Chris King: Brock Lesnar’s Hell in a Cell Legacy Looms Over SummerSlam Showdown with Oba Femi

Chris King revisits Brock Lesnar’s two Hell in a Cell victories over The Undertaker before The Beast faces Oba Femi at WWE SummerSlam.

‘The Beast Incarnate’ Brock Lesnar is only a few days away from locking himself inside the devil’s playground: Hell in the Cell with ‘The Ruler’ Oba Femi at SummerSlam. Lesnar is 2-0 inside the steel structure, with both victories over his longtime rival. The Undertaker, Chris King, has gone back and rewatched his past Hell in the Cell matches in his WWE career. 

Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker (WWE Championship): WWE No Mercy 2002 

At Unforgiven, ‘The Next Big Thing’ Brock Lesnar retained his WWE Championship, but the cost of victory was being thrown through the pay-per-view logo on the stage. Lesnar bloodied The Undertaker on Friday Night SmackDown, and The Beast used a propane 

tank to break his rival’s hand backstage. In the weeks leading up to their battle, Lesnar would brutally attack and continue to damage Taker’s broken hand. ‘The Phenom’ fought back with a bloody and broken hand, ready to defend his yard against ‘The Beast.’ 

As soon as the match started, Lesnar was all over his challenger until The Deadman used his cast as a weapon. Then, the champion tried to escape, but to no avail. Taker took full control of the match and beat the tar out of a bloody champion. The Deadman sent Lesnar into the steel steps and attacked Paul Heyman on the outside. Heyman’s distraction allowed the champion to go back on the attack. The Beast ripped off Taker’s belt and whipped him with it. Heyman held the belt up so The Beast could deliver multiple chair shots to further damage his opponent’s hand. 

Lesnar, like a shark who smells blood, is targeting the hand with every vicious strike to Undertaker. The Beast ripped off the cast and wrapped it around the ropes to cause more damage. Taker utilized a low blow and a flying attack off the top rope for a near-fall. The Deadman flew out of the ring with a suicide dive, driving Lesnar into the cell. Watching Lesnar smash his challenger in the face with steel stops and then throw them throughout the ring is a scary sight. A thunderous spinebuster gave the champion a near-fall. 

The Undertaker went for Old School, but it was reversed into a takedown. A desperate chokeslam gave the veteran a long near-fall. Taker somehow was able to execute his signature running DDT for a two-count. The Deadman hit a Last Ride, but the champion grabbed the bottom rope at the last second. A Tombestone Piledriver was reversed into one final ferocious F5 for the pinfall. What a bloody and brutal fight that indeed solidified Lesnar as The Next Big Thing! 

Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker: WWE Hell in a Cell 2015 

Fifteen years later, both rivals, now for different reasons, faced each other inside Hell in the Cell one last time to close the book on their storied rivalry. In 2002, a victory over The Deadman solidified The Beast until his departure from the WWE in 2004. At WrestleMania 30, Lesnar did the impossible, ending Undertaker’s unprecedented undefeated streak at WrestleMania. 

Taker patiently waited and plotted his revenge against his rival until the 2015 Battleground PLE, where he cost Lesnar the World Heavyweight Championship. The two would battle at SummerSlam, where Taker would win due to a low blow and a ring-bell distraction by force of submission. The score was 1-1, and Hell in the Cell was dubbed the final chapter between the two superstars. 

The Undertaker evaded a German suplex and went right on the attack with stiff punches and a clothesline and drove Lesnar out of the ring. The Beast Incarnate was busted open after being driven into the ring post as The Phenom goes to war. The Beast delivered a spinebuster followed by multiple steel chair shots to his rival to take control of the fight. Taker was able to get a little breather with a snap suplex on the outside of the ring. A bloodied Undertaker tried to decapitate his opponent’s throat with a steel chair wrapped around his throat. 

Undertaker entered Suplex City as the former UFC champion delivered a trifecta of German suplexes. A thunderous F5 gave Lesnar a near-fall as Taker kicked out. The Beast sent the doctor flying and delivered another F5 for a two-count. An angered Beast blasted his opponent with the steel steps for yet another near-fall. Undertaker locked in Hell’s Gate, shades of SummerSlam, but The Beast pounded his way out of the submission with lefts and rights. 

Lesnar ripped up the ring to expose the hard part, and Taker delivered a chokeslam. Undertaker hit a Tombstome Piledriver on the exposed wood of the ring for a shocking two-count. The Beast defiantly hit a low blow and hit another devastating F5 to end their storied rivalry!

Following the match, The Deadman got a standing ovation from the WWE Universe before The Wyatt Family attacked him and carried him to the back. 

Will Lesnar go 3-0 at SummerSlam inside Hell in the Cell, or will The Ruler be the one to silence The Beast and send him off into retirement in Minnesota?