Undertaker and Mankind during King of the Ring 1998 (Credits: WWE YouTube)
The Undertaker vs Mankind in 1998 is considered to be the greatest Hell in a Cell match of all time
With the Hell in a Cell 2021 only a few days away, we walk down the memory lane to King of the Ring 1998.
The Undertaker and Mankind (Mick Foley) were supposed to square off in the third Hell in a Cell match in WWE (then WWF) history. The event was set to take place at the King of The Ring 1998 PPV at the Civic Arena, on the 28th of June, 1998.
There were three heart-stopping moments in the gruesome contest. Right in the beginning of the fight, The Undertaker got on top of the cage, at least a staggering 5m high, to beat up Mankind.
No sooner did the Undertaker climb the top, than the pair began trading blows. In a split-second, just as they were moving towards the edge of the cage, The Undertaker threw Mankind of the 5m tall structure, causing him to land shoulder first on the announce table.
That was when, Jim Ross uttered the famous lines:
“Good God almighty, Good God Almighty, it killed him…As God as my witness, he’s broken in half.”
A dizzy and groggy Mankind was stretchered off following the incident, and just when he was being taken off for first-aid, an ‘in-pain’ Mankind got off the stretcher and to everyone’s shock, climbed the cage.
And then came the second blow, the Undertaker choke slammed Mankind through the roof of the cage, as he tore through the mesh and landed on the ring with a massive thud. Many, including the Undertaker, thought that he was really dead.
The officials had seen enough, and decided to get Mankind off the ring. But, he carried on showing the heart of a true warrior.
Since Mankind wasn’t giving up, the Undertaker then choke slammed Mankind on to a pile of thumbtacks, leaving him grimacing in pain.
The Undertaker finally sealed the deal with a tombstone piledriver to cap off an extraordinary match.
The match would go on to set the standard for future Hell in a Cell matches, but it took a severe long-term toll on Mankind’s physical health. Absolute warrior!
