Examining the Undertaker's History inside WWE Hell in a Cell

Over the many years WWE has been in business, several Superstars have become associated with specific types of matches.

Mick Foley took hardcore matches to a new level, the Hardys, Edge and Christian and the Dudleys dominated TLC bouts, and ShawnMichaels helped make ladder matches popular, but nobody is as synonymous with a specific stipulation as The Undertaker is to Hell in a Cell.

In the 18 years since Taker and Michaels wrestled in the first Hell in a Cell bout, The Deadman has made the demonic structure into his own personal playground.

It's not just the fact he has been in more of these contests than anyone else in history, but it's the impressive list of names he has gone to war with inside the massive cage that defines his legacy.

Many of the men who have stepped inside the cell with The Undertaker are either in the WWE Hall of Fame already or will definitely make it in at some point in the future.

Michaels, Mick Foley, Kane, Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, Kane, Batista and Brock Lesnar have all been unfortunate enough to feel the sting of being thrown into the steel walls of the unforgiving structure, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

In order to really understand why The Undertaker is so connected with this certain type of match, we have to start at the beginning.

In 1997, HBK and The Undertaker were set to do battle at Badd Blood to see who would become the No. 1 contender for the then-WWF Championship.

At the time, there was nobody bigger than these two legends. In order to show just how important this match was, management created a whole new type of stipulation.

Instead of the usual cage design where the walls are on the ring apron, this new creation moved the perimeter to the barricades, giving the competitors more room to beat the life out of each other.

Calling the match "Hell in a Cell" was clearly meant to reference The Undertaker's gimmick, but it made even more sense once Kane made his debut, ripped the door off its hinges and proceeded to attack his storyline brother.

It only took eight months for WWE to bring out the cell for another encounter, but this time, it would involve Undertaker, Austin, Kane and Mankind.

That match ended with a no-contest decision, but The Undertaker would have his revenge two weeks later when he picked up his first win inside the cell against Mankind in what has become one of the most talked-about battles in wrestling history.

Taker defeated Big Boss Man in 1999 before going six years without a win in the cell. In 2005, he bested Randy Orton, and that is when he truly began his reign of terror.

Over the next 10 years, The Deadman would battle some of the best the business has ever seen, defeating iconic names like Triple H, Edge and CM Punk.

But the real story is the people he put over using this stipulation. Kane, Batista, Lesnar and Angle were all lucky enough to defeat The Undertaker in what was supposed to be his special match.

He has had a lot of success in his career, but for every person The Undertaker put to rest, another would get a huge boost by defeating the mythical Deadman, and those who did it inside the cell shot up the ranks even faster.

Whenever you hear someone talk about his experience inside Hell in a Cell, he talks about how it affected his career and body. Since he has been in more than anyone, Taker has an intimate knowledge of how much it truly changes a competitor.

It's been over three years since he last stepped foot inside the steel structure he made so famous. His last HIAC bout was against Triple H at WrestleMania 28, and he barely managed to make it up the ramp when he was done.

Putting his body on the line time and time again just shows how much love and passion Taker has for pro wrestling and its fans. If he was just there to get famous and collect a check, he never would have agreed to be in so many HIAC matches.

When he steps foot inside the cell Sunday, it will likely be the last time The Undertaker wrestles in one of these bouts. 

WWE has been advertising this as the last time Lesnar and Taker will face each other, ending a feud that has spanned over a decade.

These two giants of the sports-entertainment industry are known around the world for their toughness and skill, but inside Hell in a Cell, it's all about carnage.

Sunday's match at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view probably won't go down as the best performance we have seen from either of these competitors, but if all goes according to plan, it could be the most memorable.