EJHai Posted October 11, 2003 Share Posted October 11, 2003 (edited) http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:vrliqoVd_uEC:www.tuttowrestling.com/blood.jpgSix years ago this week, on Oct. 5, 1997 in St. Louis, Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker battled in the first-ever Hell in a Cell. Edited October 11, 2003 by EJHai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ecwrulz Posted October 11, 2003 Share Posted October 11, 2003 http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:vrliqoVd_uEC:www.tuttowrestling.com/blood.jpg Six years ago this week, on Oct. 5, 1997 in St. Louis, Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker battled in the first-ever Hell in a Cell.âIt was our first time doing a match that nobody had seen, which is always exciting,â Michaels told WWE.com. âI knew as we were doing it that it was a really good match. And obviously when it was over, I knew it was really good. Weâd done something that was groundbreaking and special. I like being part of a really good product, and we definitely created one.âUndertaker said, âI donât think anyone really understood what a weapon it was going to be. And no one foresaw people getting out of it and going on top of it. I think even to this day, it sets the standard for when youâve got a situation where thereâs got to be a final close or a must-winner. I think it calls for a Hell in a Cell.âIndeed, Hell in a Cell has become just that for WWE. The ultimate, brutal culmination of a rivalry that otherwise cannot be settled. For Undertaker and the Heartbreak Kid, for example, the match was ordered after weeks of âTaker trying to get his hands on HBK, but Michaels somehow escaping. But there was no escaping the Hell in a Cell, or so it was thought.Their epic encounter, which lastly nearly one hour, featured Shawn Michaels falling off the side of the cage, one of the most memorable falls in WWE history at the time. (It also featured the debut of Kane.)But the match was more than just âbumps.â Although subsequent Hell in a Cells may have featured more memorable specific instances, Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels was the best Hell in a Cell overall, the participants said. It also ranks near the top of both Superstarsâ lists of their all-time best matches.âThatâs definitely one of my favorites,â HBK said. âThe two of us in the ring, his presence and mine, the size difference, that huge structure -- itâs a match that, creatively, is set when you get in the ring. You donât have to search for anything (and) you donât have to struggle to get anybody to (get the crowd into it).âSubsequent Hell in a Cell competitors knew there was no way they could outdo HBK-âTaker in terms of match quality. Mick Foley has discussed that fact many times, saying that itâs the main reason he opted to climb to the top of the structure right off the bat for his Hell in a Cell with Undertaker, the second one ever, at King of the Ring â98.âWhen I saw Mick after that, he paid me a wonderful compliment,â Michaels said.âHe said, âShawn, I knew I couldnât go out there and follow the match that you and âTaker had. So the only thing I could think of was to go to the top.ââUndertaker said that the first Hell in a Cell was the best âby far, although the one with Mankind in Pittsburgh was off the charts as far as the violence, the falls, throwing Mankind off the cage and chokeslamming him through it. Those were instances. But I think for overall match quality, the first one is by far the best. Itâs going to be tough to top that one.âHe added, âI would put that up there, probably, with my top five best matches of all, even though I lost the match due to Kane and all that. It was probably one of the finest hours for the Undertaker because of the sheer dominance that came across during the match.âIn all, there have been nine Hell in a Cells in WWE, including the infamous Kennel in a Cell between Al Snow and Big Boss Man at Unforgiven â99. Most recently, Triple H defeated Kevin Nash at Bad Blood in Houston.Undertaker has been in five of the matches, which he says is logical because the Hell in a Cell suits his style. âIâm the kind of guy thatâs going to beat you until you canât get up anymore,â he said.Itâs been said that matches like the Hell in a Cell, as well as the Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match and the Elimination Chamber, are career-shorteners. âYouâre trained and youâre conditioned to a lot of what happens in a normal wrestling ring,â Undertaker said. âBut itâs virtually impossible to train or prepare yourself for the trauma that your bodyâs going to take inside the Cell. Youâre going to run into things, and people are going to run you into things in that Cell that just donât give. And now that the match itself is so famous, you lay a lot more of yourself on the line for that match because you know what people expect.âMore than one Superstar, the day after a Cell match, once the adrenaline has worn off and the muscles have tightened, has compared the feeling to being âhit by a bus.âYou might say Michaels paved the way six years ago during the first-ever Hell in a Cell. He was beat pillar to post and bled profusely.âIdeally, you donât ever want to bleed that much,â he said with a chuckle. âThe cut wouldnât shut. It slowed down a little bit, but then when I went in the shower and the heat hit it, it just started (bleeding) all over the place.So I had to go to the emergency room that night and get 15 stitches on the inside and 15 stitches on the outside.âUndertaker says he probably lost more blood than at any time in his career when Triple H hit him with a sledgehammer leading up to their match at WrestleMania X-Seven, âbut as far as a match itself, (the Hell in a Cell against Brock Lesnar at No Mercy â02) was probably the most Iâve ever bled.âBoth Michaels and Undertaker said that a competitor simply canât think about how badly heâs going to be beat up after battling in a Cell.âItâs kind of a given that youâre going to step into the Cell and youâre going to lose blood and break bones,â âTaker said. âThatâs just how it goes. You know the ramifications before you step into the Cell. You donât really worry about whatâs going to happen afterwards.âMichaels said, âExcept for my (match at WrestleMania XIV against Stone Cold Steve Austin), I never once thought about coming out of a match and wondering how I was going to feel. You know getting into this line of work that itâs going to be hard, so that was never really an issue.âUnfortunately, Michaels was forced to retire (not for good, it would turn out) beginning less than six months after the first Hell in a Cell, although he says thatâs just a coincidence and that his four-year-plus hiatus had more to do with overall wear and tear.âI never thought about the end of my career or getting hurt,â he said. âAnd thatâs probably one of the reasons that, when it did happen, it was a little difficult for me to deal with.âBy the time Michaels wrestled in what he thought would be his last match â in March 29, 1998 at WrestleMania XIV â he had already solidified his legacy as one of the best. One reason for that was his performance on Oct. 5, 1997 in the first-ever Hell in a Cell â a match that started a trend, a match for which the Undertaker has become somewhat synonymous, and a match that fans still tell Michaels six years later is one of their favorites.âWrestling fans express that,â HBK said. âWhen people bring it up as being something they really enjoy ⌠getting accolades and recognition from fans, I think anybody would be a liar if they said thatâs not one of the reasons they do this job. Thatâs great to have. Nobody gets tired of hearing somebody say, âHey, that was really great.ââAdded the Undertaker, âYou never know whatâs going to transpire, whatâs going to happen.It was definitely not my motivation to start a trend, but I think for now and the near future, when you think of Hell in a Cell, you have to think of the Undertaker. Hell in a Cell is something that sparks a fire in people. When youâre name is synonymous with something like that, itâs a cool feeling.âMy god, I remember sitting up watching this classic, it doesnt seem like 6 years ago. When wrestling was good........ I LOVE 1997! not to burst your bubble or anything it was 6 years ago last weekend Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaka Demus Posted October 11, 2003 Share Posted October 11, 2003 Gee's, That long ago? It just goes to show how much time flys. I wasn't even 10 years old at that time. I still remember coming home from school on the day after and watching it after my dad taped it. If Im honest I think I watched the Hell In a cell twice because it was so much of a different kind of match than others at that time.And ECWRulz, Your sig is over the limit. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ecwrulz Posted October 11, 2003 Share Posted October 11, 2003 (edited) Gee's, That long ago? It just goes to show how much time flys. I wasn't even 10 years old at that time. I still remember coming home from school on the day after and watching it after my dad taped it. If Im honest I think I watched the Hell In a cell twice because it was so much of a different kind of match than others at that time.And ECWRulz, Your sig is over the limit. Thank you.better ??? Edited October 11, 2003 by ecwrulz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Terry Nutkins Posted October 11, 2003 Share Posted October 11, 2003 http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:vrliqoVd_uEC:www.tuttowrestling.com/blood.jpgTheir epic encounter, which lasted nearly one hour, featured Shawn Michaels falling off the side of the cage, one of the most memorable falls in WWE history at the time. (It also featured the debut of Kane.) This is why we all have a great admiration for World Wrestling Entertainment. Honesty - though their clocks clearly go twice as fast as ours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of a Bullet Posted October 11, 2003 Share Posted October 11, 2003 woaa, no way was it that long ago, I can remember watching it live on the old Sky, it was pissing down outside so the picture was all grainy, I still have the original tape, ahh the memories of days gone by Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Prince Posted October 11, 2003 Share Posted October 11, 2003 Their epic encounter, which lastly nearly one hour... Did it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Defikon Posted October 11, 2003 Share Posted October 11, 2003 (edited) Christ! it was 6 years ago?!? I can still remember watching that match in amazement, to this day I've never got that same feeling from wrestling. It's still one of my fave matches of all time. I remember the next day at school talking my mate (who was the only other wrestling fan I knew) about it loads and then watching it again and again on tape over the next week. I wish I hadn't recorded over it when I went off wrestling for a bit. I MUST buy a copy of Badd Blood 97 soon. Edited October 11, 2003 by Defikon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CTXRussomark Posted October 11, 2003 Share Posted October 11, 2003 Their epic encounter, which lastly nearly one hour... Did it? Maybe if you include the entrances and post-match happenings. Otherwise, not even close. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PAFC Posted October 11, 2003 Share Posted October 11, 2003 I remember a few weeks before the match, my Dad was dissing me because I watched wrestling and said that if it was so real, how come they don't bleed. Then the day after Bad Blood, I watched the match on tape with my Dad and he saw Shawn Michaels's face covered in blood and my Dad just shut up from there. I can't believe that it was six years ago, time just flies by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members MoChatra Posted October 11, 2003 Paid Members Share Posted October 11, 2003 Love, hate, emotion, passion, fear and bravery; this match was Shawn Michaels at his absolute peak. A level 99% of wrestlers that have ever worked a match can only dream of reaching. For all the people who harp on about how great Bret Hart was as a storyteller, the fable of this encounter was as engrossing as any Hart produced in his career.For weeks, Michaels had enraged and riled up the Goliath. Come combat time, HBK was consumed by fear yet driven by an unrelenting will to win. Despite looking hopelessly outmatched against a well prepared and uttertly focused adversary, Michaels held on to the faint hope that something, anything, would help him turn the tables. That something turned out to be Kane, but not before Michaels had sucked the crowd in with the kind of performance only he could have mustered.An utter masterclass from an incredible performer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaka Demus Posted October 11, 2003 Share Posted October 11, 2003 Gee's, That long ago? It just goes to show how much time flys. I wasn't even 10 years old at that time. I still remember coming home from school on the day after and watching it after my dad taped it. If Im honest I think I watched the Hell In a cell twice because it was so much of a different kind of match than others at that time.And ECWRulz, Your sig is over the limit. Thank you.better ??? What the bejesus is that supposed to mean you oxymoron. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Will Posted October 11, 2003 Share Posted October 11, 2003 (edited) It is really amazing to think it was 6 years ago and how much wrestling has changd in such a short time but it is always going to be the best hell in a cell match Edited October 11, 2003 by Big_Will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BionicRedneck Posted October 11, 2003 Share Posted October 11, 2003 (edited) this match was Shawn Michaels at his absolute peak. A level 99% of wrestlers that have ever worked a match can only dream of reaching.That's a joke, right? Firstly, Shawn's peak was probably 95 and secondly, even at his very, very best there were much better wrestlers than him.For all the people who harp on about how great Bret Hart was as a storyteller, the fable of this encounter was as engrossing as any Hart produced in his career.I guess you missed the two Austin matches and the matches against Owen. For weeks, Michaels had enraged and riled up the Goliath. Come combat time, HBK was consumed by fearThat's just the thing with Michaels. He looked scared of Taker when the bell rung, yet moments before he had been dancing, strutting, pointing to himself etc. It's a problem I have often found with Shawn. He is too busy being "Shawn Michaels" to put over the severity of situation. Look at his return match against HHH. He is supposed to hate, loath and destest this guy. A guy who put his head through a window, who was supposedly Shawn's best buddy, and what does Shawn do as he enters the ring? Dance around, do his little comedy strutting and sits on the top rope smiling. but not before Michaels had sucked the crowd in with the kind of performance only he could have mustered.Did you actually watch this thing? It goes like this: Taker beats Shawn badly, Shawn bumps so over the top it's hard to take it seriously, Taker no-sells, Shawn get's some offense, Taker no-sells, the gimmick is rendered useless (It's supposed to keep everybody in and everybody out. It did neither.), more bumps and finally the most ridiculous finish you will ever see. Good fun? maybe. Simple big man vs. little man psych? yep. "An utter masterclass from an incredible performer"? Not really. Hell, even Shawn has had much better matches than this.Just my opinion, anyway. Edited October 11, 2003 by BionicRedneck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Rob Lowe Posted October 11, 2003 Paid Members Share Posted October 11, 2003 I can remember u slagging of HBK before redneck. Youre not Bret Hart are you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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