For my first Sunday Morning Mania post I figured what better place to start than right here in Pittsburgh. Although I have been on a late 80s early 90s kick, the match I chose to start things off comes from 1998. The Match: Mankind. Undertaker. Hell in a Cell.

Above is the full match, but I have a shorter clip of the pivotal moments below. Quick story behind this memorable match was the fact that Undertaker and Shawn Michael had previously destroyed each other in a Hell in a Cell and it was considered on of the better matches at that time. So, being the hardcore personality that Mankind was, his intentions going in was to not only top the match that Taker and Michaels had, but to blow it out of the water. It didn’t take very long. At the beginning of the match they decided to go straight to the top. With the cell breaking right under their feet you could already sense the danger. Then, minutes into the match, Taker just tosses Mankind right off the top of the cell. 16 feel below, Mankind crashed half on/half off of the Spanish announcers table. When I sat in my Grandparents living and witnessed this, I was 10 and I thought he was dead. However, as they are carting him off backstage Mankind comes storming back to the ring and continues. The brutality carried on throughout and they managed to make their way back to the top of the cell. Only this time, Mankind gets a Undertaker signature choke-slam through the damn cell. I could not believe what I was seeing.

The show must go on, but it couldn’t. Several people, including close friend Terry Funk, came out to Mankind’s aid and attempted to have the match called off. Well, Undertaker wasn’t having it and cleared everyone out. The continued to punish each other, chairs and tacks included.

Eventually, after roughly 20 minutes of insanity, Taker pulls of some finishers (in the tacks, of course) and gets the 3 count. Sure, we all know that wrestling is fake, but this match shows some of the great lengths they were willing to go to in order to give the crowd some entertainment. I’m not sure if this match is my favorite of all time or not, but it and the famous call from Jim Ross will always be a staple in my wrestling fandom.