Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker

[10.0] "This entire match was a moment to be remembered. Debut of the Hell in a Cell match. The compact arena makes the structure even scarier and more real. Gimmicking it in favour of Taker's character and working the match around it. To have Taker dominate the pace, only for Kane to make his debut and give the win to HBK. How they worked their way out of the cage and to the top was great too. I knew the cameraman was acting suspiciously. "That's got to be Kane", will forever be one of the greatest calls in pro wrestling."

[10.0] "Often described as a masterpiece, I am here to describe my personal feeling with that match. If you want to check the storytelling meaning of this match, go check on Youtube or even right below, there are some great comments that could explain much better than myself, I am here to talk JUST about the pro wrestling wise here, what that match itself makes me feel and what was the message I got from them. First, we all do need to understand each one of their gimmicks here, HBK is the classic but non so classic here cocky arrogant heel that feels the entire power of the world on his hands, nothing can stop him or even fear him..yet. On the other side, we have the so well builded and booked Undertaker, the Phenom, an guy that WWE spend years and years trying to take something out of him and it came to a point on his career that he finally got something good to show for each one of us. Right here in specific, we probably had the best job to elevate his opponent I ever saw from a wrestler. Shawn Michaels did EVERYTHING he could to make Undertaker looks what he need to look, scary. He often tries to escape, often avoid eye contact, if you didn't notice, what it, during the first minutes, Shawn Michaels did everything he could to not be in the same place as him. But this is a Hell in a Cell match, the first one in history, probably the only thin positive piece of legacy that Jim Cornette let to us in the modern wrestling. I don't think that the common knowledge around hiac matches currently is right, the timing today is much worse and even the guys that know a bit more about wrestling, only see the stipulation as a possible weapon. No, it is like, not only that at all. The most important key for me is not the substantive, it is the adjective, hell. You're in a pretty strict place with your opponent, immediatly you and him need do provide hell right there inside. Use the cage as a weapon but also provide the knowledge that it is a strict place, and when you "escape" from that place, tons of options come and you can use all of them to your ofensive setting. Undertaker and HBK did it pretty well, the moment which the camera man was attacked by an desperate HBK open an space to Undertaker not only completelly dominate a bout that was being completelly 50/50, but also inflict much more pain on his hated enemy. The match came into a point which was technically already over, there wasn't much more options for HBK get an W here. But them, Kane does what is probably the best debut an wrestler ever had in anytime in history. Undertaker made physical damage on HBK, but Kane is his brother, see his return, see that he is alive, that did psycological damage on him, and anyone who already got both sides of pain, know which one is more painful. There isn't much more I could say about this match, this is a match that I wanted to rate for a while an rewatch it gave much better experience for myself, so, if you want to know, this is a FUCKING five stars match for me, easily can be considered one of the best matches of WWF/E history and yeah, swimming across a sea that doesn't fuck with me, I do prefer that match much more than their classics at WrestleMania. They're good, but this is masterclass."

[9.0] "Perfect way to debut a new match stipulation. The right amount of danger and spots that illustrated it. Also, the incredible debut of Kane just makes this ten times more memorable. I wouldn't give this a 10 just because some of the first third felt a bit slow to me, but after tha, t it is just perfection"

[9.0] "Up there with the best Hell In A Cell Matches to exist but i just couldn't give this a 10/10 although it was a masterpiece - The Visuals of HBK bleeding out were excellent - The brawl on top of the cage was fun and of course one of the most iconic debuts in history when Kane debuted at the end of the match to give HBK the win **** 3/4"

[10.0] "This masterpiece is something that every wrestling fan should watch every now and then. To be honest I believe it does not require any long comment, because it will be just constant praising of every aspect of the match. Everything was just spot on in this match."

[10.0] "A match for the ages. Everything fell into place. Taker's methodical stalking. Michael's bumps and selling. A hot rivalry. Two guys with some of the best chemistry you'll ever find. A fresh new stipulation. From bell to bell, the story telling is a masterclass. Taker destroying Shawn initially. The scrappy Shawn gets back into with some devastating moves. The gradual escape from the cage that made perfect sense. The bump. Kane's debut and the finish. It is near storybook. The level of violence used in this match might feel tame today compared to what you might be used to, but it was off the page for 1997. The bump through the table looked killer. The piledriver on the steps was brutal. Taker comes out looking more vicious than he ever had before. Shawn comes out lucky but resilient. Kane debuts in a way that HAD to get him over and make him look superhuman. Nothing went wrong. Nothing. I do prefer the Foley/Taker Cell next year, but as a wrestling match, this is peak. You rarely find a match that just falls into place as brilliantly as the first Hell in a Cell."

[10.0] "A masterpiece. A legend that will never be forgotten even after centuries. The presentation, aura, story are flawless from top to bottom. Shawn is stuck somewhere between arrogance and fear; because he both truly wants to defeat Taker and is deathly afraid of him. Taker walking slowly toward Shawn who tries to run away feels like a horror movie. When Taker finally captures Shawn, an incredible control segment emerges; he dominates Shawn from head to toe and puts him through hell. Shawn's selling, bumping & hope spots are magnificent. Taker beats Shawn to death, but Shawn finally catches the opportunity to take control. Shawn's plan to keep control is interesting; he takes risks at the cost of his own body to inflict maximum damage on Taker. However fear overcomes his arrogance and Shawn knows he has nowhere to escape inside the cage; he starts beating the cameraman so officials will come to remove him and the gates of hell open. But Shawn's attempt to escape costs him even more and Taker's second beatdown, even wilder than the first, begins. Taker leaves Shawn's face in a pool of blood, grinds his head against the cage, beats him on top of the cage, throws him from high onto the announce table, hits a diving chokeslam and returns the chair shot that started their feud. As Taker prepares to end everything... THAT'S GOTTA BE KANE! Epic storytelling, iconic visual with bloody and beaten-to-death Shawn lying on the ground while Taker & Kane go face to face, legendary finish, the first & best HIAC, the greatest debut ever. GOAT contender. *****"

[10.0] "History made here, this match was insane and brutal, taking in consideration this was the first Hell In A Cell ever and you got here the debut of the big red machine, Kane making a debut that it's history, Shawn and Undertaker here putting the standards to the Hell In A Cell matches, brutality inside and outside, getting on top of the cell, Shawn falling to the announce table in Spanish. 10/10 [*****]"

[10.0] "One of the best hell in cell matches of all time. What a catalogue of matches Shawn and taker with one of another. Truly one of the best rivalries in WWE history. *****"

[10.0] "Really good way to introduce a Stipulation and a Superstar the likes of Kane, Shawn runs from Taker to start and it shows how shawn is that chicken shit heel, Shawn takes over off a undertaker mistake which i also enjoy Shawn is thrown over the top and beats up a camera man he regains control even hitting a superkick which Taker just no sells, Shawn then escapes the cell from the door and runs to the top of the cage a few moves happen up there and Shawn is thrown through the Spanish Announce Table, Taker does a few throws after that and brings Shawn back in a really cool looking top rope chokeslam later and out comes Kane who breaks through the door, tombstone to Taker and shawn covers him for the 3, The match would be 7-8, but with everything else added to it , it turns into a 10 great match"

[7.0] "This was excellent storytelling without a doubt, and the twist with Kane's debut was great. The psychology is basically the same as the storytelling. That being said, this was an average in-ring match with almost nothing going on. It's 30 minutes with no decent in-ring wrestling, and that's a very bad thing *** 3/4"

[8.0] "The match was really well worked in a kayfabe point of view. The way Shawn is scared of being locked with Taker, the way Shawn uses the environment to hurt his opponent, also the way he escapes and climb the cage is well done. Michaels performed a very nice match, insane blade job and sold so well. Undertaker was also good obviously. However, even tho this match didn't age well, I also think it's a bit overrated. The second part of it was brilliant, the first one was just fine."

[7.0] "This is a very underwhelming match i had high hopes before i saw the match because of the legacy that has been builed around that because of the debut of Kane and the first HIAC match but this one was very slow, low-paced and boring, but i respecr what this match has bring to wrestling BUT yeah i think this grade is deserved"

[3.0] "This is one of the most boring matches I have ever seen. Constant slow fussing in and outside the ring. Absolutely uninteresting action, and I don't understand why it got such a high rating. The only plus is K's debut."

"[6.0] honestly pretty overrated. only starts getting good over 20 minutes in but til that point its a slog as michaels tries his damn hardest to make takers lack of in ring ability look more impressive then it actually is. then finally after those 20+ minutes the gimmick of the cell gets used to its full advantage and thats the time the match finally starts feeling iconic"

[9.0] "The card these people had to sit through to get to this point...I feel for them. They were rewarded for their unwavering patience with this match though. The in-ring was pedestrian at first but the brawling outside was top-level due to Shawn selling his ass off. Taker really beat the hell out of him. Every time Shawn attempted to use the cage to counter, Taker snuffed it out. When Michaels was finally able to be on top, he gave it back to Taker with a similar level of brutality. HBK attacking the cameraman for breaking his fall was peak-heel work and a crafty way to get outside of the cell. HBK with a quality gig-job here. Fighting on top of the cell was such a spectacle too, Made for a special moment and iconic visuals. The table spot was amazing and one of the most important moments of the era. It could have been the end but we got more, including an avalanche choke-slam and a straight braining with the chair. The Kane debut finish was a big moment but the match deserved a clean finish."

[9.0] "One of my favorite matches ever. Absolutely brutal, and a perfect introduction to the HIAC gimmick. HBK plays the underdog, a rare feat that he still plays perfectly. Of course, the match is ultimately known for the debut of Kane, but his interference and the subsequent finish stops this match just short of being a 10 for me. ****3/4"

[10.0] "What a way to introduce a new stipulation. This set the bar and expectations high for the next HIAC matches to come. Tough bumps throughout the match with a cat and mouse chase between taker and shawn ending with shawn picking up the victory thanks to arguably the greatest debut of all time. Respect must always be put on undertaker's name."

[10.0] "The first-ever Hell in a Cell match, and quite possibly the best to this date. Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker was the best choice for this kind of a match, and it was also a No. 1 Contender's match for the WWF Title. 'Taker dominated the match as he completely destroyed HBK, and HBK took some very nasty bumps. We also saw action outside the cell, and on top of the cell which was very fun to watch. Michaels was pretty much dead, and 'Taker was about to finish him, but then the music hit. We saw the iconic debut of Undertaker's brother, "Kane" coming out to the ring with Paul Bearer. Vince McMahon yelling "That's gotta be Kane" has to be one of the most iconic lines in pro wrestling. Kane looked scary as fuck and ripped the Cell door off its hinges, and hit 'Taker with the Tombstone Piledriver, allowing Michaels to pick up the win. I can only imagine how cool and shocking it must have been to witness all of this live. WWF had been building up this story of Undertaker's long-lost brother for months, and when they finally did the big reveal here, it was all worth it. In my opinion, this is still the greatest debut in the history of professional wrestling. [*****]"

[10.0] "Although it might be overshadowed by all the carnage that follows once they finally get out of the cage, the first half of the match is incredibly well structured with Shawn backing away from Undertaker and only striking when he's able to find an opening. With his jittery mannerisms, Michaels conveys to the audience how truly fucked he is. His cocky attitude has gotten him into this situation and now he needs to fight to survive. Undertaker stalking Shawn felt like it was lifted right out of a slasher film. Shawn has to use the environment around him if he wants to stand a chance and he comes up with some pretty unique spots, concluding with a piledriver on the steel steps. Shawn gets pissy with a cameraman for being in his way and this would come into play a few minutes later when he starts stomping on a different cameraman. This cameraman needs medical help, so WWF officials open the cell to get the man to safety. After Undertaker sits up after taking a Sweet Chin Music. Shawn decides to rush out of the cell. This was a really creative way to get them out of the cell. It becomes absolute pandemonium once they reach the top of the cell. Shawn just gets his ass handed to him as he bumps and bleeds all over the ringside area. Kane debuts and rips off the cell door as Vince McMahon makes one of his most memorable lines on commentary. One tombstone later, Shawn is able to drag his battered body onto of Undertaker to win the match. This was an absolute classic, featuring some sublime booking and two career-best performances from both Undertaker and Michaels."

[7.0] "A real mixed bag that combines very high points of quality and deliverance on what they had promised and long periods of just fine or serviceable wrestling. The set up itself is excellent. Coming off of Shawn costing Taker the title at SummerSlam (Bret, who is the champion still, is slotted in a tag team match in this card for whatever reason), their first encounter was a crazy brawl that took full advantage of the environment. Here the cocky heel (Michaels) enters with all the fan fare with his future buddies of DX, but once he realises that he is caged with Taker, the moron has no plan. Great character work, but it leads to an uninspired shine segment. Limited to the confines of the cage, the brawling aspect of Taker is way less exciting. It overstays its welcome, as does a heat segment that feels just as formulaic (derogatory). But once Taker sits up after the superkick, things get really good. They are let loose on the outside and Taker puts Shawn through the wringer, bloodying him and throwing him around in spectacular fashion. Even the way he no sells the finisher is gorgeous. Taker has got the pretty boys ass, he has it won once he throws him of the cage. And the chair shot to the dome of Michaels was so rewarding after all that had happened. But then Kane debuts. Undertaker sells it really well, but the fucker under the mask doesn't know where is the hard cam and is to concerned about it, so it ends up a bit sloppy. The important part is that Michaels wins like a true heel, without any merit and getting more battered than his opponent. But I can't shake off the thought that, for all its final third brilliance, it drags a lot from the first time Taker takes over to the second one."

[10.0] "Such a wild and brutal match. The innovative violence, the segment on top of the cell and of course the debut of Kane. This match has to go down as one of the most important in WWF/WWE history. If the match didn't go well then we wouldn't have had countless other great HIAC matches. There were so many excellent moments in this match, but some of my favorites include the frantic nature of Shawn trying to get to DX right as the door is closed, the pile driver from HBK to Taker onto the metal stairs (just brutal looking), Taker grating Shawn's face into the mesh of the top of the cell, Taker's super chokeslam from the top turnbuckle and of course Kane ripping the door off the hinges. This match was not only important to the history of wrestling, but even in a vacuum it was just an epic banger of a match."

[10.0] "Bro, I got chills watching this. The very first Hell in a Cell match and still one of the absolute best. The storytelling was masterful, the brutality felt real, and the atmosphere was electric from start to finish. Shawn's incredible selling and Undertaker's dominance made every moment compelling, and the debut of Kane took the drama to another level. A perfect blend of violence, psychology, and historic significance."

[5.0] "If the rest of the match was like the match after they went outside the cell, it would be much much higher. The stuff before then, Taker shows his faults in full effect, but Shawn shows why he was so so good during the 90s. He makes Taker look great, but Taker does his best to undo that, he looks very clunky at points. Also the debut of Kane, half cool, half kind of stupid as well. The final moments were good."

[7.0] "Certainly the worst Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker, this match is too long and is not as good as that, it's obviously the best match in the show but we are far from a classic or a top 100 All Time, I didn't have a great time in front of the match, it was not bad."

[10.0] "I remember at the time, it looked like just a normal cage match to me. Then I remember that WWF was using the big blue steel cages before this. WCW had a similar setup with Luger and Flair years earlier at Capital Combat. But damn if this wasn't one of the best matches I've ever seen. The bump from the cage, the debut of Kane, and HBK bleeding buckets was magical in the world of the WWF at the time."

[7.0] "The first Hell in a Cell match that immediately breaks the illusion of a Hell in a Cell match by them fighting outside the cell and Kane being able to enter the cell by simply ripping off the matting. I get that all Hell in a Cell matches are gimmicks and that the idea is the exciting idea that they have escaped the cell to actually fight outside of it, I feel as though at least one match, perhaps the original, sets up the idea of the encaptured nature of it. That being said, maybe all Hell in a Cell matches should go this way as a formula. I'm okay with the idea of the cameraman trick to fight outside the cell. I'm less okay with Kane entering and just simply ripping off the cage and ending the match. If they had done a better job of explaining in match about the looming scenario of Kane and the sense of inevitably that hangs over Undertaker, rather than using a main event hell in a cell match to introduce a character (albeit an iconic one) than I feel like it would have made the ending of the match a little bit more satisfying rather than what it felt like - a bit of a disappointment. Following live it must have lived up to the hype, but watching from bell to bell without context it falls short - a feat that could have been saved via commentary."

[10.0] "Hell in a Cell couldn't have had a better start. This match deserves the praise and 5 stars, as it has everything. Even without the greatest debut of all time, this match is simply iconic."

[10.0] "The earliest 10/10 IMO. Feels appropriate that it's two of the best of all time involved. Ofc they would put on the best Hell in a Cell match on the first go."

[9.0] "this is like a prototype version of mankind vs taker. shawn took a lot and i mean a lot of punishment on here, and it was entertaining even if it was one sided due to shawn being an all time seller (taker too is amazing at selling). taker straight up looked like a killer on here. they do an amazing job at making hbk look like a dick (not a hard job tbh) when he destroys that camera man. the match becomes amazing when shawn draws blood, from there you get some brutal spots and you get to the ending thats the best part of the match easily, the kane reveal is perfect and the way shawn won the match with a tomato red face, barely being able to crawl to taker and how slowly the referee counted, he really won just by sheer adversity, and even if you hate him you cant help but to feel a little happy for him. all time ending and an overall great match even if its a little overrated. 8, 75-9/10"

[10.0] "There's no way around it, this one is a classic that every wrestling fan should watch. First HiaC, debut of Kane (and the way it was done), prime HBK and Taker..."

[9.0] "A great match I have never been as fond of as many other people. There's much I enjoyed about this, particularly during the last ten or so minutes. That being said, I found the first half to be quite pedestrian. There was quite a bit of slow brawling that didn't do much for me, even if I understood that they were trying to get over Taker's dominance by having him beat on Michaels so much at the beginning. I did like that both Taker and Michaels used the cell constantly; that is something that got lost in future cell matches that seemed to utilize the structure itself less and less and less. Michaels' piledriver of the steel steps was nice as well, but I found his control segment to also be a bit meandering until he beats down the cameraman to bring down Commissioner Slaughter and open up the cell. The match really gets great after this point though; it basically never lets up once Taker no sells the Sweet Chin Music and begins chasing HBK out of the cell as though he were a villain in a slasher flick. Michaels get colour shortly thereafter and Taker chases him all the way up the cell. The portion they spent on the top was really great; the camera shot of Michaels being backdroped onto the steel grating was absolutely spectacular. Oh, and the cameraman exclaiming 'Ah Shit! ' as Michaels' blood drips onto him from high above was hilarious, as was the awkward pause from the commentators that followed. Michaels eventually starts to climb down the far side only for Taker to stomp on his hands to send him flying through the announcer's table below. That was a great bump, but it doesn't quite have the impact I imagine it did when it first aired given how iconic the Foley bump from his HIAC bout with Taker from 1998 has come to overshadow everything else. Michaels was basically dead to rights by this point and it seems as though the Deadman is about to win when... THAT'S GOTTA BE KANE! The debut is and always will be one of the best of all time. Kane looks incredibly sinister marching to the ring alongside Paul Bearer in the red light. His Tombstone to his kayfabe brother was a tad on the awkward side though; for some reason he seemed to forget where the hard camera was and had to turn a few times. Or, perhaps he was just posing? Who knows, but it was definitely awkward and is the only thing that could have been better about his arrival. Michaels eventually crawls to the cover and gets the win before being carried to the back by HHH and Chyna. Overall, a really great match that, while I'm not as high on it as most, I can still very appreciate for how well built and executed it was considering it was the very first time the HIAC was utilized. Both Taker and HBK did a most commendable job in putting together something that has not only stood the test of time, but still remains the yardstick by which other HIAC matches are judged. ****1/4"

[10.0] "Great match, one of the defining matches of 1997 as it was the first Hell in a Cell match, and the debut of Kane which was one of the best ever wrestler debuts. Top marks all around."

[10.0] "You have the greatest Gimmick vs The greatest wrestler, with a good story line. Plus, you have the introduction to Kane. Every match Taker and HBK has ever had, was a barn burner."

[10.0] "The greatest cell match of all time. Shawn and Taker were given the responsibility to get over a new stipulation and they did it in phenomenal fashion. The kane debut is still bone-chilling and perhaps the greatest WWE debut of all time with one of the most iconic JR calls."

[7.0] "A good match, overall pretty slow, Shawn is overselling a lot especially at first. Best part and most iconic is mo doubt Kane's debut and that's right at the end, does sort of kill the momentum of a Shawn Michaels vs undertaker match. Definitely not as good as their 2 mania encounters"

[10.0] "Well this was great as expected. It's Shawn vs. Taker. How good did you think it was going to be? I don't think they could ever have a match that's truly bad. For being the first match of its kind, it really is something special. It starts off slow (probably a bit too slow) and stays that way for the first 10-ish minutes. Things pick up when Shawn starts beefing with the cameramen. I love how Taker uses the cell as his weapon of choice. Shawn's use of the chair is kept to a minimum with just a few shots to the back. When Shawn gets thrown out of the ring and lands on the camera guy, he decides to just start being the shit out of him. It seems weird but it's fine considering this is dickhead era Shawn. It does serve as a genius way to open the cage door. They leave the cage and this is truly when it became a great match. Taker goes back to using Shawn as a lawn dart, busting him open in the process. God he bleeds a lot. It's not on the level of JBL's matches with Cena or Eddie, but Shawn bleeds about the same as Austin in the Bret match from the same year. Anyway, they climb up the cell and wrestle on the top of the cage for a bit until the most iconic spot of the whole match happens. Easily the best table bump until the next HIAC match. They work their way back into the cell. Taker keeps on beating the piss out of Shawn before grabbing a chair and nailing him in the head. Then the greatest debut in the HISTORY OF WRESTLING happens. The debut of Kane is perfection. Quite literally zero complaints. From ripping off the door to laying out Taker, it truly is the greatest debut ever. Shawn seizes the opportunity and pins Taker for the win. I love how Shawn sells the effects of the match after he wins. He's basically dead and doesn't even move until DX comes out. Now for the critique. Is this match 5 stars? You know what? Sure. With it being the first of its kind and the fact that very few have come close to the quality of this one, it can have the 5 stars. If slower paced matches aren't your cup of tea, then you'll probably hate this. If you don't mind them, then absolutely give it a watch. The first third of this match is admittedly not great, but everything else is fantastic. Highly recommend for both its quality and historical significance. 10/10 [*****]"

"A sign of the quality that these two would later bring 12 years later. Perhaps the best hell in a cell match ever, even to this day."

[10.0] "This match was so simple yet so effective. It was peak of one insane, huge storyline that stood over WWF's main event scene in 1997. Undertaker looking to get his revenge on Shawn for events that happened at SummerSlam, completely forgot about his younger brother, which will cost him the match. Point of Hell in A Cell is to feel that there is no more running, and that's exactly what they were selling. Shawn was left alone with most dangerous force in WWF, inside unforgiving structure and the match quickly turned into stalking game, where Undertaker would beat living shit out of HBK, in slowest way possible. It was satisfying revenge for Undertaker, and when it looked like Shawn could run outside, it just gave Taker more opportunities to beat him up. Shawn was taking some mad bumps, and his selling was so good you would think it's matter of time before Taker kills him. Ending is one of the greatest finishes in wrestling history, Taker's chairshot was poetic justice, and just when it's time to finish him off, Kane shows up and suddenly 1st contendership stipulation and Taker's revenge on Shawn are not important at all. For the first time ever you see fear on Undertaker's face and Kane hits him with his own finisher, Shawn crawls out of nowhere and wins by pure miracle. Storytelling masterpiece and brutal beatdown. *****"

[9.0] "An absolute classic, and what a way to bring out the end of the New Generation Era, and bring in Kane."

"The greatest match of all time imo. Just the Undertaker beating on Shawn the whole time and the crowd going crazy."

[10.0] "It's quite hard to not aknowledge this as a classic due to the fact of being the first HIAC match of all time, but the overall spots and the importance of the entranffce of kane, what a freaking match, 10/10"

[10.0] "Not only a very good match, but also a very important one in the history of the WWF/WWE. The first HIAC and also the debut of Kane. It started off a bit slowly in my opinion, at least when compared to more modern matches, but it quickly picked up. Both wrestler took some good bumps and there was good storytelling/psychology/selling, etc etc. I definitely feel like there's not much left to be said about this one."

[10.0] "Still the best Hell In A Cell Match of all time! Taker beat Michaels around the ring and cell to start things off. Taker and Michaels spend time outside and beat each other with chairs, steel steps, and even the cell walls. The camera man, at one point, accidentally gets in the way, causing Michaels to beat him senseless, which forced officials to open the cell. Outside the cell, Taker busts Michaels open, they fight on top of the cell, and Michaels takes the first big bump, falling off the side of the cell wall and through the announcers table. Taker had the match pretty well won until his brother Kane made his debut and destroyed Taker with a Tombstone Piledriver. A very bloodied up Michaels finds the last of his strength to cover Taker to score the win. Instant classic, if you've never seen this or have seen it a hundred times, it's still a great match to revisit."

[9.0] "This is without a doubt one of the best displays of storytelling and theatrics that this beautiful sport has ever witnessed, what an incredible match, sensational. Taker and Shawn are two completely different personalities, but they match each other very well, and always had that spark to produce great matches, their chemistry is awesome. At that time, Shawn was cockier than ever, he teamed up with HHH, Chyna and Rude, to form what would be called D-Generation X, basically WWF's version of nWo, despite the involved always denying the similarities, and they were uncontrollable, they did what the hell they wanted and established a true reign of terror inside the Fed (Michaels defeated British Bulldog at the UK in the main event, and the crowd rioted), so yeah, they were extremely hateful but also awesome. Taker was uncontrollable as well, as we all know, he's a supernatural being, he can't be controlled, he isn't face or heel, he's Taker, a force of nature, without feelings at all, so nothing best to settle things, than putting two ungovernable figures inside a huge cage, called Hell in a Cell, and this was the first one ever, a truly historical moment. This is almost perfect, and I'll start with the things keeping this from receiving a perfect rating, so I can end this rating on a high note. This was pure cinema, it's clear that everything was super well thought and meticulously crafted, that's the WWF, they're not sports-based, and with two incredibly characters like this, it's completely normal that they would flip this to that side, which is not my favorite, but I also enjoy a lot and can recognize the greatness involved. Everything here connected incredibly well, and it was so well done, that kinda took off the natural side of the business, I was expecting that the first HIAC match ever would be simple, two uncontrollable guys settling things off inside the cage, with pure violence and hate, but it wasn't like that, it was super complex, so complex and revolutionary that they've wasted several spots that were worthy of being used for the next 5-10 years, and the moment would be equally innovative or even better. That's not their fault, they took a gable and tried to do the best cinematographic experience they could, and they did that, this is a historic and phenomenal match, that will be talked forever and be worshiped for its greatness, but it didn't followed the natural evolution of things, they started with the best version of that stipulation that anyone could ever do. Other than that, I can easily understand a perfect score here, what a bout, everything was super smart, Shawn is the best bumper of all time, I've seen many people saying that the first 10-15 minutes are boring and Shawn exaggerated on the bumps, but for me, nothing like that, everything was great, they used the cell multiple times, inside and outside of the structure, and when they climbed it, the match went to another level, it was thrilling and fantastic, the bump that Shawn took on the table was incredible, what a great moment. I would probably have loved this even more if the match ended with Taker's chairshot, would've been a complete full circle moment, and a perfect storytelling, but I also can't complain about Kane's debut, it was the greatest debut of all time, what an impact, he ripped the door like it was nothing, making even Undertaker scared, with his strength and size, yes, he SCARED THE UNDERTAKER, that's true greatness my friends. This is not a match that made me go crazy, scream, cry, jump... I've watched this quiet and interested, only appreciating the effort and the cinematographic beauty that this had - {****1/2}"

[10.0] "[5*] The first and best HiaC ever, crazy storytelling in the match. To contextualize the feud begins in the match in summerslam 1997 when michaels, as referee, hits a chair on undertaker by mistake, and undertaker goes after wanting vengeance, but how michaels have the DX, undertaker loses the segments by number advantage. Now on the match, it begins with Michaels fearing the hell of the cell and letting the song repeat of how long he took to make his entrance, and Undertaker making his usual entrance... then the bell rings. The start is focused on the ring because both aren't used to the Cell because, obviously, it's the first match ever with this cell. Undertaker dominates Michaels"

[10.0] "Just rewatched this for the first time in years. God damn it is electric. Even to this day you can just feel the energy in the room and the sense that we are seeing something so new, so original. 50+ Cell matches later and this is still a completely unique experience. One of the best matches of all time."

[10.0] "[5.0*] The story of this match is simple to explain but also very important to the WWF history and it feels huge. The Undertaker defended his WWF Championship against Bret Hart at SummerSlam 97 with Shawn Michaels as the Special Guest Referee. As everyone knows, Bret and Hart had a feud that mixed up kayfabe with real-life issues. On this match, Bret spit in Shawns face so he tried to hit him with a chair, but he avoided and HBK accidentally hit Taker right on his face with the chairshot, which led to Bret winning the belt. Taker was obviously pissed off and he wanted revenge because he was screwed, which led to constant confrontations. The thing is, Shawn was a coward and had the help of the D-Generation X so Taker was always in disadvantage. They had a tag match two months before that ended in a DQ after Shawn blasted Takers face with a chair again, a frequent occurrence during their feud lmao. Then they had a singles match that ended in a No Contest, so this whole scenario resulted in the first Hell In A Cell Match ever. With this big structure, Shawn would not be able to escape The Undertaker and the DX would not be able to interfere. In the middle of all this story, Paul Bearer threatened Undertaker a lot of times after being dumped by him, promising to bring back Kane, Takers long-lost brother, to get his revenge. Taker was so focused in getting revenge on Michaels that he did not give it the proper attention and he could swear Kane was dead, at least until this point. This match and Seth vs Cody are the only HIAC 5-Star matches in history, with this one having the best Cagematch rating of them all. Now, about the match itself, It is the best Gimmick Match of all time. It for sure is the best HIAC Match of all time easily and I have never seen a structure being so well used in a match before. Ever. This is the perfect display of in-ring storytelling and the ultimate proof that these two attributes will forever walk together. This started off like a normal match and it was actually the best decision possible. Some people may say that this part was boring but I disagree. This was a complete new scenario for both guys so of course they would need some time to understand how it works. Then Taker throws Shawn to the outside and he finally starts to look at his options. Taker brutally attacks Shawn on the cell until HBK finds a way to answer him: the Steel Steps. He does a fucking crazy Piledriver right on the steps and he finally gets some time to breathe. His next strategy was the usage of the weapon that started this whole thing, a chair. He hits Taker with the chair a couple of times, but ultimately Taker reversed and throws him to the ringside where he landed right on the cameraman. He starts to beat the hell out of the cameraman and at this exact moment some people may think this is a stupid and unnecessary spot, but the plot is that this is the reason why the referee orders the Cage to be opened so the cameraman could get some help, HBK hits Taker with a Sweet Chin Music but Taker NO-SELLS IT like a fucking entity and there is where Shawn decided he was getting the hell out of this Cell lmao. They started brawling and Shawn hits Taker with a dropkick on the Cage. He tries it again but this time Taker catches him and catapults him right to the Cell and Michaels immediately starts to bleed. Taker keeps throwing him on the Cage until Shawn escaped with a low blow and climbed the Cell. At this point I already was 100% sold on the match and so was the crowd. Just try to imagine being there for it. The first Hell In A Cell match, a complete masterpiece and both of these fuckers brawling on the top of this gigantic structure. This was already something for the ages, man. Taker dropped Michaels a couple of times so HBK decided to escape, but Taker got him, stomped on his hands and he fell right through the announcers table. MADNESS. Taker keeps tossing him around and Michaels is just fucking finished. He returned to the Cell in another attempt to escape the Deadman. The Cage is locked again and Taker has Michaels on the palm of his hands. He applies an insane Avalanche Chokeslam. Taker grabs a chair and finally gets the ultimate revenge by hitting it right into Shawns face, just like he did to him for all these months. At this point, the match is already won. Michaels would never be able to reverse this scenario by his own. Taker is preparing to end it all but the lights go out. A music starts to play and the lights turn on again but all red. Here they are, Paul Bearer alongside a crazy looking Big Red Monster. Vince announced it was none other than Kane, Takers long lost brother that he swore was dead. Kane rips off that incredibly heavy structure with his pure strength and when he comes face-to-face with Takes, he does his taunt and fire erupts all around the ring. Kane hits the Tombstone Piledriver and a completely destroyed HBK gets the win. This match was literally perfect. I usually dislike interferences ending big matches but not only was this whole thing executed brilliantly, but also this made perfect sense to the story. Taker was so obsessed with destroying Michaels that he forgot that Bearer was threatening him all this time with Kane. When Kane finally appeared, Taker was shocked. It was the first time he actually feared someone. This was also the only way Shawn could win, at the end of the day he knew he was screwed because without the DX he was not going to come out of the HIAC alive, but Kanes debut out of nowhere saved his life. All these different stories connected perfectly when Kane debuted and that is why I loved it. It was just a PERFECT display of storytelling. It ended the previous story in the best note possible and started the eternal Brothers of Destruction saga in the best way possible too. Perfect selling, perfect psychology, perfect spots and perfect ending. One of my favorite matches of all time and probably the best executed in-ring storytelling ever."

[10.0] "Legendary indiviudals in a legendary match. First HiaC match, at this point cell was actually portrayed as a weapon. Shawn's selling elevated Undertaker's vicious nature. Kane's debut wouldn't be played better. Vince, as well as in whole match generally, perfectly delivered this memorable moment on commentary."

[10.0] "You couldn't ask for a better match or better opponents for the first Hell in a Cell. Shawn Michaels went over the top in his bumps and selling and it's completely apropos when going against the Undertaker and to establish the match stipulation. The first half is mostly a regular match with barricade spots replaced with the cage wall and Undertaker largely toying with HBK. Once they get outside the cage it becomes more of the spectacle people would associate with Hell in a Cell."