Mankind vs. The Undertaker

[6.0] "Calling this a wrestling match would be generous. The closest thing I can compare it to is watching someone get run over by a car, stand up after five minutes and then get run over by a truck. Attention getting for sure, but shallow as shallow gets. Mick Foley's two bumps off and through the Cell are iconic, and for good reason. They are surely the most dangerous spots that have ever happened in the WWF. However, these spots came at the expense of everything else that makes a good wrestling match: logic; pacing; realism; story; dynamism; creativity; and most importantly, safety. I like dangerous wrestling more than the average fan but this just comes off as stupid to me. I get the sense that Foley just wanted to cause himself such grievous bodily harm, that I would not notice that his match is actually pretty rubbish. Nearly worked but not quite. P.S. Watching Terry Funk get chokeslammed out of his shoes was very funny haha. [***]"

[9.0] "Intentionally or not was less of a match and more of a spectacle and what a spectacle it was. One of the most infamous matches in wrestling history with some of the most iconic spots. Foley falling off/through the cage twice and then taking a tack bump cemented his legacy right there"

[7.0] "very strangely structured as a match, starting off batshit insane with two of the most genuinely dangerous and jaw-dropping spots of all time (with an awkward but obviously necessary waiting period in between them), and then just... kinda happens? there's more gnarly moments to come, it's certainly enjoyable, but it never comes close to the way this match starts and it's all just paced really awkwardly. was the damage done to foley's body worth it for this match? nope. does this match show that foley is one of the most awesome people to ever participate in this artform? you fucking know it"

[9.0] "What can be said about this that wasn't already said. This was career defining performance of Mick Foley, not Mankind, Cactus Jack or Dude Love. Moment he takes off the mask after that first bump it's Mick Foley putting his life on the line to put on a match of his career. Even after watching this match thousand times it still hits hard as ever. It's brutal culmination of first truly violent, hardcore rivalry in WWE history between Taker and Mankind. Moment when even Vince is out there checking on Mick and crowd is so shocked by everything that happened that they can't even bother to boo Vince. Cage roof was even't supposed to break after Chokeslam, yet it happened. Crowd was going wild for Taker, probably because they mistook his fear for Mick's life for character work. Rest of the match with chairs and thumbtacks and all that was chaotic. Did it really make sense? Not really. But if you think about state of mind they were in at the moment they probably just wanted to get their already prepared spots in and go to the locker room. Reason I'm not giving it 10 is simply because they set an extreme standard of violence that can barely be reached, at the expense of people's health. It didn't have the most logical and reasonable structure either. But it served more than well for what it needed to be. End of saga between these two guys. Imagine being in first row for this historic event. ****3/4"

[10.0] "This match deserves a 10 for the fall only. That moment will be remembered forever. It was a match made out of big moments only."

[10.0] "The match that shocked all people and wrestlers too.Besides of this story it is also very brutal and excellent match.Maybe the most brutal in history of Hell in a Cell.But this two falls from such a height are simply mind-blowing, and the fact that Mankind continued the match with an excellent performance.Really Perfect!"

[6.0] "Watching it for the first time many years after this has become the stuff of legends. The structure of the match is very weird indeed. They build up more to a bump on the thumb tacks (in what may be the best moment of the bout) than to any of Foley's crazy falls. They seem to value more the impact of the tacks than a man flying to the floor to sustain irreparable damage. It results in a weird descalation coming not from the execution of the spots, but by misjudging how impactful each spot would be. Then there's the weird dynamic of Foley being the heel. That man is dying for your entertainment, and not even after being nefarious and deserving his comeuppance, but right out off the gate. The crowd where behind Taker (who played well his stoic role, even if the hesitance to put his companion through this experience shows a little), but (and I say this without any idea if this is what happened and if it was as a result of this match) you are building up Mick as a crowd favourite (I don't know if willingly or by mere incompetence)."

[9.0] "There's just nothing else like this. The shock of those two falls still hits hard even today. It's not about holds or sequences but about sheer human insanity and endurance. Foley somehow kept going after each crash, spilling thumbtacks and taking more punishment. Undertaker played his role perfectly, stoic and cold. The commentary and crowd reactions made it feel bigger than wrestling. It's a disturbing spectacle, unforgettable."

[10.0] "love this match. Far from a technical masterpiece, from my god is it a spectacle. Multiple incredible spots that can never truly be replicated to the same degree. This match has so many memorable pieces outside of the wrestling, watching Foley climb the cage before the match had even started, Jim Ross absolutely killing it on commentary for every crazy spot, Mick running back to the ring after getting thrown 22 feet, and the iconic shot of Foley smiling with a bloodied mouth and a tooth in his nostril. Taker's comment about having an out of body experience after he threw Foley the first time has also always stuck out to me. All i all its a 10 because of just how much i think about it when i think of great wrestling moments"

[5.0] "I'm not too sure what to rate this match. It's nowhere near a 9 or 10 for me because two insane bumps and thumbtacks aren't enough. Even Mick himself has said this match isn't very good but it is memorable. I've seen the match 3 times and still feel like I've seen it thousands of times because of how much the two bumps are replayed. Ask yourself, what else is replayed from this match? The thumbtacks and "smiling". One of the most unfortunate byproducts of this match is there's an entire generation and a half of wrestlers doing bumps just as crazy or worse than this one but in front of 25 people. Let's also clear something up, there wasn't any hype for this match. In fact, the fans were pretty much over these two having matches with each other. Mick nearly dying is what made the fans invested in the match."

[0.0] "The match cemented Mick Foley's legacy, but at what cost? His body was permanently damaged, and the industry developed an unhealthy obsession with topping the carnage. While we can respect the sacrifice and acknowledge its place in history, we must not confuse a terrifying spectacle with a great wrestling match. It was a cultural phenomenon that pushed the boundaries of entertainment, but as a contest judged on the art of wrestling, it offered nothing. It was a monument to brutality that inspired a generation of performers to needlessly risk their long-term health. For its abandonment of the craft and its perilous influence, it is a definitive zero-star affair."

[10.0] "The most iconic Hell in a Cell match in history. While it wasn't about technical wrestling, it was about moments that defined an era. The brutal falls, the sheer shock factor, and the unbelievable resilience on display created images that will live forever in wrestling history. Every second felt chaotic and dangerous, and the crowd's reaction matched the insanity unfolding. Not a technical masterpiece, but an unforgettable spectacle that became the very definition of "iconic.""

[10.0] "I remember watching this live on Pay-per-view in 1998 and not realizing how iconic this match would become. Everything, from Foley and Undertaker's facial expressions to Jim Ross on commentary to Terry Funk being concerned for Foley's well-being and catching a chokeslam for his troubles, just elevates this match as one of the greatest matches of all-time. It wasn't a New Japan clinic or technical masterpiece, but it was a brutal display of violence and a beautiful chaotic mess. Just awesome."

[10.0] "This is as iconic of a match as there has ever been. This has still never been replicated nearly 30 years later."

[10.0] "What can you say about this match that hasn't already been said? Probably the most well known match of all time due to Foley's first big bump off the cell. One wild thing to remember is that most of the match took place after those first two big falls. Also, the commentary on this match was top notch. So many memorable lines from JR while he and Lawler certainly added a sense of realism to the match. First of all, it was a brilliant idea by Mick to start the match on top of the cell. This immediately gives it a different and unique feel. Also, waiting until the stretcher was halfway up the ramp before coming back to the match was another super smart move that got almost as big of a pop as the first fall. Mick's psychology is always on point. Next, I would just like to say how thankful I am that Taker went along with Mick's crazy ideas here. That can't be an easy spot to be in (being asked to throw a human being off the top of the cell). Obviously, the MVP of the match is Foley for taking so many serious bumps, probably losing years of his career in this one match and doing it all with a smile on his face. But what this match did for wrestling cannot be understated."

[10.0] "Look I'm aware this isn't a technical masterpiece, I'm giving it a 10 simply because Mick Foley is a national treasure(and a psycho)"

[9.0] "Wow, this match is amazing! It's super unorthodox, that's one of the first HIAC matches that has ever happened, and had to follow the huge success and significance of Taker vs Shawn from the previous year, which they did, this is a very impactful match, that made a lot of people know and fall in love with pro-wrestling. The match starts with Mankind climbing the cell with a chair, and then Undertaker makes his entrance, and also climb the cage. What follows this, are the most insane and remarkable bumps you can imagine in the history of WWF/E. Taker famously threw Mankind off the top of the cell, and everyone sold the moment incredibly well... the commentary duo of JR and Lawler, and of course Terry Funk, who played a great role in this match, selling the bumps Foley took, and he even took a chokeslam later on the match. After that, Mankind climbed the cage again, and Undertaker did a chokeslam on him, to break the top of the HIAC, and he fell inside of the ring, another really nasty bump. This whole experience is super dark, the environment is feeling it, and Mankind absolutely made the match, with his craziness, it's a stellar performance, and he kept laughing after all those bumps like a deranged fella, which made things much better. After a good but short ring action, Foley took ANOTHER amazing bump, this time on the thumbtacks, and Taker won the match. This is a short match, that doesn't have the best pace ever, and relies too much on spots, but my God, it's so awesome! All of the three bumps Mankind took are legendary, they looked really dangerous, and the match indeed had several impacts on Foley's health, he was super banged up after this one. This is great, an unconventional match that broke the bubble, and deservingly so, gained a lot of notoriety - {****1/4}"

[9.0] "This match was insane. It's probably the most well known match of all time. Heck even my grandmother knows about this match. The match itself starts out slow with the first 2 throws off the cell and on the cell. Once they started the wrestling portion of the match it was an enjoyable watch. I loved the iconic tact scene and almost always mick foley will be the one to take the bump. Overall I think a 4.5/5 stars. The first 10 minutes was just them waiting for Mankind to recover."

[10.0] "Usually I don't give a maximum to a wrestling match under 20 minutes, and harder for anything under 25 minutes. They are just guidelines though. Everything about this match is perfect or imperfectly perfect. They took about moments, there's a lot of down time in between them, there has to be for us to catch our breath. The gold standard of Hardcore matches, not just hell in a cell. Mick Foley's crowning achievement. And here's the kicker - Undertaker's crowning achievement aswell."

[7.0] "Hard to rate a match that has two genuinely sickening bumps, the wrong babyface and a bit of shite wrestling at the end... more of an angle really, a terribly real angle. And here's some more words to let the rating go through, and another word, finally."

[10.0] "What can you even say about this match, the most iconic HIAC match of all time, there isn't words to describe what I felt when I watched this when I was a kid on yt, simply historic."

[10.0] "This match is one of those where you have to give both men their flowers because they put their bodies on the line for our entertainment, specifically Foley. Yet another absolute classic, it didn't feel one-sided at all."

[10.0] "Here Mankind demonstrated because he is the best, this match is so psychotic and crazy, Mankind sacrificed himself for wrestling in general, he could easily go to backstage and rest, but no, he continued as if his life depended on this, with the entire destroyed body. This, without a doubt, is the best Hell in the Hell of all."

[7.0] "Besides two big spots, there's nothing else to this. It felt like they were just wasting time between the two spots to make the match longer, instead of using the time between to grow the match. I also felt the match ended prematurely, despite this time wasting between spots, and that they could've gone on 10+ minutes and taken advantage of what they'd created in that match"

[6.0] "This match famously features two of the most insane bumps ever, one deliberate and one accidental. If this happened today some people would be claiming the entire company needed to be shut down. What did need to be shut down was the match right after the chokeslam through the cage roof because Foley needed to go to hospital right then, but somehow it was allowed to continue at a plodding pace (unsurprisingly considering Foley's injuries) for several more minutes before they finally ended it. I respect the toughness shown by Foley and the Undertaker's commitment to the gimmick by staying in character the whole time, but there wasn't much to this beyond the two crazy spots."

[10.0] "What else is there to say? It's iconic for a reason, and still shocks and entertains today. Spectacular!"

[10.0] "The best match in wrestling history. No other match can live up to the hype and deliver. No other match in wrestling history can be attributed to taking years off of a competitor's life. No other wrestling match will ever feature anything close to what this match delivered. This match will often be imitated but never duplicated."

[10.0] "This match more than lives up to its legendary status. With the way everyone refers to it, you'd think the match's climax is the big throw off the cage into the table, but that happens like 2 minutes into the match. I still think the choke slam through the cage was a crazier bump, but nonetheless, Mick Foley is the man for taking all of these insane bumps and the Undertaker deserves props for maintaining character throughout all the chaos."

[9.0] "Possibly the most famous match in all of wrestling history. Everything about this match has been possibly said."

[10.0] "One of the most infamous Hell In A Cell matches in WWE history, Mick Foley continuing the match after getting through off the cell by UnderTaker through the table and getting choke-slam through the cell was unbelievable and insane. Mick deserved his flowers after this match."

"Foley was a master at making his opponents look like stars and when The Undertaker needed something to revitalize himself, Mick put his body on the line and gave us one of the most iconic matches in not only both men's careers but in WWE history."

[7.0] "its a pretty good match mainly due to 2-3 spots, which are rightfully iconic. The meat of the match is decent but this really is a 4 spot match. it's good, not my favourite. Credit to both but especially Mick. The more I think of this match and the less keen I am, its between a 7 and an 8"

[10.0] "Foley suffered many injuries in the middle of this match, including a concussion, a broken jaw, internal bleeding, broken teeth, bruised ribs, etc., but he still returned in the middle of the match and was able to make this historic match with the Undertaker."

[10.0] "The thing that always blows my mind when thinking about this match is how much the two huge bumps take over the dialogue. Because they shouldn't. The reason being is this is a fantastic cell match even without those bumps; aggressive, emotional and displaying the utter hypnotic lunacy of Foley and his career at this point (the "honest to God, he's laughing" comment from The King on commentary drips with 'this bloke I'm watching is totally gone' energy)."

[10.0] "For all Mankind, "that man has a family." Not a clinic of wrestling, but in terms of watching a man literally put his body on the line for our entertainment, in the most vicious and brutal way possible, this match deserves a 10. Forever etched in history."

[10.0] "This is insanity. I had never seen anything like it. This is the match that made me watch all Mike Foleys matches. He is insane. The drop and chokeslam are incredible. We are never going to see something like this again... and then he did it again with Triple H. This is wrestling at its best."

[10.0] "While the first hell in a cell set the bar way too high, This one managed to pay it out OF the park, the two spots on the top OF the hell in a cell are fantastic, and folley and undertaker just have this sweet chemistry"

[7.0] "I mean, I understand the importance of this match because doing a Chokeslam from the top of the cage onto the table and quickly recovering from the stego and then surviving that Tombstone is something incredible from Mick Foley. And generally there were many moments of this type here but one question comes to my mind here "Where Wrestling in this match? ". Because we won't see such typical wrestling actions here, I mean there was some ddt, Last Ride, or sueside dive but it's a bit too little for a wrestling match and a higher rating from me. Going into this match I was counting on this type of action but I thought it would be interspersed with wrestling. But as a spectacle in itself and a moment I appreciate this match."

[10.0] "If I get the urge to show someone something cool and crazy enough that wrestling has to offer, I always pick this match. It's not the ultra violent matches or death matches of the indies, there's less exploitation violence, but it's got everything that would make your jaw drop"

[10.0] "The thing with these first HIAC matches - specifically this and Shawn/Taker - is that we have seen over fifty cell matches since and these still feel completely fresh. Nothing could touch them. Totally electric."

[10.0] "10 because Mick was somehow able to deliver a good match even after the bump that changed wrestling (possibly for the worse? ) forever. The rest is remarkably well-paced and exciting even with the cage dive removed, and shows how much of a pro he truly is."

[10.0] "You search for Attitude on the dictionary and the definition is this match, from Attitude to extreme. Mick Foley took everything and more on this match like Undertaker, this is probably the most iconic Hell In A Cell match ever, a match every fan should think of, when they say Hell In A Cell, 10/10 [*****]"

[10.0] "One of the most iconic matches thanks to the two falls Mick Foley took. The match gets reduced to those two iconic images and you can't really blame anyone for those being the takeaway but the match itself is still really good. It is nothing short of a miracle that Foley survived being thrown off the cell, him surviving falling through it has to be outright divine intervention. The fact that he goes on to continue the match after all that is just insanity. I don't know how he did it."

[9.0] "The match that defined the Attitude Era. Mick Foley pit his body on the line multiple times and created at least theee memorable moments. You don't see this match to see pure wrestling, you see this to witness the destruction of a man. If you like viplent matches, this is for you."

[8.0] "This isn't much of a wrestling match as much as it is a car wreck. Absolutely over the top performance from Foley in this one, he definitely takes it too far, and not even on purpose really. A match with more than a few memorable moments, but it does lose some points for not being great at the actual wrestling part. As a spectacle there isn't really anything else like it (thank god)."

[9.0] "Everyone has seen this match, and even more people have heard of this match. EXPECPT for ME. This is the first time I ever watched this match. I realize its iconic status and now I see why. I have seen the two clips with Mick getting thrown off and through the cage but watching it not as a 15 second clip but a 20+ minutes match, it is terrifying. I wasn't even alive when this match happened but I can see why watching this live as a fan would would worrying not knowing if Mick was okay or not. Undertaker had the balls to willingly throw Mankind off the cell. I know I would never agree to make someone take that bump. Mick deserves even more credit obviously. He got beaten to a pulp and nearly killed for a wrestling match. It was less scary for me since I knew what was gonna happen but still. There will never be a match more scary than this where nobody got a serious life threatening injury. The actual match may not be great by any means but everything before the bell rang deserves this rating alone."

[9.0] "[4.25*] This is the most memorable and iconic match of all time for A LOT of people, specially on the mainstream. If you look at these wrestling/WWE websites, it will always be there and it is the match people speculathe the most about being The Wrestling Match. While it indeed has a pretty strong case of being the most memorable one, it does not necessarily mean that this is the best match ever and at least in my opinion it is not. The funny thing is, this is not Foleys favorite match either, the Orton one is. While not being the greatest it is indeed so fucking great and legendary, the best Manking character match ever obviously. Undertaker was pretty hurt so Foley had to go out there and just take the most insane bumps you will ever seen. He 100% carried the match, undoubtedly. It starts off with that bump from the top of the cage that everyone knows even outside of the wrestling world. Then he gets taken out and he goes back to the top of the cage again and he gets Chokeslamed through the cage and he fells on the ring. Then he gets up again, they have a pretty good brawl, Foley picks up the thumbtacks and guess what: He took the bumps again. Taker did fucking nothing on this match lmfaooo. He connects the Mandible Claw, Taker escapes at the last second and drops him into the thumbtacks. Then he gets Foley up again and Choleslams him on thr thumbtacks. Tombstone. 1, 2, 3. This is literally the match and it RULES. Super iconic performance from Foley that just shows why he has a great case for being the GOAT. This was just a month after the greatest Dude Love match ever against Steve Austin tho."

[10.0] "This match is undoubtedly a 10, and both of Foley's spots will be remembered throughout history. Not much more to say."

[10.0] "This match is one of the most historic in WWE. While it featured few moves, that didn't detract from its impact. Mankind risked his life, executing several daring spots. The match was surreal, with perfect storytelling throughout the 16 minutes. It's remembered to this day and, I believe, will be remembered forever."

[10.0] "The famous spots/epic mega-bumps taken by Foley and the historical context aside....what often gets overlooked is that SOMEHOW these 2 were able to put together a pretty damn good, well paced, action-packed match after all that chaos that started things off. Mankind actually gets in some respectable offense throughout the match(including multiple chair shots on top of the cell before Taker eventually gains control and tosses Foley off the edge for that history-making spot through the announcers table). Taker eventually gets busted open. Mankind almost gets Taker to pass out via the mandible claw, and also gets creative with the steel chair for some added in-ring offense, including a NASTY piledriver. Its not just pure 100% domination by the Undertaker, which is something i believe many automatically assume(like i once did) just seeing those first 2 bumps and not actually watching the entire match itself. The match is perfectly booked IMO, with Foley(as was his wish) getting to the tacks as the final spot to close out the match. As if he needed to put his body through any further damage. But that is why we love him, and why this match is so special. Its those 2, iconic, legendary falls AND the entirety of the match as a whole, and what it represented in terms of solidifying Foley as the single toughest and most fearless risk taker in the history of the business and further growing the Undertaker's legacy as well. If this match isn't a "10", then nothing is."