WWE Hell in a Cell
Encyclopedia
Hell in a Cell was a professional wrestling
pay-per-view
(PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment
(WWE), which took place on October 4, 2009 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey
. It was the first Hell in a Cell
event and featured talent from the Raw
and SmackDown brands
. Eight matches took place on the event's card
.
The show was what is known as a supercard, which featured more than one main event match. The concept of the show was that each of these main event matches would be contested as Hell in a Cell matches. The main events of the evening included D-Generation X
's Triple H
and Shawn Michaels
defeating The Legacy
's Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase
, Randy Orton
defeating John Cena
to win the WWE Championship
, and The Undertaker defeating CM Punk
to win the World Heavyweight Championship
.
Other matches featured on the show were John Morrison defending the WWE Intercontinental Championship
against Dolph Ziggler
, Mickie James
versus Alicia Fox for the WWE Divas Championship
, Unified WWE Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho
and The Big Show
versus Batista and Rey Mysterio, Drew McIntyre facing R-Truth
, and a Triple Threat match for the WWE United States Championship
among Kofi Kingston
, The Miz
and Jack Swagger.
The pay-per-view drew 283,000 buys, up from the 261,000 buys No Mercy 2008
received.
from the Raw brand is between D-Generation X
(Triple H
and Shawn Michaels
) and The Legacy
(Ted DiBiase
and Cody Rhodes). Triple H and Shawn Michaels reformed their tag team
unit D-Generation X at SummerSlam
in a winning effort against Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes (collectively known as The Legacy). Their confrontations continued in the coming weeks before leading to a falls count anywhere match that can only be won by submission, which saw The Legacy get the victory. After one last major brawl between both teams the following night on Raw, it was announced later that night they would face one more time at the event in a Hell in a Cell match of their own.
The main rivalry from the SmackDown brand is between the World Heavyweight Champion
CM Punk
and The Undertaker. At Breaking Point, the two faced off in a submission match. Despite Undertaker successfully forcing Punk to submit with his Hell's Gate
submission hold, SmackDown general manager Theodore Long
declared that the hold had been banned "a long time ago" by Vickie Guerrero
and restarted the match. Reminiscent of the Montreal Screwjob
, Punk later locked in his Anaconda vise hold and despite Undertaker never submitting, Punk was declared the winner when referee Scott Armstrong called for the bell to be rang. On the September 18 edition of SmackDown, Undertaker kidnapped Long inside his limousine. Released from a casket a week later, a startled Long announced a reversal on the Hell's Gate ban and that a rematch between the two will take place at the event in a Hell in a Cell match.
Another rivalry from the Raw brand is between John Cena
and Randy Orton
over their vying for the WWE Championship
; at SummerSlam
, Orton had retained the title in a controversial fashion that saw him intentionally get disqualified before ultimately retaining the title; WWE owner, Vince McMahon
, announced a rematch at Breaking Point
; an "I Quit" match which was won by Cena. The following night on Raw, Orton received a rematch for the title from the night's guest matchmaker Trish Stratus
at Hell in a Cell in the eponymous match.
Dolph Ziggler
continued his pursuit for the WWE Intercontinental Championship
that he started in July when he won a triple threat match on the August 27 edition of WWE Superstars against Mike Knox
and Finlay
to become the number-one contender. A week later on SmackDown, John Morrison defeated Rey Mysterio to become the new Intercontinental Champion. The match between Ziggler and Morrison was originally set to take place at Breaking Point. However, the match was later postponed and subsequently announced to take place at Hell in a Cell instead.
Batista made his return to the company following a torn biceps brachii muscle
and joined SmackDown, where he came into immediate conflict with Unified WWE Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho
and The Big Show
. After several confrontations with the team, Batista announced his contention for the titles at Hell in a Cell with partner Rey Mysterio.
The first televised match was a Hell in a Cell match between World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk
and The Undertaker for the World Heavyweight Championship
. Punk focused on Undertaker's leg in the early going. Punk hit Taker with a steel chair to score a near-fall. After Punk performed his signature knee strike, Taker hit a Last Ride to score a near-fall. Punk then attempted to hit Taker with a steel chair again but Taker countered with a big boot. Taker hit a chokeslam followed by a Tombstone Piledriver to become the new World Heavyweight Champion.
The next match featured Intercontinental Champion John Morrison defending his title against Dolph Ziggler. Control of the match shifted between both superstars. Morrison missed the Starship Pain in the early part of the match. Ziggler dominated until Morrison countered a powerslam attept into a DDT. Morrison then missed a Flying Chuck, after which Ziggler hit a German suplex. Ziggler attempted to use a Zig-Zag but Morrison held onto the ropes. Morrison retained his title after hitting Ziggler with a knee and performing the Starship Pain.
Next was the Divas Championship match between defending champion Mickie James and Alicia Fox. James dominated most of the match before countering a bridge attempt by Fox into a DDT to score the pinfall and retain her championship.
The next match was between Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & The Big Show and Batista & Rey Mysterio. The challengers dominated the early part of the match, isolating Jericho from his partner. Batista hit Jericho with a spinebuster to score a near-fall, after which Jericho hit a Codebreaker on Batista to score a near-fall. Big Show then performed a chokeslam on Batista but Mysterio broke the pinfall. Batista speared both Jericho and Show on the outside. Rey then hit a 619 on Show but was hit with a knockout punch while attempting a West Coast Pop. Show then pinned Rey to retain the titles.
Main event matches
The first main event match was a Hell in a Cell match for the WWE Championship between champion John Cena and Randy Orton. Both competitors had control at different points of the match. "The Champ" used the cage to his advantage when he slammed Orton twice into the wall of the cage. When Cena attempted to slam Orton a third time the challenger pushed him into the wall instead. Orton the attempted to drive Cena onto the steel steps but "The Champ" bodyslammed the challenger to the outside. Cena followed with his usual You Can't See Me and Five Knuckle Shuffle. Orton then hit his middle-rope DDT for a near-fall. Cena followed with an Attitude Adjustment but Orton kicked out. Orton hit Cena on the neck with a steel chair, followed by a pin attempt which Cena kicked out of. Cena applied the STF to Orton but Orton managed to get to the ropes. When Cena attempted another STF Orton pushed him off, knocking the referee out in the process. Cena applied another STF and Orton tapped out, but the referee was unconscious at the time. After Cena checked on the referee Orton hit an RKO but Cena kicked out. Orton then nailed Cena with a punt kick to win his fifth WWE Championship.
The next match featured R-Truth against Drew McIntyre. R-Truth hit a dropkick and leg lariat in the early going before McIntyre hit him with a boot to the face and a clothesline. McIntyre attempted twice to hit his Future Shock DDT but Truth countered each one until McIntyre threw him from the top rope. McIntyre followed with the Future Shock to score the pinfall.
Next was a Triple Threat match for the United States Championship between champion Kofi Kingston, The Miz and Jack Swagger. Miz and Swagger worked together to deliver a double clothesline and double Irish wip to Kingston. Miz however attacked Swagger and hit Swagger and Kingston with some of his signature moves. Swagger hoisted Miz on his shoulders for an electric chair and Kingston hit Miz with a crossbody at the same time. Swagger delivered a belly-to-belly suplex on Kingston and covered him but Miz broke the pin. Kingston afterwards performed a Boom Drop on Swagger but Miz broke that pin too. Swagger attempted a German suplex on Miz but Kingston hit him with the Trouble in Paradise. Miz the delivered a Skull-Crushing Finale to Kingston but Swagger put Kingston's foot on the rope. Swagger hit his Gutwrench Powerbomb on Miz after which Kingston hit another Trouble in Paradise on Swagger. Kingston then pinned Miz to retain his title.
The final match was a Hell in a Cell tag team match between D-Generation-X and Legacy. Rhodes and DiBiase attacked DX during their entrance which led to a brwl outside the cage before the match even started. Rhodes delivered a Cross Rhodes on the entrance ramp to Triple-H. Legacy then put Michaels inside the cage and locked the door with HHH outside. Rhodes and DiBiase focused on Michaels' knee, performing knee breakers ramming it into the steel post. HBK fought back, delivering an atomic drop, chops and a Sweet Chin Music to DiBiase. However Legacy continued to dominate Michaels as Triple-H tried to break the lock with a chair. Triple-H then left, seemingly abandoning HBK. However, HHH returned with pliers and opened the door, dominating Rhodes and DiBiase. Triple-H hit DiBiase with a sledgehammer and delivered a Pedigree on him, then left him outside the cage- and locked the door(Deja Vu). HHH and HBK finished Rhodes off with a sledgehammer/Sweet Chin Music to win the match. After the match, DiBiase entered the ring but was greeted with a Sweet Chin Music.
The Sun
gave the event a generally mixed review. The newspaper praised the quality of the wrestling, but criticized the usage of the cell, claiming it pointless for the first two cell matches, and only marginally utilized in the third. They noted, "[The] current PG rating is polluting the quality of the matches, allowing for no Blood." Overall they awarded the event a 6.5/10.
In a more positive review, Chris & Bryan Sokol of SLAM! Wrestling awarded the World Championship match a 6 out of 10, the WWE Championship match an 8 out of 10, and the main event tag team match a 7 out of 10. Overall, they awarded the event a 7 out of 10.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
(PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWE), which took place on October 4, 2009 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
. It was the first Hell in a Cell
WWE Hell in a Cell
Hell in a Cell was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on October 4, 2009 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. It was the first Hell in a Cell event and featured talent from the Raw and SmackDown brands...
event and featured talent from the Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
and SmackDown brands
WWE Brand Extension
WWE, formerly the World Wrestling Federation and World Wrestling Entertainment , currently promotes its core business of professional wrestling through two "brands" named after their two major television shows Raw and SmackDown...
. Eight matches took place on the event's card
Card (sports)
In sports, a card comprises a listing of the matches taking place in a title-match combat-sport event. Organizers divide overall cards into a main-event match and the undercard, which encompasses the rest of the matches. One can also further subdivide the undercard into midcard and lower card,...
.
The show was what is known as a supercard, which featured more than one main event match. The concept of the show was that each of these main event matches would be contested as Hell in a Cell matches. The main events of the evening included D-Generation X
D-Generation X
D-Generation X was a professional wrestling stable in WWE . The group originated in the midst of the WWF's "Attitude Era" from 1997 to 2000...
's Triple H
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
and Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
defeating The Legacy
The Legacy (professional wrestling)
The Legacy was a villainous alliance of professional wrestlers in World Wrestling Entertainment. The group was led by Randy Orton and contained the tag team of Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase....
's Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase
Ted DiBiase, Jr.
Theodore Marvin "Ted" DiBiase Jr. is an American professional wrestler and actor signed with WWE, where he appears on its SmackDown brand...
, Randy Orton
Randy Orton
Randal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand...
defeating John Cena
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand....
to win the WWE Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
, and The Undertaker defeating CM Punk
CM Punk
Phillip Jack "Phil" Brooks , better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE and working on its Raw brand currently serving his second title reign as WWE Champion....
to win the World Heavyweight Championship
World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
.
Other matches featured on the show were John Morrison defending the WWE Intercontinental Championship
WWE Intercontinental Championship
The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is the original secondary title of the promotion. Currently, it is the secondary championship exclusive to the SmackDown brand...
against Dolph Ziggler
Nick Nemeth
Nicholas Theodore "Nick" Nemeth is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE performing on its Raw brand under the ring name Dolph Ziggler. He is the reigning WWE United States Champion...
, Mickie James
Mickie James
Mickie Laree James , better known simply as Mickie James, is an American professional wrestler and singer of mixed Native American-Caucasian descent, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where she is a former two-time TNA Women's Knockout Champion.James began her professional...
versus Alicia Fox for the WWE Divas Championship
WWE Divas Championship
The WWE Diva's Championship is a unified professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is competed for by WWE Divas. The championship was created by WWE in 2008, and was introduced in storyline by then-SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero as an alternative to Raw's Women's Championship...
, Unified WWE Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...
and The Big Show
Paul Wight
Paul Donald Wight, Jr. , better known by his ring name, Big Show, is an American professional wrestler and actor, currently signed to WWE on its Raw brand....
versus Batista and Rey Mysterio, Drew McIntyre facing R-Truth
Ron Killings
Ronald Aaron "Ron" Killings is an American professional wrestler and rapper. He is currently signed to WWE working on its Raw brand. Since working for the company, he has been a one time United States Champion under the ring name R-Truth and a two time Hardcore Champion under the ring name K-Kwik...
, and a Triple Threat match for the WWE United States Championship
WWE United States Championship
The WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It was originally a National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling championship, and is currently the secondary championship of the Raw brand....
among Kofi Kingston
Kofi Kingston
Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah , is a Ghanaian American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Kofi Kingston. He is currently signed to WWE and works on its Raw brand where he is one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions with Evan Bourne as Air Boom...
, The Miz
Mike Mizanin
Michael "Mike" Gregory Mizanin is an American professional wrestler and reality television personality better known by his nickname and ring name The Miz. He is currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment on its Raw brand...
and Jack Swagger.
The pay-per-view drew 283,000 buys, up from the 261,000 buys No Mercy 2008
No Mercy (2008)
No Mercy was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on October 5, 2008 at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon...
received.
Background
The main rivalryFeud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
from the Raw brand is between D-Generation X
D-Generation X
D-Generation X was a professional wrestling stable in WWE . The group originated in the midst of the WWF's "Attitude Era" from 1997 to 2000...
(Triple H
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
and Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
) and The Legacy
The Legacy (professional wrestling)
The Legacy was a villainous alliance of professional wrestlers in World Wrestling Entertainment. The group was led by Randy Orton and contained the tag team of Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase....
(Ted DiBiase
Ted DiBiase, Jr.
Theodore Marvin "Ted" DiBiase Jr. is an American professional wrestler and actor signed with WWE, where he appears on its SmackDown brand...
and Cody Rhodes). Triple H and Shawn Michaels reformed their tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
unit D-Generation X at SummerSlam
SummerSlam (2009)
SummerSlam was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on August 23, 2009 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. It was the 22nd annual SummerSlam event and featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brands...
in a winning effort against Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes (collectively known as The Legacy). Their confrontations continued in the coming weeks before leading to a falls count anywhere match that can only be won by submission, which saw The Legacy get the victory. After one last major brawl between both teams the following night on Raw, it was announced later that night they would face one more time at the event in a Hell in a Cell match of their own.
The main rivalry from the SmackDown brand is between the World Heavyweight Champion
World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
CM Punk
CM Punk
Phillip Jack "Phil" Brooks , better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE and working on its Raw brand currently serving his second title reign as WWE Champion....
and The Undertaker. At Breaking Point, the two faced off in a submission match. Despite Undertaker successfully forcing Punk to submit with his Hell's Gate
Gogoplata
A gogoplata is a type of chokehold also called Kagato-Jime in Judo, that is used in grappling and was popularised by practitioners of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.-Execution:...
submission hold, SmackDown general manager Theodore Long
Theodore Long
Theodore R. "Teddy" Long is an American professional wrestling manager and former referee who currently works for WWE on its SmackDown brand as its General Manager.-National Wrestling Alliance / World Championship Wrestling:...
declared that the hold had been banned "a long time ago" by Vickie Guerrero
Vickie Guerrero
Vickie Lynn Guerrero is an American professional wrestling personality, manager, shifting authority figure and occasional wrestler. She is the widow of professional wrestler Eddie Guerrero, currently signed to WWE on its Raw brand...
and restarted the match. Reminiscent of the Montreal Screwjob
Montreal Screwjob
The Montreal Screwjob was a controversial, purportedly real life professional wrestling event in which the owner of the World Wrestling Federation, Vince McMahon, double-crossed the defending WWF Champion, Bret Hart, during the main event match of the professional wrestling pay-per-view event...
, Punk later locked in his Anaconda vise hold and despite Undertaker never submitting, Punk was declared the winner when referee Scott Armstrong called for the bell to be rang. On the September 18 edition of SmackDown, Undertaker kidnapped Long inside his limousine. Released from a casket a week later, a startled Long announced a reversal on the Hell's Gate ban and that a rematch between the two will take place at the event in a Hell in a Cell match.
Another rivalry from the Raw brand is between John Cena
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand....
and Randy Orton
Randy Orton
Randal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand...
over their vying for the WWE Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
; at SummerSlam
SummerSlam (2009)
SummerSlam was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on August 23, 2009 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. It was the 22nd annual SummerSlam event and featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brands...
, Orton had retained the title in a controversial fashion that saw him intentionally get disqualified before ultimately retaining the title; WWE owner, Vince McMahon
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
, announced a rematch at Breaking Point
WWE Breaking Point
Breaking Point was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on September 13, 2009 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brands. The name of the event was voted by fans via...
; an "I Quit" match which was won by Cena. The following night on Raw, Orton received a rematch for the title from the night's guest matchmaker Trish Stratus
Trish Stratus
Patricia Anne Stratigias , better known by her ring name Trish Stratus, is a Canadian professional wrestler, actress and television personality currently signed with WWE. She is also a former fitness model....
at Hell in a Cell in the eponymous match.
Dolph Ziggler
Nick Nemeth
Nicholas Theodore "Nick" Nemeth is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE performing on its Raw brand under the ring name Dolph Ziggler. He is the reigning WWE United States Champion...
continued his pursuit for the WWE Intercontinental Championship
WWE Intercontinental Championship
The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is the original secondary title of the promotion. Currently, it is the secondary championship exclusive to the SmackDown brand...
that he started in July when he won a triple threat match on the August 27 edition of WWE Superstars against Mike Knox
Mike Knox
Michael Shawn Hettinga is a American professional wrestler. He is best known for wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment as Mike Knox. He is also an avid fisherman, and fishes in his spare time.-Independent circuit :...
and Finlay
Dave Finlay
David John "Fit" Finlay Jr. is a Northern Irish professional wrestler and road agent. He is perhaps best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling and WWE as an active wrestler and later as a road agent...
to become the number-one contender. A week later on SmackDown, John Morrison defeated Rey Mysterio to become the new Intercontinental Champion. The match between Ziggler and Morrison was originally set to take place at Breaking Point. However, the match was later postponed and subsequently announced to take place at Hell in a Cell instead.
Batista made his return to the company following a torn biceps brachii muscle
Biceps brachii muscle
In human anatomy, the biceps brachii, or simply biceps in common parlance, is, as the name implies, a two-headed muscle located on the upper arm. Both heads arise on the scapula and join to form a single muscle belly which is attached to the upper forearm...
and joined SmackDown, where he came into immediate conflict with Unified WWE Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...
and The Big Show
Paul Wight
Paul Donald Wight, Jr. , better known by his ring name, Big Show, is an American professional wrestler and actor, currently signed to WWE on its Raw brand....
. After several confrontations with the team, Batista announced his contention for the titles at Hell in a Cell with partner Rey Mysterio.
Event
Preliminary matchesThe first televised match was a Hell in a Cell match between World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk
CM Punk
Phillip Jack "Phil" Brooks , better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE and working on its Raw brand currently serving his second title reign as WWE Champion....
and The Undertaker for the World Heavyweight Championship
World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
. Punk focused on Undertaker's leg in the early going. Punk hit Taker with a steel chair to score a near-fall. After Punk performed his signature knee strike, Taker hit a Last Ride to score a near-fall. Punk then attempted to hit Taker with a steel chair again but Taker countered with a big boot. Taker hit a chokeslam followed by a Tombstone Piledriver to become the new World Heavyweight Champion.
The next match featured Intercontinental Champion John Morrison defending his title against Dolph Ziggler. Control of the match shifted between both superstars. Morrison missed the Starship Pain in the early part of the match. Ziggler dominated until Morrison countered a powerslam attept into a DDT. Morrison then missed a Flying Chuck, after which Ziggler hit a German suplex. Ziggler attempted to use a Zig-Zag but Morrison held onto the ropes. Morrison retained his title after hitting Ziggler with a knee and performing the Starship Pain.
Next was the Divas Championship match between defending champion Mickie James and Alicia Fox. James dominated most of the match before countering a bridge attempt by Fox into a DDT to score the pinfall and retain her championship.
The next match was between Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & The Big Show and Batista & Rey Mysterio. The challengers dominated the early part of the match, isolating Jericho from his partner. Batista hit Jericho with a spinebuster to score a near-fall, after which Jericho hit a Codebreaker on Batista to score a near-fall. Big Show then performed a chokeslam on Batista but Mysterio broke the pinfall. Batista speared both Jericho and Show on the outside. Rey then hit a 619 on Show but was hit with a knockout punch while attempting a West Coast Pop. Show then pinned Rey to retain the titles.
Main event matches
The first main event match was a Hell in a Cell match for the WWE Championship between champion John Cena and Randy Orton. Both competitors had control at different points of the match. "The Champ" used the cage to his advantage when he slammed Orton twice into the wall of the cage. When Cena attempted to slam Orton a third time the challenger pushed him into the wall instead. Orton the attempted to drive Cena onto the steel steps but "The Champ" bodyslammed the challenger to the outside. Cena followed with his usual You Can't See Me and Five Knuckle Shuffle. Orton then hit his middle-rope DDT for a near-fall. Cena followed with an Attitude Adjustment but Orton kicked out. Orton hit Cena on the neck with a steel chair, followed by a pin attempt which Cena kicked out of. Cena applied the STF to Orton but Orton managed to get to the ropes. When Cena attempted another STF Orton pushed him off, knocking the referee out in the process. Cena applied another STF and Orton tapped out, but the referee was unconscious at the time. After Cena checked on the referee Orton hit an RKO but Cena kicked out. Orton then nailed Cena with a punt kick to win his fifth WWE Championship.
The next match featured R-Truth against Drew McIntyre. R-Truth hit a dropkick and leg lariat in the early going before McIntyre hit him with a boot to the face and a clothesline. McIntyre attempted twice to hit his Future Shock DDT but Truth countered each one until McIntyre threw him from the top rope. McIntyre followed with the Future Shock to score the pinfall.
Next was a Triple Threat match for the United States Championship between champion Kofi Kingston, The Miz and Jack Swagger. Miz and Swagger worked together to deliver a double clothesline and double Irish wip to Kingston. Miz however attacked Swagger and hit Swagger and Kingston with some of his signature moves. Swagger hoisted Miz on his shoulders for an electric chair and Kingston hit Miz with a crossbody at the same time. Swagger delivered a belly-to-belly suplex on Kingston and covered him but Miz broke the pin. Kingston afterwards performed a Boom Drop on Swagger but Miz broke that pin too. Swagger attempted a German suplex on Miz but Kingston hit him with the Trouble in Paradise. Miz the delivered a Skull-Crushing Finale to Kingston but Swagger put Kingston's foot on the rope. Swagger hit his Gutwrench Powerbomb on Miz after which Kingston hit another Trouble in Paradise on Swagger. Kingston then pinned Miz to retain his title.
The final match was a Hell in a Cell tag team match between D-Generation-X and Legacy. Rhodes and DiBiase attacked DX during their entrance which led to a brwl outside the cage before the match even started. Rhodes delivered a Cross Rhodes on the entrance ramp to Triple-H. Legacy then put Michaels inside the cage and locked the door with HHH outside. Rhodes and DiBiase focused on Michaels' knee, performing knee breakers ramming it into the steel post. HBK fought back, delivering an atomic drop, chops and a Sweet Chin Music to DiBiase. However Legacy continued to dominate Michaels as Triple-H tried to break the lock with a chair. Triple-H then left, seemingly abandoning HBK. However, HHH returned with pliers and opened the door, dominating Rhodes and DiBiase. Triple-H hit DiBiase with a sledgehammer and delivered a Pedigree on him, then left him outside the cage- and locked the door(Deja Vu). HHH and HBK finished Rhodes off with a sledgehammer/Sweet Chin Music to win the match. After the match, DiBiase entered the ring but was greeted with a Sweet Chin Music.
Reception
Hell In A Cell received generally mixed reviews.The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
gave the event a generally mixed review. The newspaper praised the quality of the wrestling, but criticized the usage of the cell, claiming it pointless for the first two cell matches, and only marginally utilized in the third. They noted, "[The] current PG rating is polluting the quality of the matches, allowing for no Blood." Overall they awarded the event a 6.5/10.
In a more positive review, Chris & Bryan Sokol of SLAM! Wrestling awarded the World Championship match a 6 out of 10, the WWE Championship match an 8 out of 10, and the main event tag team match a 7 out of 10. Overall, they awarded the event a 7 out of 10.
Results
| # | Matches | Stipulations | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark | Matt Hardy Matt Hardy Matthew Moore "Matt" Hardy is a semi-retired American professional wrestler. He is best known for his stints in World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling .... defeated Mike Knox Mike Knox Michael Shawn Hettinga is a American professional wrestler. He is best known for wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment as Mike Knox. He is also an avid fisherman, and fishes in his spare time.-Independent circuit :... |
Singles match | 09:01 |
| 1 | The Undertaker defeated CM Punk CM Punk Phillip Jack "Phil" Brooks , better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE and working on its Raw brand currently serving his second title reign as WWE Champion.... (c) |
Hell in a Cell match for the World Heavyweight Championship World Heavyweight Championship (WWE) The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand... |
21:24 |
| 2 | John Morrison (c) defeated Dolph Ziggler Nick Nemeth Nicholas Theodore "Nick" Nemeth is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE performing on its Raw brand under the ring name Dolph Ziggler. He is the reigning WWE United States Champion... |
Singles match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship WWE Intercontinental Championship The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is the original secondary title of the promotion. Currently, it is the secondary championship exclusive to the SmackDown brand... |
15:41 |
| 3 | Mickie James Mickie James Mickie Laree James , better known simply as Mickie James, is an American professional wrestler and singer of mixed Native American-Caucasian descent, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where she is a former two-time TNA Women's Knockout Champion.James began her professional... (c) defeated Alicia Fox |
Singles match for the WWE Divas Championship | 05:20 |
| 4 | Jeri-Show Jeri-Show Jeri-Show was a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of Chris Jericho and Big Show, which competed in the World Wrestling Entertainment promotion... (Chris Jericho Chris Jericho Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer... and The Big Show Paul Wight Paul Donald Wight, Jr. , better known by his ring name, Big Show, is an American professional wrestler and actor, currently signed to WWE on its Raw brand.... ) (c) defeated Batista and Rey Mysterio |
Tag team Tag team Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name... match for the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship |
14:41 |
| 5 | Randy Orton Randy Orton Randal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand... defeated John Cena John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand.... (c) |
Hell in a Cell match for the WWE Championship WWE Championship The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963... |
24:56 |
| 6 | Drew McIntyre defeated R-Truth Ron Killings Ronald Aaron "Ron" Killings is an American professional wrestler and rapper. He is currently signed to WWE working on its Raw brand. Since working for the company, he has been a one time United States Champion under the ring name R-Truth and a two time Hardcore Champion under the ring name K-Kwik... |
Singles match | 10:38 |
| 7 | Kofi Kingston Kofi Kingston Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah , is a Ghanaian American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Kofi Kingston. He is currently signed to WWE and works on its Raw brand where he is one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions with Evan Bourne as Air Boom... (c) defeated Jack Swagger and The Miz Mike Mizanin Michael "Mike" Gregory Mizanin is an American professional wrestler and reality television personality better known by his nickname and ring name The Miz. He is currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment on its Raw brand... |
Triple Threat match for the WWE United States Championship WWE United States Championship The WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It was originally a National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling championship, and is currently the secondary championship of the Raw brand.... |
11:53 |
| 8 | D-Generation X D-Generation X D-Generation X was a professional wrestling stable in WWE . The group originated in the midst of the WWF's "Attitude Era" from 1997 to 2000... (Triple H Triple H Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley... and Shawn Michaels Shawn Michaels Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December... ) defeated The Legacy The Legacy (professional wrestling) The Legacy was a villainous alliance of professional wrestlers in World Wrestling Entertainment. The group was led by Randy Orton and contained the tag team of Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase.... (Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Ted DiBiase, Jr. Theodore Marvin "Ted" DiBiase Jr. is an American professional wrestler and actor signed with WWE, where he appears on its SmackDown brand... ) |
Tag team Hell in a Cell match | 28:02 |
See also
- List of WWE pay-per-view events
- WWE Hell in a CellWWE Hell in a CellHell in a Cell was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on October 4, 2009 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. It was the first Hell in a Cell event and featured talent from the Raw and SmackDown brands...