The steel cage that defined a wrestling era's final brand split
In short: In 2010, professional wrestling reached a structural crossroads. The Hell in a Cell event served as a high-stakes finale for the first major brand split between Raw and SmackDown, featuring two distinct matches inside a massive, roofed steel cage designed to leave no room for escape.
The 2010 Hell in a Cell took place on October 3 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. It was a pivotal moment for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), marking the final event of its first brand split before it concluded in August 2011. This era also marked the end of an epoch for the company's championship presentation; it was the last pay-per-view where the World Heavyweight Championship served as the main event until December 2013.
The event featured two separate Hell in a Cell matches, a stipulation involving a 20-foot-high roofed steel cage surrounding the ring and ringside area. In these matches, there are no countouts or disqualifications; victory can only be achieved via pinfall or submission inside the ring. The SmackDown main event saw Kane defend his World Heavyweight Championship against The Undertaker in a match rooted in a storyline where Kane had previously stolen Undertaker's powers.
On the Raw brand side, Randy Orton defended the WWE Championship against Sheamus. This rivalry was sparked after Orton won the title in a six-pack challenge and Sheamus immediately invoked his rematch clause. Other notable matches included John Cena being forced to join The Nexus group after losing to Wade Barrett, and Daniel Bryan retaining the United States Championship in a Triple Threat Submissions Count Anywhere match.
While the event drew 210,000 buys, it represented a decrease from the 283,000 buys recorded for the inaugural Hell in a Cell in 2009. The promotion also underwent a branding shift shortly after this period, moving from its full name to the 'WWE' abbreviation in April 2011.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Hell in a Cell (2010)
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