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Triple H vs. Cactus Jack (No Way Out, 2000)
Heading into this masterpiece bout, Mick Foley, portraying his iconic Cactus Jack persona, knew that this would likely be his final match. Despite being the champion, Triple H hadn’t yet fully cemented the “The Game” persona that fans came to love. It was this specific feud and match with Foley that finally solidified that identity for him.
Heading into the bout, the stakes were “Title vs. Career”: Foley had the chance to win the championship, while Triple H had the opportunity to keep the WWF Championship and retire a legend. The two decided to end their feud inside Hell in a Cell.
Foley headed into the bout with significant experience, having faced The Undertaker in the same brutal environment at King of the Ring two years prior.
The match ended up being as brutal as advertised, as the two used chairs, steel steps, and the cage itself to punish each other. In one of the most extreme moments, Cactus Jack lit a barbed-wire 2×4 on fire, while Triple H relied on his signature sledgehammer to maintain control.
The most iconic moment came when the two competitors were on top of the structure, and Foley was backdropped through the cell roof. It was similar to what happened in his match against The Undertaker at King of the Ring in 1998, but the difference was that Foley didn’t just hit the canvas; he crashed right through it.
Surviving Hell in a Cell and retiring a legend legitimized Triple H, giving him a level of ruthless credibility he hadn’t possessed before. While Foley would return for sporadic appearances later, this match effectively ended his run as a full-time, elite-level competitor.
