The Hell in a Cell stipulation has created some amazing matches throughout WWE history, but they certainly have been varied in time. The stipulation is supposed to be the place for major storylines to come to an end, with heated feuds being settled in the most brutal manner possible.
However, some of the matches have been incredibly short sprints while others have been drawn out marathon matches. The variation in length has certainly made the stipulation fairly unpredictable, but neither very short nor very long matches are always a good thing when it comes to the Hell in a Cell.
10 Shortest: The Undertaker & Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Mankind & Kane - 10:38 (Raw, June 15, 1998)
This is only the second-ever Hell in a Cell match in WWE history, and the first time a tag team match was contested inside the stipulation. However, WWE opted to keep this to being a brief one.
Despite the fact this match wasn't particularly long, it was brilliant. The storylines and hate between the individuals in each team all blended together here, especially when Austin started brawling with Kane on the roof, with the audience becoming unglued.
9 Longest: The Undertaker vs Randy Orton - 30:31 (Armageddon, 2005)
This is one of the most underrated Hell in a Cell matches and really is a great contest. With The Undertaker working as the veteran who knew this stipulation well and Randy Orton being the cocky punk, they were able to tell a great story together.
As had happened throughout their rivalry at this point, Bob Orton found himself involved, but that wouldn't be enough. It was a very physical match with some major chair shots taking place as Undertaker brought their feud to a bitter end with a lengthy Hell in a Cell win.
8 Shortest: The Undertaker vs CM Punk - 10:24 (Hell In A Cell, 2009)
Because The Undertaker has been in so many Hell in a Cell matches, he really has experienced the full spectrum of time inside the structure. His World Heavyweight Title match with CM Punk was one of the shortest, and it's a real shame.
This was a glorified squash match with Undertaker dominating Punk from start to finish, and it was a real letdown. The match had the potential to be great, but with the time given, it was never going to reach that.
7 Longest: The Undertaker vs Triple H - 30:52 (WrestleMania XXVIII)
Both Triple H and The Undertaker are notorious for having fairly long matches throughout their careers, and that hasn't always helped them. However, with this particular match, the length really benefited the situation.
This was the 'end of an era' match and saw the culmination of four matches all coming together. With Shawn Michaels as the referee, it was all about two men being desperate to end the streak, and the storytelling told within this match was simply sublime.
6 Shortest: The Undertaker vs Big Boss Man - 9:48 (WrestleMania XV)
From a very long Undertaker match at WrestleMania to a very short one. The Deadman's match with Big Boss Man was the first time that this stipulation debuted on The Grandest Stage Of Them All, and it wasn't exactly a barnburner.
The match itself is barely remembered by most people and was fairly slow and sluggish. However, what people do remember is the ridiculous angle done at the end, which resulted in Big Boss Man being 'hung' from the cell roof.
5 Longest: Kurt Angle vs Rikishi vs The Undertaker vs The Rock vs Triple H vs Stone Cold Steve Austin - 32:12 (Armageddon, 2000)
The star power alone in this match is absolutely crazy to think about, with six of the Attitude Era's biggest stars. Everyone was competing for the WWE Championship here and the stakes were high, which added to the excitement.
Because there were so many people involved, it is no surprise the action lasted a while. The match saw some great exchanges, including a huge bump from Rikishi falling off the top of the cell onto a pick-up truck filled with pine chips. Overall, it didn't feel like it dragged on as some lengthy cell matches can.
4 Shortest: Mankind vs Kane - 7:41 (Raw, August 24, 1998)
Two of the biggest names at the time competing inside the steel structure should have been a huge deal. However, because the match was incredibly short and ended in a no-contest, it ended up being a letdown.
The two men had actually been tag team partners leading up to this, and they certainly made the most of their limited time with a very physical approach. They used chairs, steel steps, and even thumbtacks in this brief encounter until Steve Austin brought things to an end.
3 Longest: Shane McMahon vs Kevin Owens - 39:00 (Hell In A Cell, 2017)
Shane McMahon has been involved in three Hell in a Cell matches throughout his career, and two of them were very long. His bout with The Undertaker ran long, but his match with Kevin Owens was even longer.
This is an example of a cell match lasting a little too long. They did a great job of conveying how much they hated each other, using lots of weapons, but there were lots of slow moments as well. Obviously, it all built up to Shane flying off the roof, which was unbelievable, but it took a little too long to get to that point.
2 Shortest: John Cena vs Alberto Del Rio vs CM Punk vs Dolph Ziggler vs Jack Swagger - 5:01 (Raw, September 26, 2011)
The shortest Hell in a Cell match of all time is one that the vast majority of people never got the chance to see. That's because this is the only Hell in a Cell match in history that was a dark match after Raw had finished taping.
This was just for the live crowd, which really does hurt the credibility of the stipulation in general. Plus, a Hell in a Cell featuring five people that lasts only five minutes is a true waste of everyone's time and should never have been booked.
1 Longest: Triple H vs Shawn Michaels - 47:26 (Bad Blood, 2004)
While five minutes was far too short for a Hell in a Cell match, going just short of 50 minutes was far too long. That was showcased by the crowd being quiet for big chunks, despite Triple H and Shawn Michaels working really hard throughout.
They ensured things were very physical and they added in a lot of cool spots, using a variety of weapons to tell their story. However, this one would have benefitted from being much shorter.