WWE have finally posted footage of forgotten match that they 'wouldn't release' for years

WWE have finally posted footage of a 'forgotten' match 13 years after it happened.

Prior to the brutal and classic Hell in a Cell match between CM Punk and Drew McIntyre at the Bad Blood event last week, WWE uploaded a video to their YouTube channel highlighting five previous bouts that had ended up in the lost files.

There was a tornado tag match in the cell as Stone Cold Steve Austin teamed with The Undertaker against Kane and Mankind on an episode of Raw.

But the most interesting match to make the cut was a five-way Hell in a Cell match which was not televised.

The tear-up was a "dark match", meaning only the live audience were able to watch it.

It happened on 26 September 2011 in Kansas City, with John Cena defending his WWE championship in the structure against CM Punk, Alberto Del Rio, Jack Swagger, and Dolph Ziggler.

The match was just five minutes long and did not feature any commentary, instead just the natural noise from the fans, ring and performers.

In a clip featuring subtitles on X, Cena and Punk can be heard 'calling the match' on the fly - telling their opponents where to be and what to do next.

For years I wondered why WWE wouldn't release the Hell in a Cell dark match from 2011, and after watching it now I know:

You hear the wrestlers call the entire match. pic.twitter.com/PMEnpoWNsv

— Jus⛏in🩸 (@Justin_SofOK) October 10, 2024

Cena retained his title by hitting the Attitude Adjustment on Jack Swagger but he ended the week losing the championship inside Hell in a Cell, with Del Rio defeating he and Punk in a triple-threat.

The match was the only Hell in a Cell match never to see the light of day until now and fans have enjoyed seeing the unique footage.

One wrote: "This makes me want to see it even more that’s such a unique perspective."

A second said: "Cena & Punk putting the whole thing together my GOATs."

A third added: "This honestly makes me respect wrestling even more. Imagine one of them not hearing what the other said and that results in a botched/missed spot that could've ruined the entire match."

Another user commented: "Wow, that's the first time I have seen this. Gives me a whole new perspective of how a match has so many moving parts!"

A fifth person posted: "This is pretty cool to watch in terms of seeing how a match is called out in real time."