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Undertaker and Mick Foley Hell in a Cell Match: The Untold Story

Undertaker and Mick Foley Hell in a Cell Match: The Untold Story

Posted: Mar 6th 2024 By: J. P. Zarka

June 28, 1998, marked a day many wrestling fans around the world collectively shrieked, ‘Holy s#@t!’ at their television screens. On that day, a match took place that now lives on in infamy. It has since left a permanent mark on the psyche of the Undertaker, Mick Foley, and fans alike.

Here, Mick Foley and Undertaker explain what really happened during their legendary 1998 Hell in a Cell match and the inspiration behind Mick’s fall.

Undertaker and Mick Foley Hell in a Cell - What Really Happened

The match took place at the King of the Ring pay-per-view at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It would set the model for future Hell in a Cell matches. During the match, Foley received numerous injuries and took two serious and highly influential bumps.

In the lead-up to the match, Mick Foley discussed with hardcore wrestling legend Terry Funk ways he could outdo the previous Hell in a Cell match he had with Shawn Michaels at the Badd Blood: In Your House pay-per-view the year before.

In Foley’s highly acclaimed and recommended autobiography, Have a Nice Day, Foley wrote:

“Funk said, laughing, ‘Maybe you should let him throw you off the top of the cage.’

“‘Yeah,‘ I shot back, ‘then I could climb back up – and he could throw me off again.’

“Man, that was a good one! We were having a good time thinking completely ludicrous things to do inside, outside, and on top of the cage.

“After a while, I got serious and said quietly to Terry, ‘I think I can do it.’”

And did he ever!

Foley took his ideas to the Undertaker, who at first was hesitant to do them. Taker even staunchly questioned, ‘Mick, do you want to die?’

But Foley, never one to back down from a beating, convinced the reluctant Undertaker to go ahead with his ideas. What we were left with is a match that no one will ever forget.

So, what was going on through the heads of the two competitors involved in what many consider being one of the most influential matches of the ’90s?

UNDERTAKER:

"When I tossed him off of the cage, time stopped.

People say they have out-of-body experiences. Standing on the cage and watching him fly, I could actually see him and I standing up there.

I didn’t think Mick Foley would get up from that.

It was such a violent impact. TV doesn’t do it justice, as far as the sound."

MICK FOLEY:

“I remember having two distinct thoughts: I was falling really fast, and that the table looked really small."

UNDERTAKER:

"The second [fall] was far worse.

That panel wasn’t supposed to break loose. I actually told Mick, ’Just stay down…’

His tooth had gone through his lip and was lodged in his nostril. He was bleeding from the mouth.

You can look in someone’s eyes and tell that they’re not there. For the next two to three minutes after that fall, Mick wasn’t there."

MICK FOLEY:

“That match is an emotional roller-coaster ride. I pieced back all of the matches in my memory except for about a 30-second period when I went through the cage and into the ring. There was a point where I saw a pair of sneakers in the ring, and I had no idea how they had gotten there. So there were 30 or 40 seconds there that had gone by that I couldn’t remember, and I’m still not aware of. The day after, I had very little recollection of what actually happened.”

UNDERTAKER:

"Mick cared about what fans thought and felt it was his duty to perform. He stuck it out."

MICK FOLEY:

“Vince McMahon came up to me [afterward] and said, ‘Mick, you have no idea how much I appreciate what you just did…but I never want to see that again!’

I guess the match really got people talking, and it did lead to a lot of other things, but from a match standpoint, I’ve had a lot of other matches where I didn’t get knocked out that I’m kind of proud of as well, but that’s the match everyone always goes back to.

Kevin Sullivan, who was booking WCW at the time, later told me that once he saw that, he told people that the tide had turned. He said he knew right then that WWE was going to pass them and that they’d never catch us again.”

Kevin Sullivan was right. This match played a critical role in the then World Wrestling Federation securing higher TV ratings over WCW, who, for 82 straight weeks, had a lead over WWF during the Monday Night Wars. It was through matches like this one that led WWF to the top again.

After the match, Mick Foley had a long heart-to-heart with his tearful wife on the phone. This conversation almost led him to retire from pro wrestling altogether, something he eventually did on a full-time basis in 2000.

Ironically enough, in his final match as a full-time wrestler at *No Way Out* in February of 2000, Foley replicated his fall through the cell roof during another Hell in A Cell match against Triple H. This time, however, proper precautions were taken to ensure his safety performing the stunt.

Mick Foley, we salute you.

 

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Spotlight in History

  • 1951 Joe Alderman became the TSW Missouri Junior Heavyweight Champion
  • 1972 Jose Lothario def. Stan Stasiak for the WCCW Texas Heavyweight Title
  • 1981 Kerry Von Erich & Terry Orndorff def. Tim Brooks & Arman Hussein for the WCCW American Tag Team Titles
  • 2008 3rd Rail def. Outlaw for the SWCW Heavyweight Title
  • 2014 Montego Seeka became the IWR Revolutionary Champion
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Week of Sun 10-25 to Sat: 10-31

  • 10-25 1951 Joe Alderman became the TSW Missouri Junior Heavyweight Champion
  • 10-25 1972 Jose Lothario def. Stan Stasiak for the WCCW Texas Heavyweight Title
  • 10-25 1981 Kerry Von Erich & Terry Orndorff def. Tim Brooks & Arman Hussein for the WCCW American Tag Team Titles
  • 10-25 2008 3rd Rail def. Outlaw for the SWCW Heavyweight Title
  • 10-25 2014 Montego Seeka became the IWR Revolutionary Champion
  • 10-25 2020 Thrash became the ASP Mid-American Champion
  • 10-25 2020 Brawler Morrison def. Gemini [2nd] for the ASP 5-Star Title
  • 10-25 2025 Giganto def. Pastor Brent for the WAH Living Hope Title
  • 10-25 2025 Duncan Kincaid def. Deacon Hendrix for the MajCW 24/7 On Call Title
  • 10-25 2025 Vald def. Duncan Kincaid for the MajCW 24/7 On Call Title
  • 10-25 2025 Duncan Kincaid def. Vald for the MajCW 24/7 On Call Title
  • 10-25 2025 Psycho Mike def. Duncan Kincaid for the MajCW 24/7 On Call Title
  • 10-26 1964 Tony Borne def. Karl Kox for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
  • 10-26 1978 Ernie Ladd became the TSW Arkansas Champion
  • 10-26 1983 Junkyard Dog def. Butch Reed for the MSW North American Heavyweight Title
  • 10-26 1986 John Tatum & Jack Victory def. The Fantastics (Tommy Rogers & Bobby Fulton) for the UWF Tag Team Titles
  • 10-26 2002 Beau Dalton def. Vinnie Valentino for the OCW Oklahoma Title
  • 10-26 2002 Michael Faith & Smash Hansen def. Big Daddy Moore & Karl Davis for the OCW Oklahoma Tag Team Titles
  • 10-26 2006 D Money became the UWF06 Heavyweight Champion
  • 10-26 2024 Tommy Dean def. Wesley Crane for the WFC Hometown Heroes Title
  • 10-26 2024 Daniel Aaron Michalles def. Super Star for the WAH Hunger Dojo Title
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  • 10-26 2024 Sean Ryan def. Daniel Aaron Michalles for the WAH Hunger Dojo Title
  • 10-26 2025 Duncan Kincaid def. Psycho Mike for the MajCW 24/7 On Call Title
  • 10-27 1984 Chris Adams & Gino Hernandez & Jake Roberts def. Kerry Von Erich, Mike Von Erich, & Bobby Fulton (substituting for Kevin Von Erich) for the WCCW World 6-Man Tag Team Titles
  • 10-27 1995 TNT def. Casey Cannon for the PZWA Heavyweight Title
  • 10-27 2007 Shane Rawls def. Jerry Bostic for the UWF06 Heavyweight Title
  • 10-27 2007 Les Mayne def. Dane Griffin for the UWF06 Texhoma Title
  • 10-27 2007 Martin Justice became the GPCW Lightweight Champion
  • 10-27 2007 Justin Lee def. Shane Morbid for the ComPro Oklahoma X Division Title
  • 10-27 2023 Johnny Kove def. Koko for the CPW Heavyweight Title
  • 10-27 2023 Lunchador became the MajCW 24/7 On Call Native American Champion
  • 10-27 2023 Handgun Dan def. Lunchador for the MajCW 24/7 On Call Native American Title
  • 10-27 2023 Brandon Warhawk def. Handgun Dan for the MajCW 24/7 On Call Native American Title
  • 10-27 2023 Lunchador def. Brandon Warhawk for the MajCW 24/7 On Call Native American Title
  • 10-27 2024 Billie the Kiid def. Malik Mayfield for the ASP Livestream Title
  • 10-28 1975 Karl Kox def. Dick Murdoch for the TSW North American Title
  • 10-28 2006 Mass Destruction (Spoiler 2000 & Bash) became the NWA-U Universal Tag Team Champions
  • 10-28 2006 John O'Malley def. Rocco Valentino for the NWA-U Oklahoma Heavyweight Title
  • 10-28 2006 Christopher Fox became the NWA-U Universal Heavyweight Champion
  • 10-28 2006 Rocco Valentino def. Christopher Fox for the NWA-U Universal Heavyweight Title
  • 10-28 2007 The South Side Soul Assassins (Tyson Jaymes & 3rd Rail) def. Bad Boy & Outlaw for the MSWA Mid-South Tag Team Titles
  • 10-28 2012 Bobby Starr def. Cody Jones for the MSWA Oklahoma Title
  • 10-28 2012 The Investment (Jason Noal & Jay Synn) became the ACW Tag Team Champions
  • 10-28 2012 Johnny Z def. Double D for the MSWA Mid-South Heavyweight Title
  • 10-28 2017 Duke Swellington def. Kikutaro for the ComPro Oklahoma X Division Title
  • 10-29 1969 Johnny Valentine def. Wahoo McDaniel for the WCCW Texas Heavyweight Title
  • 10-29 1984 Kerry Von Erich def. Gino Hernandez for the WCCW American Heavyweight Title
  • 10-29 1995 The Bad Boyz (Brett Knight & Krull Danzig) became the WWEmp Tag Team Champions
  • 10-29 1995 Shane Cortez def. Original Renegade for the WWEmp Television Title
  • 10-29 1995 Red Eagle def. Annihilator for the WWEmp Heavyweight Title
  • 10-29 2002 Ty Magnus def. Brandon Bishop for the ACW Heavyweight Title
  • 10-29 2016 Nathan Estrada def. Gavin Dixon for the ComPro Oklahoma X Division Title
  • 10-29 2016 Urn Stokes def. Steven Cruze for the ComPro Showtime Title
  • 10-29 2016 MX2 (Zak Mason & Dan Maestro) def. Dynamic Shields (Justin Dynamic & Shawn Shields) for the ComPro Tag Team Titles
  • 10-29 2022 Ryan the Ripper def. Ronnie Morton for the RDW Brass Knucks Title
  • 10-29 2022 The Psychotic Messengers (Malachi & Maniac Mike) def. Team Boner (Drake Gallows & MLP) for the AIWF Tag Team Titles
  • 10-29 2022 X-Rated (Kevin James Sanchez & Shane Sanchez & Ozzy Hendrix) def. The Psychotic Messengers (Malachi & Maniac Mike) for the EPW Tag Team Titles
  • 10-30 1978 Mark Lewin & The White Knight became the WCCW Texas Tag Team Champions
  • 10-30 2009 Franco D'Angelo def. Jeremy Quinn III for the ACW Heavyweight Title
  • 10-30 2010 Gene Valdez def. Ryan Reed for the NCW Heavyweight Title
  • 10-30 2010 Mr. Big & Michael H became the NCW Tag Team Champions
  • 10-31 1967 Fritz Von Erich def. Brute Bernard for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
  • 10-31 1972 Johnny Valentine def. Stan Stasiak for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
  • 10-31 1980 Ernie Ladd & Leroy Brown def. Junkyard Dog & Terry Orndorff for the MSW Mid-South Tag Team Titles
  • 10-31 1983 Johnny Mantell def. Jimmy Garvin for the WCCW Television Title
  • 10-31 1994 Beast 3rd became the WWEmp Heavyweight Champion
  • 10-31 2009 Martin Justice became the OECW Heavyweight Champion
  • 10-31 2025 Phoenix Down (Colton Kinnamon & Ricky Wingrave) def. Blazin' Saddles (Bang Bang Bennett & Scotty Rose) for the RDW Tag Team Titles
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