Come WWE Bad Blood on Saturday, Hell in a Cell will again feel like the exciting attraction it once was.

After almost a year of animosity, hated verbal jousts and brutal battles, CM Punk and Drew McIntyre will finish their feud inside The Devil's Playground on the 27th anniversary of the first-ever Hell in a Cell match between Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker.

Since then, WWE has held over 50 such contests, though over half of them were exclusive to the eponymous event. Giving the gimmick its own pay-per-view took away much of the mystique the matchup had in its early years and how it was mainly reserved for rivalry blowoffs.

Upon taking over creative control of WWE in 2022, Triple H wisely abolished the annual show and has only brought back the celebrated stipulation when necessary.

That isn't to say there haven't been some memorable wars inside Hell in a Cell in recent years, though. Even the installments without anyone in attendance during the ThunderDome era managed to leave their mark.

Ahead of Punk and McIntyre's upcoming clash, let's look back at the last 10 Hell in a Cell matches—ranked from worst to best.

10. Bobby Lashley vs. Xavier Woods (Raw, June 21, 2021)

Over Hell in a Cell pay-per-view weekend in 2021, WWE held a total of four matches inside the structure across SmackDown, Raw and the event itself.

By that Monday's Raw, the gimmick had lost a lot of its luster and was hardly looked at as a big deal, but that didn't stop WWE from booking a Hell in a Cell match for the main event of the show in a desperate attempt to pop a rating.

Bobby Lashley was fresh off defending the WWE Championship against Drew McIntyre inside the structure the night before when he was forced to compete in a second straight cage match against Xavier Woods.

There was no real reason for the match to be made, especially without The All Mighty's coveted title not at stake. It was perfectly fine for what it was and Lashley's domination was on full display, but the HIAC stipulation was practically useless and didn't come into play much at all.

This matchup wasn't remotely memorable and wasn't helped by the empty arena (WWE returned to the road post-pandemic just weeks later). Thankfully, it marked the final time the gimmick was used randomly on Raw.

9. Roman Reigns vs. Rey Mysterio (SmackDown, June 18, 2021)

Similar to the post-Hell in a Cell edition of Raw, the pre-PPV edition of SmackDown in 2021 also featured such a match, though this one was considerably better.

Roman Reigns and Rey Mysterio had been at odds over the Universal Championship for weeks, but days out from the event, their match was moved to SmackDown and the Hell in a Cell stipulation was added.

They had a quality match regardless, but the surrounding cell provided them with an extreme environment to work with. Sure enough, The Master of the 619 endured an unbelievable amount of punishment at the hands of Reigns, specifically when he was slammed into the side of the cage.

Despite being limited by commercial breaks and television time constraints, they had a fun, hard-hitting contest that culminated with The Tribal Chief soundly defeating Mysterio to retain the universal title.

This was yet another instance of why the structure shouldn't be given away without any fanfare on WWE TV as it would have meant much more on a bigger stage.

8. Edge vs. Finn Bálor (WrestleMania 39: Night 2)

Less than a year removed from the final installment of the Hell in a Cell PPV, the concept was revived for Edge vs. Finn Bálor on Night 2 of WrestleMania 39.

The two had been embroiled in a heated rivalry for nearly a year after Bálor, Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest ousted The Rated-R Superstar from the group he helped create, The Judgment Day. They had previously collided in an "I Quit" match at Extreme Rules and the addition of the Hell in a Cell stipulation raised the stakes.

Edge channeling his classic Brood persona while Bálor brought back The Demon were nice touches, but something was off about the energy of the bout. They threw everything they had at each other, but it didn't feel like it ever lived up to the audience's expectations.

In other words, it was a watered-down version of what it could have been. They threw everything they had at each other while the crowd seemed to sit in silence.

It was a good Hell in a Cell match that could have been better, but Edge going over was the wrong call considering he had little to gain before exiting the company later in the year.

7. Bianca Belair vs. Bayley (Hell in a Cell 2021)

The many battles between Bianca Belair and Bayley over the years have been well-documented, along with their incredible chemistry inside the squared circle.

In 2022 alone, they competed in a ladder match followed by a Last Woman Standing match on back-to-back PPVs. They also had their fair share of wars throughout 2023 and 2024.

Their underrated Hell in a Cell clash at the same-titled event in 2021 was equally excellent.

Their rivalry hadn't reached a point where the cage was necessary, but they put forth a commendable effort regardless and delivered a strong back-and-forth bout.

Up to that point in her main roster run, Belair had yet to experience anything quite as arduous as Hell in a Cell. She ultimately had a strong showing, excelled in the environment and decisively defeated Bayley to hold onto the SmackDown Women's Championship.

To date, it's the last women's match to take place inside Hell in a Cell, but it shouldn't be long before both decorated competitors find themselves back in The Devil's Playground.

6. Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton (Hell in a Cell 2020)

Drew McIntyre did a commendable job of carrying the Raw brand on his back as WWE champion in the first several months of the pandemic in 2020 and setting back challenges from the likes of Big Show, Seth Rollins, Bobby Lashley and Dolph Ziggler.

Randy Orton proved to be the toughest rival during his first title reign, taking the Scot to his limit in matches at both SummerSlam and Clash of Champions. Their feud escalated to new heights by Hell in a Cell that October and thus it was a fitting stipulation for their third encounter on PPV.

While slightly slow pacing-wise (which was made even more apparent by the atmosphere in the empty ThunderDome), McIntyre and Orton brought the best out of each other and had a highly physical brawl.

The action eventually spilled outside of the cage and led to a brief exchange up top. Once they returned to the ring, The Viper reversed a Claymore from the Scot into an RKO to clinch his 14th WWE world title.

McIntyre regained the gold three weeks later on Raw, but the win was at least a monumental moment for Orton in a match he's had a long history with throughout his career.

5. Bobby Lashley vs. Drew McIntyre (Hell in a Cell 2021)

After getting the belt back from Randy Orton within weeks of losing it, Drew McIntyre embarked on a three-month run as WWE champion that only ended after The Miz successfully cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase on him.

That allowed Bobby Lashley to take the title from The A-Lister eight days later and become a one-man wrecking crew on Raw. McIntyre failed to beat him for the belt at WrestleMania 37 and at WrestleMania Backlash but was given one last chance to reclaim the prestigious prize inside Hell in a Cell.

It was also an opportunity for The Scottish Warrior to redeem himself from his Hell in a Cell failure the year prior. He held nothing back when brutalizing Lashley inside the structure and used his experience of the stipulation to his advantage.

Lashley was in his element as well, though he had to rely on outside involvement from Hurt Business associate MVP to defeat the Scot again.

The finish was weaker than the one in McIntyre's match with Orton in 2020, but the bout had significantly more intensity and was a worthy way of capping off the event.

4. Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso (Hell in a Cell 2020)

Jey Uso first competed inside Hell in a Cell at the 2017 installment of the event when he and Jimmy Uso survived an incredible outing against The New Day to regain the SmackDown Tag Team Championship.

His Hell in a Cell match with Roman Reigns in 2020 provided an entirely different dynamic.

Uso already lost to The Tribal Chief at Clash of Champions when Jimmy threw in the towel for him, but at Hell in a Cell, an "I Quit" stipulation was added to ensure he fell in line and acknowledged Reigns if he fell short again.

The Universal Championship was also up for grabs, but that was far from the focus of this matchup.

Uso fought with admirable resiliency and persevered through the pain, despite Reigns' best efforts to put him down for the three-count. Jey uttered the two demeaning words after The Head of the Table threated to inflict further damage on Jimmy, who again made his presence felt out of concern for his brother.

The visual of Jey agreeing to give up while Reigns choked out Jimmy was stunning. It was that night that The Bloodline began to take shape, as their family drama in the match gave the storyline its first of many cinematic moments that fans would not soon forget.

3. Sasha Banks vs. Bayley (Hell in a Cell 2020)

Fans waited five years for WWE to revisit the rivalry that changed the game in NXT between Bayley and Sasha Banks on the main roster. And when it finally came to fruition, the buildup was butchered in almost every way possible.

For starters, Bayley being the one to betray Banks was logical given the story they were telling yet not ideal since The Boss was always the better heel of the two.

Plus, Banks returned to television from the "injuries" she sustained by The Role Model far too quickly, so the Hell in a Cell stipulation felt unnecessarily rushed and tacked-on.

They had everything working against them at Hell in a Cell 2020, but they pulled through with a gem of a match, regardless.

All that mattered was that, when the bell rang, they managed to recreate the same magic they had so many years earlier. Both women were on their A-game and didn't let the empty arena—again due to the pandemic—deter them.

By that point, Bayley had held the SmackDown Women's Championship for over a year and The Boss was the perfect person to end her record-setting reign.

WWE miscalculated by not headlining the show with this outstanding encounter.

2. Edge vs. Seth Rollins (Crown Jewel 2021)

In the 13 years that Hell in a Cell served as an annual event, WWE didn't often utilize the gimmick for matches that didn't take place on the PPV, but when it did, it had the aura of an exciting occasion.

Crown Jewel 2021 was one of those instances thanks to the personal program Edge and Seth Rollins were having at the time.

The Rated-R Superstar knocked off Rollins in a thriller at SummerSlam and The Visionary avenged the loss on SmackDown at Madison Square Garden. At Crown Jewel, they agreed to settle their score in The Devil's Playground and give their feud the epic conclusion it deserved.

From the flow of the match to the electric atmosphere to some of the wild spots they pulled off, it was a near-flawless affair. That level of excellence has always been expected of Rollins, but Edge in particular had his most impressive performance since coming out of retirement in early 2020.

The Rated-R Superstar giving Rollins his comeuppance following a hard-fought clash made for a fantastic finish.

Interestingly, this was the 50th installment of the Hell in a Cell match and should have been when WWE decided to do away with it as anything other than an occasional attraction.

1. Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins (Hell in a Cell 2022)

Seth Rollins was unfortunately involved in what many fans consider to be the worst Hell in a Cell match of all time with "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt in 2019, but he has since more than made up for that atrocity with two tremendous cage clashes in the years that have followed.

The first with Edge appeared to be impossible to top, but then he and Cody Rhodes set the bar even higher with their exceptional outing at the 2022 installment of the PPV. Their rivalry was getting to be just as extreme, and the satanic structure was the most effective way for their bad blood to be contained.

Straight from the get-go, Rhodes was handicapped by a legitimately-torn pectoral muscle that he wrestled with because he was aware it couldn't get any worse than it was. That immediately gave the matchup new meaning and added to his growing legacy.

It was a violent match that told a stellar story with The American Nightmare not only withstanding all of Rollins' punishment but also shockingly emerging victorious. That alone embodied what Hell in a Cell is all about.

As the final match to take place on a Hell in a Cell PPV, it ended the era in emphatic fashion.

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.