PWP’s Matthew Burgess takes a trip down memory lane with the history of CM Punk inside the Hell in a Cell structure.
Since the beginning of the Hell in a Cell PPV in 2009, no man has featured inside the most brutal and unforgiving structure in WWE more than CM Punk. With five appearances to his name, boasting a record of 2-3, most encounters for CM Punk inside the cell have been a little underwhelming.
However, despite being out of professional wrestling for nearly two years, CM Punk is still the biggest name in the industry. So as we are nearly two weeks away from Hell in a Cell, let’s look back at all five of ‘The Best in the World’s’ matches inside the steel structure.
CM Punk vs. The Undertaker – Hell in a Cell – 2009
CM Punk’s first match inside Hell in a Cell saw him defend his World Heavyweight Championship against the most formidable performer in WWE history, The Undertaker. ‘The Straight Edge Superstar’ had beaten The Undertaker in their last two matches, once by count out on Smackdown and the other by a controversial submission at Breaking Point, reminiscent of the Montreal Screwjob. The Undertaker would enact his revenge by kidnapping Smackdown General Manager Theodore Long, who one week later announced a rematch between the two would take place at Hell in a Cell.
At the time, this was the biggest match in Punk’s budding career, and in the words of ‘Good ol’ JR”, “If he can beat The Undertaker tonight, it would put Punk among the greatest of all time in WWE.” However, this was not the case.
In a little over 10 minute match, the cunning Punk targeted ‘The Dead Man’s’ knee, and although he withstood a barrage of strikes and was thrown around the cell like a rag doll, he held his own and matched up well with The Undertaker. Ultimately a Chokeslam and a Tombstone Piledriver were enough for ‘The Deadman’ to pin Punk, and claim his seventh World Championship.
It was a match with a simple storyline, the resilient Undertaker going up against the undeserving, weasel of a champion. Given the length of the match, this was never going to be an instant classic, but it was entertaining and in many ways helped cement Punk as a main event star.
CM Punk vs. John Cena vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Jack Swagger – Raw SuperShow – 2011 (Non-televised)
One of many firsts for CM Punk inside Hell in a Cell, this untelevised match was the shortest and perhaps most insignificant in the stipulation’s history. The only five-man Hell in a Cell match was seen by those in attendance that night in Kansas, Mo.
John Cena put his WWE Championship on the line against Punk, Alberto Del Rio, Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger in a match that barely lasted five minutes after Raw went off the air. The match, which was essentially a three-on-two beat down of Punk and Cena, was over when Cena pinned Swagger after an Attitude Adjustment, thus retaining is WWE Championship, which he would defend in just six days.
CM Punk vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. John Cena – Hell in a Cell – 2011
After CM Punk, Alberto Del Rio and reigning champion John Cena, had all held the WWE Championship in the space of just over a month; both Punk and Del Rio were granted their contractual rematches at Hell in a Cell. The first triple threat match contested inside Hell in a Cell was supposed to clear up the controversy and uncertainty that surrounded the WWE Championship at the time, but this match certainly did not.
What started out as three men weighing up their opponents soon turned into a fast pace and exciting match.
Ultimately, Del Rio would mastermind a controversial victory and walk away from his first match inside Hell in a Cell with the championship. With the help of Ricardo Rodriguez and a steel pipe, Del Rio was able to lock Cena outside of the cell and pin Punk. Anarchy would follow when a recently fired Miz and R-Truth attacked everyone after the match.
Although this was not the most violent Hell in a Cell match, it was a well worked triple threat, jam packed with near falls and sudden attacks; and was by far the best match CM Punk had inside the five tons of steel.
CM Punk (w/Paul Heyman) vs. Ryback – Hell in a Cell – 2012
CM Punk’s first victory inside Hell in a Cell came after three attempts and at the expense of a previously undefeated Ryback. After Punk and Cena fought to a draw at Night of Champions, ‘The Second City Saint’ refused Cena’s countless challenges for a rematch, even whilst the self proclaimed ‘Face that Runs the Place’ was recovering from arm surgery. All the while, Ryback had attempted to confront Punk on a number of occasions, with Punk usually escaping.
Ultimately, Punk was given the choice to defend his WWE Championship against either Cena or Ryback. However, when Punk took too long to decide, Vince McMahon made the decision for him, and Ryback was given his first championship match in WWE.
The match started with the much smaller Punk avoiding Ryback for as long as he could. Eventually, Ryback took control and manhandled Punk. However, just as Ryback looked to be closing in on victory, with Punk on his shoulders about to be Shell Shocked, referee Brad Maddox hit Ryback with a low blow. This allowed Punk to roll up Ryback, and with quick count, retaining his championship in typical heel fashion.
Still, Ryback had the last laugh, Shell Shocking Punk on top of the cell, standing tall and leading the raucous crowd in a “Feed me more” chant. Nobody will look back at this match that fondly, but it did its job. Ryback came out looking like an absolute monster who was cheated out victory, whilst Punk retained his championship and went on to have the sixth longest reign in WWE title history.
CM Punk vs. Ryback (w/Paul Heyman) – Hell in a Cell – 2013
CM Punk’s last Hell in Cell match came about when Paul Heyman, posing as Punk’s advocate during the Money in the Bank ladder match, turned on his client, and subsequently cost him the opportunity for a future WWE Championship match.
What followed was a rivalry which pitted Punk against a number of ‘Paul Heyman Guys’, including Brock Lesnar, Curtis Axel and of course Ryback. After winning a ‘Beat the Clock’ challenge on Raw, Punk was able to pick the stipulation for his and Ryback’s match at Hell in a Cell. Surprisingly Punk added Heyman as Ryback’s partner, and also decided to contest the match inside Hell in a Cell, thus setting up the first 2-on-1 handicap match in the stipulation’s history.
Heyman, who entered on a cherry picker, would ascend to the top of the cell, where he would bark orders at Ryback, and ultimately avoid the match. Unlike all his other Hell in a Cell matches, Punk stared out valiantly with aggressive offence from the bell. Not surprising given the heel-face swap between Punk and Ryback from their previous encounter.
It did not take long for Ryback to overpower Punk , and in doing so, deal out a great deal of punishment. In what was Punk’s most extreme Hell in a Cell match, culminating in Punk driving Ryback through a table with an elbow drop, the determined face ultimately prevailed , with Punk hitting a GTS for the pinfall victory.
In terms of match quality, it was a good decision to find a way for Heyman not be involved in the actual match, and to let Punk and Ryback do the work. Once again, this was a decent match, made more intriguing with the roles reversed and Heyman switching sides from the previous year’s encounter. Seeing Punk get his revenge on Heyman with a kendo stick on top of the cell made for gratifying viewing, and definitely added something more to the match.
When people think of pioneers inside Hell in a Cell, names like Triple H, The Undertaker and Mick Foley often come to mind. However, featuring in the first title change, the first untelevised match, the first triple threat and the first 2-on-1 handicap match, in many ways CM Punk was a pioneer of Hell in a Cell, despite most of his matches leaving more to be desired.