There was no excuse for Kane vs The Undertaker to be on the WWE Network’s ‘Best of Hell in a Cell.’ They could only have dull, plodding matches together, and their Hell in a Cell match was just another example of that. Rest assured, that’s not the worst Cell match ‘Taker has fought. In 1999, the Hell in a Cell had it’s WrestleMania premiere, the third Cell match on PPV. ‘Taker fought the Big Bossman inside the structure. Yes, it’s even more boring than it sounds, and the ending is offensive in its absurdity!
WrestleMania XV was the first WWF PPV I stayed up and watched. My dad used to tape the PPVs on VHS back in the day, and asked me to stay up and make sure the VHS Player recorded all of ‘Mania XV. Yes, as a teenager, I stayed up very, very late (even on school nights!). And I loved it. The main even between Stone Cold and The Rock blew me away. Looking back on it, it is a mediocre ‘Mania, but back then, I didn’t know any better! However, I don’t remember the Hell in a Cell clash between ‘Taker and Bossman. It was so dreary that I probably forgot about it by the time ‘Mania XV ended.
Let’s face it, Bossman was never a great worker. Like many wrestlers from the early 90s WWE, it was more about his character than his in-ring work. Could anyone name their Top 10 Bossman matches? I’d be hard pressed to name five! ‘Taker, in 1999, was plagued by a litany of injuries, and rarely had a very good/great match. He barely tried to carry Bossman to a decent outing here. Bossman, in the twilight of his career, moved at a snail’s pace. And ‘Taker wasn’t far behind.
Even at a svelte ten minute duration, this feels like half an hour. There’s nothing to note about this match at all…apart from the post-match ending. The Brood (Gangrel the leader, and two other little-known wrestlers Edge and Christian) dropped down from the rafters and helped ‘Taker hang Bossman with a noose. Yes, you read that right. A wrestler is hanged on live TV. The crowd didn’t know how to react. To make matters worse, they cut from his hanging body to a WrestleMania party!!!
The match is risible, the post-match angle offensive and horrifying. It’s a waste of the Hell in a Cell gimmick for a feud that definitely didn’t need it. There’s nothing redeeming whatsoever about this one, one of the worst ‘Mania matches ever. Avoid this at all costs (and pretty much all of ‘Mania XV, actually. Even the main event between Stone Cold and The Rock rises little above mediocrity). However, it’s not even the worst match that Bossman would be involved in inside the Hell in a Cell structure that year…
Hammy’s Rating: * (out of 5)
(Click here for more of ‘A Wrestling Match A Day‘)
Hammy Reviews 