WWE's upcoming Bad Blood pay-per-view on Oct. 5 will mark the return of not only the event itself for the first time in two decades but also the famed Hell in a Cell match.

It will be exactly 27 years to the day since the first-ever Hell in a Cell matchup took place at the inaugural Bad Blood event. Interestingly, The Devil's Playground has headlined every installment to date and the 2024 edition should be no exception.

CM Punk and Drew McIntyre have been embroiled in a heated feud all year and the steel structure will be the perfect place for it to culminate. It serves as a reminder that the concept was once reserved for big blow-offs to long-running rivalries and utilized only when necessary.

The gimmick was greatly devalued upon becoming an annual event in 2009. Most matches were held inside the giant cage without reason and the show would feature anywhere between one to three Hell in a Cell matches every October.

Now that the stipulation has regained some of the luster it lost, let's look back at the seven Hell in a Cell matches that have defined its legacy.

7. The Undertaker vs. Triple H (2012)

For 15 years, Triple H, Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker were all synonymous with Hell in a Cell, largely for their epic battles with each other. Thus, it was only fitting that their final encounter—at least until 2018—came inside the sinister structure at WrestleMania 28.

Triple H had everything to gain and nothing to lose. He had already been beaten twice before by The Deadman at The Show of Shows, and this was his chance to avenge those losses while also preventing him from hitting the historic 20-0 milestone.

Shawn Michaels was the ultimate X-factor as the special guest referee, even attempting to aid his D-Generation tag partner to victory with an incredible Sweet Chin Music-Pedigree combo to 'Taker that nearly ended his storied streak.

Although it was slow and plodding at times due the older age of the performers, they told a spectacular story and the drama was at an all-time high. They took the crowd on a ride and it paid off in phenomenal fashion, resulting in one of the few truly memorable Hell in a Cell matches from the 2010s.

In many ways, it was indeed the end of an era as advertised.

6. The Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar (2002)

Several wrestlers have cemented their status as stars following a career-making performance inside Hell in a Cell, and Brock Lesnar was among the first.

The former MMA fighter was already riding off an unprecedented rookie year that saw him rack up wins against The Rock and Hulk Hogan and clinch his first WWE world title within months of debuting.

However, it wasn't until his Hell in a Cell match with The Undertaker at No Mercy 2002 that he reached that elite level as a main event player.

For all the punishment Undertaker put The Beast Incarnate through over the course of the contest, The Phenom suffered an equal amount of agony. Even Lesnar's advocate, Paul Heyman, got in harm's way simply by standing outside of the cage and felt 'Taker's wrath.

Not only did Lesnar hold his own against the icon, but he also managed to emerge victorious in clean fashion. One emphatic F-5 was all it took for him to put The Phenom down for the three-count, and with that, his stock skyrocketed.

They went to war inside the structure once again at Hell in a Cell 2015, but nothing they did then came close to this brutal and bloody affair.

5. Batista vs. Triple H (2005)

Batista became one of the biggest breakout stars in WWE history when he turned his back on Evolution and went on to win the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 21.

Everything about his rise was organic and endeared him to the audience in a major way.

None of that would have mattered if WWE botched the aftermath.

Batista scoring a second straight win over Triple H at Backlash 2005 was a nice endorsement of The Animal as a main event attraction, but he needed a definitive victory in unfamiliar territory such as Hell in a Cell to firmly establish himself as a legitimate threat.

The Game's record inside the structure up to that point was near-flawless with wins over Mick Foley, Chris Jericho, Kevin Nash and Shawn Michaels. At Vengeance 2005, Batista did what none of them could by bringing unadulterated intensity and besting Triple H on his home turf.

The bloodshed from both men was excessive, but it made for a stunning visual. Triple H was always in his element as a heel and was as vicious as they came, but Batista was the one adversary he wasn't able to overcome.

It was the perfect payoff to a fantastic feud.

4. Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins (2022)

Not many feuds follow a formula similar to Triple H vs. Batista where the babyface conquers the heel on three consecutive pay-per-views, but history repeated itself nearly two decades later with the Cody Rhodes-Seth Rollins rivalry.

Rollins had an out for losing to the returning Rhodes at WrestleMania 38 in April 2022 because he was unprepared for his mystery opponent.

In their rematch the following month at WrestleMania Backlash, The American Nightmare held Rollins' tights during the three-count for a win that was also slightly tainted.

While 2022 marked the final installment of Hell in a Cell as an annual event, The Devil's Playground was a fitting stipulation for their third and final encounter. Both men had prior experience inside the structure, but their battle that night was unlike anything either had ever endured.

From the get-go, Rhodes was handicapped by a freshly torn pec, a devastating injury he decided to work through because he claimed it couldn't get any worse than it was. Rollins wisely targeted his discolored upper-right side throughout, and yet his rival retaliated at every turn.

In a shocking twist, Rhodes prevailed after using a sledgehammer to his advantage and connecting with the Cross Rhodes twice.

To call it a legendary performance would be an understatement.

3. Triple H vs. Cactus Jack (2000)

By 2000, Hell in a Cell was already established as an arduous matchup guaranteeing destruction and carnage, but its legacy grew with the war Triple H and Mick Foley had inside the structure at that year's No Way Out event.

Foley narrowly lost to The Game in a hard-fought Street Fight the month prior at the Royal Rumble. To secure another opportunity at the WWE Championship at No Way Out, he agreed to put his career on the line and for the rematch to take place inside the structure.

Foley again used his classic Cactus Jack moniker to reflect that he was willing to go to hell and back to keep his career intact and walk away with the gold. What fans didn't expect was for Triple H to dig deep within for that same intestinal fortitude and to elevate his own game to the level necessary to retire one of the all-time greats.

Their sheer hatred for each other was evident from the moment the bell rang. They used every weapon they could find and took their brawl to the top of the cage, culminating in Foley being sent through the top straight down to the mat.

Despite the loss, Foley's career didn't actually end, but Triple H's stellar showing was the bigger takeaway and what solidified his spot atop the card for years to come.

2. The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels (1997)

Typically, the original of almost anything is the best and every subsequent sequel has a tough time topping it.

From bell to bell, the first-ever Hell in a Cell match is widely considered by fans to be the best of the bunch, but in terms of the gimmick's legacy, only one other installment is remembered more fondly.

Steel cage matches didn't pack as much of a punch by the late 1990s in WWE. Something more menacing was needed to contain The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels after their last encounter ended in a no-contest, leading to the introduction of Hell in a Cell.

Their back-to-back bouts at WrestleMania from 15 years ago are instant classics, but they had exceptional in-ring chemistry as far back as 1997. It was on full display in this masterpiece of a match.

Before Undertaker could put Michaels away with a patented Tombstone, his demonic brother Kane made his highly anticipated debut, ripping apart the cell door and proceeding to lay out a dumbfounded Deadman. Michaels crawling over to capitalize and steal the win was a tremendous touch.

It was only appropriate that the greatest wrestling debut ever capped off the greatest Hell in a Cell match to date.

1. The Undertaker vs. Mankind (1998)

As noted, The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels from Badd Blood 1997 is arguably the better bout from a pure wrestling perspective, but Undertaker vs. Mick Foley a.k.a. Mankind was arguably the bigger spectacle.

When fans reflect on the illustrious lineage of Hell in a Cell matches over the past 27 years, the one spot that will immediately come to mind is 'Taker tossing Mankind off the top of the structure at King of the Ring 1998. It's forever etched in the annals of WWE history.

The Phenom was relentless in his assault on Mankind throughout the bout. Every time it looked like Mankind wouldn't be able to bounce back, he rose from the dead and kept fighting with unrivaled resilience.

In addition to the aforementioned moment where he was sent spiraling off the cell and crashed through a commentary table at ringside, Mankind also ate a chokeslam that caused him to break through the top of the structure and land on the canvas below.

The contest continued for another several minutes and Mankind nearly had his hand raised at a few different points, but defeat was inevitable.

No Hell in a Cell clash can compare to this one, specifically with how it defined the stipulation with the annihilation it entailed.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.