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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →A WWE Three Stages of Hell Match is a best-of-three contest in which each stage uses a different stipulation. The first wrestler to win two stages wins the match, but there is no fixed order or recipe: the rules change from bout to bout.
How the Three Stages of Hell format works
WWE describes the format as similar to a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match: the first competitor to earn two wins takes the match. The defining difference is that each fall, or “stage,” has a distinct stipulation. A stage might emphasize a different kind of contest, so the skills and tactics that matter can shift as the bout progresses.
That changing rule set is essential to the concept. “Three Stages of Hell” names the best-of-three structure, not a standard sequence of match types. WWE set out this explanation in its 2013 overview.
Early appearances and WWE’s 2013 count
In its 2013 overview, WWE identified No Way Out 2001, Armageddon 2002, and The Bash 2009 as earlier events to feature the stipulation. It described John Cena versus Ryback at Payback 2013 as the fourth Three Stages of Hell Match in WWE history at that time. That is a contemporaneous count, not an up-to-date total.
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The official Armageddon 2002 report confirms Shawn Michaels and Triple H competed in a Three Stages of Hell Match and identifies a ladder match as the final stage. The report excerpt establishes neither the full stage sequence nor the match outcome, so those details are not included here.
Payback 2013: Cena comes back after losing the first stage
The WWE Championship match between John Cena and Ryback at Payback 2013 shows how the stipulations can create a changing contest. Ryback won the opening lumberjack stage. Cena then won the tables match and the ambulance match, taking the final two stages and retaining the championship, according to WWE’s official match report.
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| Stage | Stipulation | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| First | Lumberjack Match | Ryback |
| Second | Tables Match | John Cena |
| Third | Ambulance Match | John Cena |
WWE’s 2013 overview also noted that this was the first Three Stages of Hell Match not to feature Triple H.
SmackDown, Jan. 9, 2026: McIntyre wins the title
A later example came on SmackDown on Jan. 9, 2026, when Cody Rhodes defended the Undisputed WWE Championship against Drew McIntyre. WWE’s results list the stages in this order: traditional singles match, Falls Count Anywhere Match, and Steel Cage Match.
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| Stage | Stipulation | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| First | Traditional singles match | Drew McIntyre |
| Second | Falls Count Anywhere Match | Cody Rhodes |
| Third | Steel Cage Match | Drew McIntyre |
McIntyre won the deciding stage and the championship. WWE reported that Jacob Fatu attacked both wrestlers late in the cage match, after which McIntyre escaped the cage to win; the official results account describes the ending.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the notable matches show
The format connects its matches through one rule—win two stages—but leaves the individual story to the stipulations and their order. Comparing which wrestler won each stage, what was at stake, and how the deciding stage ended makes those differences clear: Cena overcame an opening loss to retain his title in 2013, while McIntyre took the deciding cage stage to win Rhodes’ title in 2026.
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This is a selective history, not a complete match-by-match list. WWE’s 2013 count is explicitly dated to that overview, and the official sources cited here do not establish a current total.
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