Kurt Angle is shown leaving the arena with both the Intercontinental and European championships around his waist. He's attacked by Chris Jericho and Chyna who shove him in the boot of a car and leave. We just casually move on to Triple H entering for the match with Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley by his side. Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler are on commentary for this match. Cactus Jack makes his entrance and Lawler says it could be his last match. The cell lowers before the match can start.
TRIPLE H © VS. CACTUS JACK
WWF Championship vs. Career (Hell in a Cell)
WWF No Way Out 2000 (27th February 2000)
Cactus Jack makes his way to the door immediately as Lawler says he promised to jump from the cell tonight. The door has padlocks all around it to keep Cactus inside. Triple H tries to blindside him but Cactus Jack blocks it and hits Triple H with rights. Triple H makes it back into the ring and they exchange right hands, Cactus fights his way out of the corner and knocks Triple H down, another right hand knocks Triple H into the corner for more rights, then a headbutt knocks Triple H down. Cactus Jack slams Triple H's head into the mat. Triple H gets back to his feet, more right hands from Foley before he sends Triple H across the ring and knocks him down with a running forearm. He goes back to the door and the padlocks are still there, Stephanie is screeching “No way out!” at him as Triple H tries another attack from behind. Cactus cuts him off with a shot to the midsection and sends Triple H's head into the ring steps. Cactus Jack grabs at Triple H's face but Triple H is able to stop himself from meeting the cell. Cactus Jack tries again on the other side, but Triple H is able to get his arms up, a mule kick puts Cactus Jack down for the moment.
Triple H sends Cactus Jack's head into the apron then brings it back into the ring. He hits Cactus Jack with right hands in the corner, Earl Hebner tells him about a closed fist, during a match where they're surrounded by steel. Cactus Jack runs out of the corner, knocking Triple H down, Triple H is sent into the ropes but he uses the face smash on his knee. He charges at Cactus Jack but is backdropped over to the floor. Cactus Jack grabs a chair from under the ring as JR says he hopes Mrs. Foley and the kids aren't watching. Triple H kicks Cactus in the midsection and sends him into the cell before getting into the ring. Cactus Jack tries to bring the chair in with him but Triple H uses a running knee to knock him back into the cell, then sends his knees into the ring steps, sending Cactus Jack tumbling over them. Triple H stalks Cactus Jack as we see a replay of Cactus falling back into the cell. Cactus Jack is sent into the ring post. You can see Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley walking around the small space outside the cell cheering Triple H on as they wait for Cactus Jack to stand up. Cactus Jack runs at Triple H, who throws the ring steps at his head!
Earl Hebner makes sure Cactus Jack is alive as Triple H places the steps over Cactus Jack's head. He drives a chair into the steps repeatedly which the fans take as evidence that Stephanie's a slut. Triple H celebrates in the ring but Cactus Jack gets to his feet, he makes his way back into the ring and Triple H jabs the chair into his midsection. Another shot to the back follows before Cactus Jack runs into a swinging chair to the head. Triple H covers and Cactus Jack kicks out at 2. A DDT from Triple H gets 2 consecutive nearfalls, Triple H covers a third time and Cactus Jack kicks out at 1 and gets to his feet. Triple H grabs the steel chair and Cactus Jack tells him to keep going. Cactus Jack hits Triple H in the ribs to cut off the chairshot and hits Triple H in the groin with the side of the chair. Cactus Jack hits the Double-arm DDT on the chair but he's slow to make the cover, Triple H kicks out at 2. Cactus Jack hits the russian legsweep on the chair for another nearfall. Cactus Jack stands the chair up in the ring but Triple H cuts him off with a kick to the gut, right hands by Triple H in the corner, Cactus Jack gets some of his own in, backing Triple H across the ring. Rapid-fire right hands from Cactus Jack in the corner sits Triple H down on the chair. The crowd goes insane for that as Foley poses and crosses the ring. He charges at Triple H but Triple H counters into a drop toehold on the chair. He covers Cactus Jack 1, 2, no!
Triple H clotheslines Cactus Jack over to the floor, he follows him out and sends Cactus Jack's head into the chain links of the cell. Triple H sets Cactus Jack up for a piledriver on the ring steps, Cactus Jack trips him, sending him down to the floor and catapults him into the cell. Cactus Jack sends Triple H into the cell again and we see he's busted open. Cactus jack focuses on the wound with right hands and sends Triple H into the cell again. We get a replay of the catapult before Triple H's face is rubbed against the chainlink. Cactus Jack sends Triple H into the cell again with a hip toss and knocks him down with a headbutt. He grabs another chair and climbs to the top rope as Lawler sounds disgusted at the thought of Cactus Jack against Big Show at Wrestlemania. Cactus Jack drops from the second turnbuckle onto Triple H with the chair, which is so nice we get to see it twice. Cactus Jack has the ring steps now, he throws them at Triple H, Triple H moves out of harm's way but the stairs break the cell! Cactus Jack has a way out!
Cactus Jack sends himself through the cell as the crowd explodes “he's made himself a door” - Jim Ross. Triple H is sent through the impromptu door, hitting the security wall on the other side. Cactus jack throws Triple H onto the announce table, he hits a piledriver but the table doesn't give way. The fans chant Mick Foley's name as he starts climbing the cell. Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley is able to stop him climbing but backs away when Cactus Jack confronts her. Triple H tries to attack Cactus Jack from behind but gets caught, he's sent into the cell wall and Cactus Jack dismantles the timekeepers' area looking for something, he hid a barbed wire 2x4! Triple H sees it and tries to run through the crowd but Cactus Jack catches him and hits him on the head with it. Triple H sells it like a shotgun, when he eventually gets to his feet he starts scrambling up the cell wall. Cactus Jack follows, using a convenient handle to bring it up over his arm, stupidly he places it on top of the cell. Triple H hits Cactus Jack with right hands, trying to prevent him from getting to the top. Triple H grinds the barbed wire into Cactus Jack's forehead and stomps on his hand, which sends Cactus Jack falling through the Spanish announce table.
JR calls for help for Mick Foley as Triple H celebrates on top of the cell. The crowd calls him an asshole for defending his title, Cactus Jack is on his feet! He's covered in blood, his arm and head both bleeding. He tries to throw a steel chair on top of the cell but hits everything except the roof, so he goes to face Triple H empty-handed. Triple H hits him across the back with the barbed wire 2x4, the barbed wire clings to his shirt and unravels. Cactus Jack hits Triple H with a low blow from the ground and is able to get to his feet, he knocks Triple H down with a right hand and sends him to the edge of the cell. The corner of the roof gives way. Another right hand leaves Triple H hanging half inside the cell. Cactus Jack hits a suplex to Triple H, taking the force on the support beams of the cell, which can't have been fun. Cactus Jack hits the double-arm DDT on the top of the cell and we see Stephanie's concerned face. Cactus Jack finds a lighter on the top of the cell and sets the 2x4 alight, he hits Triple H with it, sending him over one of the support beams on the top. He sets it down and signals for a piledriver. Triple H backdrops Cactus Jack, he goes through the cell, then through the canvas, laying in a crater in the ring!
The “holy shit” chant there was certainly deserved. Triple H climbs down using the panel Foley fell through. He kicks Cactus Jack's arm, Cactus Jack moves the other one to signal he can still go, the fans explode in the arena as Triple H takes his frustration out on the referee. Cactus Jack crawls out of his falling spot and Triple H knocks him down with a right hand. He stomps at him before finally hitting the Pedigree, he covers Cactus Jack for the win and the Wrestlemania match.
WINNER: TRIPLE H (STILL WWF Champion)
This was an amazing match, Cactus Jack gave his all for what was genuinely supposed to be his retirement at the time. Triple H was no slouch, taking a barbed wire and a fire shot in the match. One of the better cell matches, even with the Attitude Era McMahon filled aftermath. Mick Foley solidified Triple H as a main eventer coming into this Millenium.– As a match, it's *** ½ but personally I'd rate it 6.75/10
Of course this would not be Mick Foley's retirement, and he'd still get the Wrestlemania main event match for the WWF Championship. Which I reviewed here.
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