Is it time for WWE to stop doing Hell in a Cell Matches?

Over the course of 4 days between Friday 18th June to Monday 21st June WWE held 4 Hell in a Cell matches so on average one a day in line with the annual Hell in a Cell PPV. A structure when initially created was described as one that shortens career saw Bobby Lashley win 2 in 2 days with minimal fuss. I remember the storyline of how in 2000 Vince McMahon himself tried to stop he 6 man cell match at Armageddon from happening due to the irreversible damage a match like this does to people. The match stipulation seems to have lost meaning and care and isn’t the only one.

Over the past decade or so WWE has used its gimmick matches as the names of Pay Per Views from Hell in a Cell, Elimination Chamber, TLC, Money in the Bank to the forgotten one time only PPV Fatal 4 Way in what I can only imagine is a hope of a boost in PPV buys from non regular viewers who like these match types/stipulations. However, to me it feels like this contributes to these match types losing their appeal and how special they felt to be built up to. Keeping on Hell in a Cell it felt special when it was brought out in the earlier years of its existence as a match type one that was a feud ended and had stakes due to the rarity I mean between October 1997 to December 2000 we had only 7 Hell in a Cell matches only 3 more than the past week and that doesn’t mention that the stipulation was not seen at all in 2001. It was a rarity one that when used was something big. I wanted to look at how the reception to this match type being used has changed and what it means. 

As per the below pie chart I have broken down the total 49 Hell in a Cell matches (including the one which took place as a dark match on Raw) which splits as 16 on the original run between 1997-2008 and the 33 post that when the Hell in a Cell Match was introduced 2009-2021. While the current run is one year more stretching for 12 years compared to the 11 years from match stipulation inception to PPV inception it is still an increase of 17 Hell in a Cell matched for an extra year of run.

To look at this in percentages terms 67% of Hell in a Cell matches have taken place from 2009 onwards which shows a massive increase from the 33% from 1997-2008. You'd expect the longer the match type exists more but the use of this stipulation has vastly exceeded what you'd expect on the initial run of the stipulation. By have a set month for this stipulation it means you get at least 3 of these matches a year and as such you eventually wear down the appeal of the match. 

This leads into more creatively bankrupt finishes to the match. Between the ref stoppage to Wyatt vs. Rollins and the no contest of Reigns vs. Strowman in recent years really go against the idea of the match. Initially established as a feud ender that two people enter but one person leaves (or whatever the stipulation tag or 6 man) it was a must have a winner and that cell can be a weapon. But now it's just a case that it's a this month is Hell in a Cell might as well use the stipulation regardless if the matches and finished booked do not match the aesthetic. I think it was Mark Henry vs. Randy Orton which didn't use the cell as a weapon or only did it one in the match and they just had a normal match which is just a waste. By continuing to use this stipulation where the story doesn't need it the match type gets devalued. I have to wonder what is the point in keeping up with these cell matches they must be drawing good PPV buys it is the only thing that is keeping this match stipulation going. 

At the end of the day I feel WWE are ruining their match concepts one by one. NXT show a strong increase in Ladder matches from when AEW formed in a desperate case to increase ratings. You have to build up to these matches to give them meaning not have dedicated months on main roster programming for specific stipulations. In a company that can't build compelling stories they really need big stipulations to draw interest if they could make better characters I imagine an overreliance in stipulation PPV months would be tracked back on.