ego for the first time inside Hell in a Cell. When the segment was over, the fans were voraciously booing, with most of the disdain directed towards the Universal Champion. In their defense, WWE had booked a cheap and controversial finish in a thoroughly underwhelming match.

The Fiend was billed as an absolute monster, no-selling nearly a dozen Curb Stomps. This robbed the devastating move of its credibility. To make matters worse, the match ended via referee stoppage when Rollins buried Wyatt under a pile of rubble and struck with a sledgehammer.

Anything goes inside HIAC, and the referee only exists to count the three-count or declare a submission victory. Stopping the match was a controversial decision that drew the ire of the fan base.

WWE wanted to protect both men, which is impossible to do with a match type like HIAC where there must be a winner. A standard wrestling bout was better suited in cases where such a finish was planned.