Okay, so today I wanted to mess around with something completely different – pro wrestling. Specifically, that infamous Undertaker vs. Mankind Hell in a Cell match. I’ve seen clips, I’ve heard the stories, but I wanted to experience it for myself, start to finish.
First, I had to find the full, unedited match. You can find tons of highlight reels, but not the full unedited match, that took a bit of digging. I wanted the whole shebang, commentary and all.
Once I got located the match, I created a new folder on my computer, then I settled in. Got my snacks, got my drink, lights dimmed – the whole nine yards. I wanted to really feel this thing. I had known about the match being crazy, but I was not prepared for what was about to happen.
- The Initial Climb: Right from the start, these guys are brawling on top of the cage. My palms started sweating. I kept thinking, “Don’t fall, don’t fall…”
- The First Throw: When Undertaker chucked Mankind off the top… I literally jumped out of my chair. I knew it was coming, intellectually, but seeing it unfold…man. The sound, the crowd reaction, the sheer distance he fell…unreal.
- The Second Throw, Through the Cage: I thought the first one was the big moment. Nope. When Mankind went crashing through the roof… I actually had to pause the video. I couldn’t believe he was still moving, let alone going to continue the match. I had so much respect for him for continuing.
- The Thumbtacks: Okay, this is where I started feeling a little queasy. The thumbtacks are just brutal. Every bump, every slam…you just cringe.
The rest of the match went as planned
After the match was over, I sat there for a good five minutes, just processing what I’d seen. It’s one thing to read about it, it’s another to witness the whole thing, start to finish.
It’s pure, raw, brutal spectacle. It’s also, in a weird way, kind of inspiring. The dedication, the pain tolerance…these guys were on another level.I felt like I really got what all of the talk was about, and why the match is still talked about.
So, yeah, that was my afternoon. Watching two guys beat the living hell out of each other in a steel cage. And honestly? I get the hype now. I totally get it.
