Is WWE In Need of A NEW Gimmick Type Match Concept?

[TWJC: The Beginning]

I don't think they're in "need". Gimmick matchs only sell for that PPV. Most of the time the extra buys are marginal. WWE has PPVs named "hell in a cell" "Money in the bank" etc so that people who might follow loosely know when these matches are coming. I don't think they killed the idea by any stretch of the imagination.

If they did have a new one, I'd just tweak the chamber. Make it a 3 on 3 war games situation with the pods. It'd be cool. For the standard "heel team wins the coin-toss" beatdowns, you could have say 2 heels beating down the babyface in front of a babyface pod. You have a monster babyface like Kane or someone in the pod, so when time is up they do the whole "o shit" thing and stop beating him down and run around the chamber. War Games was cool as fuck, Dusthy did a great job on that one.

The thing is, if you need gimmick matches to sell, you are doing a shitty job. I don't think they're in need of one, they could put a fresh take on existing ones though. I'd like a money in the bank cage match. Like 4 guys in a cage, you have to escape over the top, first to get out wins the briefcase.

For shits I'll throw in ideas I'd suggest to TNA (because Russo might actually do it).
Reverse tables match, first guy to piece a table back together wins.
Pole on a pole...on a pole match, exactly what it sounds like.
Money in the bank cage match, only it starts out in the back, first 8 guys to climb IN the cage stay, then the first 4 guys OUT stay, then the first 3 to find keys in boxes stashed around the arena stay, they go back in the cage, then the first 2 out of the cage stay, then it's a falls count anywhere match, if the guy who gets the pin can't make it in the cage before being eaten by a lion, then the match starts over with the remaining competitors.

 

[abraxasdeux]

I'd definately like to see something along the lines of the Raw Roulette, that was probably the first time that I'd enjoyed wrestling in awhile

The spontaniousness of it all is what really and truely sold me on it

IDK, I've also been wanting kind of a WCW War Games style match with all of the wrestlers fighting in 3 rings (yes, I'm aware of how similar it is to Royal Rumble). the 3 winners from each of the individual rings would compete in the following monday's Raw in a Triple Threat/ 3 Way Dance style match for a particular belt

You wouldn't necessarily need to make the War Games knock off a PPV, you could just make it a special like they did with All Stars

 

[techx1122]

I've always like TNA's King of the Mountain match. Missing it at Slammiversary the last 2 years. Guess WWE could make it a ladder match were you have to become eligible to take down the title and get rid of the penalty box.

 

[@smarkmouth]

CM Punk had an interesting take on gimmick matches in a recent interview. It might have been the Bill Simmons podcast but I may stand to be corrected. I am paraphrasing, but he said something along the lines of it being the current job of wrestlers to lower the stakes of high risk matches, to lower the expectation of a bump while promising a good match. Something along the lines of that the only big risk now is somebody taking a bump in a bathtub full of thumbtacks!

Think of the idea of a gimmick match as bipolar. On one side, it's a cage match, and on the other it's a 2 out of 3 falls. As it pertains to gimmick matches, WWE has progressed toward 'cage' gimmick matches, which often require apparatus before match quality. For example, a byproduct of this is Elimination Chamber. I'm not saying that Elimination Chambers can't be good matches, but the selling point of this match is it's structure, not it's potential match quality. These matches also sell the point that "If you buy this PPV, someone's going to take a big fall!", which shouldn't always be the case.

On the other side of the spectrum we have '2 out of 3 falls' which produces similar creations as Iron Man matches or Championship Scrambles. These matches have heavy implications on the rules, but require no additional structure like a cage or chamber or cell. In theory, as opposed to 'cage' gimmick matches, WWE has to sell the match on it's competitors as opposed to its structure and apparatus. And to counterpoint myself from the above paragraph, nobody is buying an Iron Man match with Mark Henry vs Zack Ryder!

So, back to the thesis of the thread; my thought is yes, WWE could benefit from a new gimmick match. However, in the PG era which caters to young fans and follows an era which catered to adult fans, it has to walk a very fine line of rules and draw value.

 

[Good Golly It's Ollie]

Harthan's post explains exactly why Hell in a Cell didn't work last year especially with Sheamus/Orton's program. These guys are both very good, but the build so far simply didn't seem to justify Hell in a Cell. It hadn't grown enough.

Christian and Orton, now that could have justified Hell in a Cell, but only if Christian was a different kind of heel. A more aggressive one. But the feud was certainly long enough to do it, and with enough 'hatred' and 'intensity' too. It's supposed to be the absolute last resort, which is why it worked for Edge/Undertaker/(Vickie) in 2008, and why it worked for Helmsley/Foley in 2000. It even managed to work for Armageddon Six-Man at the end of that same year because the whole year had been spent giving those six guys lots history with each other. And Kurt came out winning which was great because he was the one most hated by all the others (well, him and Rikishi). The only two that didn't really have a lot of shit with each other from that year were Rock and Undertaker.

I'm not sure whether I agree or not with Jack-Hammer's earlier post. On one hand I can accept that it's more difficult in today's environment to build Hell in a Cell, but you don't need blood to do the "Leap off the Cell!!" spot. That said it's still a hell(pun absolutely intended) of a drop.

But yeah, gimmick matches are still just as dependent on the characters involved and the feud's build. Inferno matches involving Kane have usually been great because a) It's relevant to Kane and b) the opponent has usually been Undertaker, also relevant to Kane. I think TNA's problem is often they consider it a solution, or the center of the feud rather than say, an added intensity factor, or the outer shell surrounding the feud.

 

[Big Sexy]

No. The WWE already has Ladder matches, Cage matches, Elimination Chambers, Hell in a Cell, TLC, Money in the Bank, etc..., and the latter 4 have their own ppv's. One of the last times a new gimmick match was introduced we were given the Punjabi Prison match which has to be the dumbest thing I've ever seen.

The only acceptable thing they could do would be to bring back War Games from the old NWA/WCW. I would love to see that gimmick match one again, but as far as new ones go there is really no need. The WWE already has plenty.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

Like a lot of people I think the number and frequency of gimmick matches is getting somewhat watered down. They are not new anymore and the same old spots do not have the same effect. However, that could just be my take on all wrestling together and I don't think it would make much sense for WWE to go out and start dropping gimmick matches.

My idea is a simple one and not anything worth building a pay-per-view on. Do a first to three wins match where you have to pin, submit and count out your opponent in no particular order to win the match. The count out could be replaced with last man standing. Not sure if this has been done before.

Either that or a PPV that is nothing but Mrs. Bagwell on a pole matches.

 

[milan22]

Women's Ladder Match

Women's Cage Match

Bring back the Lions Den Match for a least one more time.

Bring back the "other" style cage match. The cage with the large squares, not the chain link one. And climbing out is the ONLY way to win the match.

And for my idea of something I haven't seen:

It's a cage match. But here's how it looks.

It's a large cage, exactly like hell in the cell at the ring ,then there's a enclosed cage (like the one at the ring) at the top of the ramp/entrance (obviously a smaller "box cage").... then an enclosed tunnel cage that goes down the ramp to the ring connecting to that main cage.

This match would involve more than 2 wrestlers, at least six. They can start out in the top cage and work their way down to the main. There could be tables & chairs and such at the main cage. The possibilities for different scenarios are there imo.

P.S.

This match could also be used as a result of "too many" run ins. And it was "designed" to keep any interference from outside help type of match between two foes.

 

[LoudClearVoice]

I've had this idea for awhile now, I heard HHH wants to bring back the tag division so how about a tag team Royal Rumble? basically the same as the Royal Rumble but the last 2 men remaining are crowned tag team champions.

This is a very good idea. I could definitely see something like this happening. I wouldn't do it at the actual Royal Rumble, I'd do it at a different PPV. Having the regular Royal Rumble then a separate Tag Team Royal Rumble, seems like a bit much for one night.

 

[Corpse_Machine]

I'd definately like to see something along the lines of the Raw Roulette, that was probably the first time that I'd enjoyed wrestling in awhile

The spontaniousness of it all is what really and truely sold me on it

Raw roulletes clearly fixed, they know what matches their gonna be in and who its gonna be with, the Raw roullete is a shadow of its former self, every match is a basic match just with a stipulation like lumberjacks or falls count anywhere, and if there was a cage match WWE suspends the cage above the ring.

 

[ceasar330]

Bring back King of the Ring....whole tournament on ppv, fans dont know whose in it until ppv happens

WarGames....1 ring inside Hell in a Cell cage

BattleBowl....20-30 man battle royal where last 2 standing have a match with only way to win is pinfall or submission

GoldRush....like TNA king of the mountain with not little cage gimmick

Bring back old SurvivorSeries style matches

I think Money in the Bank should be at WrestleMania but this past mitb was best ppv if seen in years

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

Women's Ladder Match

Women's Cage Match

Bring back the Lions Den Match for a least one more time.

Bring back the "other" style cage match. The cage with the large squares, not the chain link one. And climbing out is the ONLY way to win the match.

And for my idea of something I haven't seen:

It's a cage match. But here's how it looks.

It's a large cage, exactly like hell in the cell at the ring ,then there's a enclosed cage (like the one at the ring) at the top of the ramp/entrance (obviously a smaller "box cage").... then an enclosed tunnel cage that goes down the ramp to the ring connecting to that main cage.

This match would involve more than 2 wrestlers, at least six. They can start out in the top cage and work their way down to the main. There could be tables & chairs and such at the main cage. The possibilities for different scenarios are there imo.

P.S.

This match could also be used as a result of "too many" run ins. And it was "designed" to keep any interference from outside help type of match between two foes.

Sorry, but your idea sounds like a clusterfuck. It doesn't sound very realistic unless all matches on the PPV are in it. It sounds contrived. The best matches are simple, not a ton of rules. Plus more weapons and cagery =/= more brutality or a better match, just more cluster.

Match ideas should be simple. Einstein once said "genius isn't making simple ideas complex, but complex ideas simple". Think of that when you're creating a match.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

If I have said it once, ive said it a thousand times....and they did it in a sort of way with championship scramble....


Triple threat or 4-way Iron man match. 3/4 guys, time limit, most falls at the end wins. So easy, such an immense amount of great ways it could be booked. Baffles me how it STILL has never happened.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

If I have said it once, ive said it a thousand times....and they did it in a sort of way with championship scramble....


Triple threat or 4-way Iron man match. 3/4 guys, time limit, most falls at the end wins. So easy, such an immense amount of great ways it could be booked. Baffles me how it STILL has never happened.

ROH crowned their first champion in a 4 way Iron Man match. Course, that was ROH.

I think it'd work in WWE. I think it's a good idea, it's simple, and yet you can be complex with booking it. Great job. Let's say you have a champion, who never once gets pinned in that match, but scores pinfalls on each of the other opponents, and still loses the match. Just a ton of shit you can do.

 

[poppycock]

I am all for new gimmick match ideas aslong as they do not become overused like most of the already existing ones. Also I am not a fan of producing an annual PPV event based around a certain gimmick (not against this concept if it is a one off PPV though). Perhaps bringing in something with a points system would be a good idea for the WWE.

- Tag Team King of The Ring type competition to further help develop the divison perhaps.
- I always liked the concept of putting sombody in something to win as in Dumpster, Ambulance and Buried Alive type match ups so if they could come up with an idea based on thatwith a new twist to fit in with the current era I would quitelike to see it.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

I was thinking mask vs mask with Cody Rhodes.

Say, Cody vs any babyface really, mask vs mask. If the babyface loses, Cody must take his off, if Cody wins, the babyface has to put one one.

 

[milan22]

Sorry, but your idea sounds like a clusterfuck. It doesn't sound very realistic unless all matches on the PPV are in it. It sounds contrived. The best matches are simple, not a ton of rules. Plus more weapons and cagery =/= more brutality or a better match, just more cluster.

Match ideas should be simple. Einstein once said "genius isn't making simple ideas complex, but complex ideas simple". Think of that when you're creating a match.

First of all:

There's nothing cluster about it. Not contrived at all.

And why exacty does every match on the PPV HAVE to use the cage? Does every match that is on PPV that happens to have a ladder match, MUST be a ladder match? Ladder are set up everywhere. Up and down the ramp, etc... Answer no.

Did EVERY match on the card have to be an Inferno Match with the fire like between Kane & Undertaker? Answer no.

The Hell in the Cell cage lowers down when the match on the card starts. Does it not?

The only part that would be stationary would be the "tunnel cage" going from the top of the ramp to the ring. And that could even be lowered down. The crews at any WWE live events are amazing. The tear down / build up process in the WWE are second to none. So your really not making any sense. It's been done before, and it can be done again.

Second:

Also on the "rule thing". Where's the ton of rules that you said? I never said anything about a ton of rule.

I clearly stated that it would involve more than two wrestlers working their way down to the ring. That's it. I said you COULD add more scenarios, like tables & chairs. and again, where are the all these rules your talking about? Tables & chairs would simply be NO DISQUALIFICATION. Very simple & not complex at all.

Third:

It's a gimmick. It's supposed to out there, attention grabbing. My idea of that cage would nothing short of amazing looking.

Also when putting out a statement like:

It doesn't sound very realistic

We are talking about the WWE correct? Quoting Einstein? Seriously? You think about it.

 

[LoudClearVoice]

I can't remember if this has been done before but if not, WWE should a "Bar Room Brawl" match. Basically it would just be an empty bar (fake) and the wrestlers would fight in the bar room using anything (bar stools), the bar counter, tables, etc. First man to score a pin fall wins. This match would have been perfect for Stone Cold but I'm not sure if there's anyone on the roster that this would be good for now.

 

[TheTruthShallSetYouFree]

Picture this - A normal steel cage but with a roof (Like a small hell in a cell.) It has weapons dangling from the roof, such as chairs, sledge hammers, ladders or kendo sticks. Theres a small 1metre square in the middle of the roof. The cell has ladders + tables set up on top. The only way to win is to escape the cage and get to the floor first?

 

[The Perfect Max]

I don't think a match is the problem. It is the era. Not even the Elimination Chamber really works anymore. People love it. I love it. But the PG thing gets on my tits as we all know how much we've seen them bleed in there, then, all of a sudden, they're invincible. Just saying.

Maybe a Diva Rumble each year at the Royal Rumble. Winner faces Divas Champion at WrestleMania. May give some anticipation and excitement to the divas division and people may start to care a little bit more, maybe?

Over the past few years some great matches have come out of the WWE. The Championship Scramble is one, which, I don't get why they don't use anymore. It seems to be popular, so use it. It is a way of using rising talent and giving them a chance. Seeing Dolph Ziggler pin John Morrison half way through a Scramble match will leave people thinking if he'll win. I don't know.

Just too early to start thinking of new gimmick matches.

 

[Paralyzer Z]

After thinking about it and reading some replies...I thought of a good one, one that I have always wanted to see attempted.

What about about a double threat type match? A cage match INSIDE the Hell in the Cell! You not only have to beat your opponent and escape the cage, but you also have to beat them to escape the cell. It could also be pulled of with showcasing the brutality of it, all while being surrounded by steel cages.

Now, I saw what you said Jack-Hammer. On paper it MIGHT work, but the actual concept and match may fall short. Yes it would sort of depend on the wrestlers involved. BUT...tell me Punk vs Jericho wouldn't be good? Or Morrison showing off his acrobatic style like he did in the EC.

IDK, its something I've been toying with and even trying to create with Smackdown vs RAW.


Also...no I dont want to see a WAR GAMES match done in WWE or any TNA gimmick match. Im talking about a NEW NEVER BEFORE SEEN MATCH. Just like when Elimination Chamber debuted.

[YOUTUBE]URqySgEDdCQ[/YOUTUBE]

Seems similar doesn't it? I rest my case.

Back to the main topic WWE does not need any new gimmick matches. Lets look at great examples of gimmick matches that do not work. Vince Russo thinks he makes up a new gimmick match every few months in TNA "(insert name of city) STREET FIGHT!". How many of those turned out well in the end? WWE has exhausted every reasonable gimmick match they could do without letting the matches get stupid like "An electric Steel cage!". They are doing just fine with all the match types they have right now. Plenty of options are at the company's use anytime they want. They save the big PPV gimmick matches for special occasions like the Last Man standing or the Submission matches, and the Iron Match as well. The match itself does not rely on the objective or goal of itself, but rather how good the competitors can make the match look. Like Harthan said they can either be used to make a feud better (HHH vs HBK Hell in a Cell) or worse (PIG match at Extreme Rules 2009). Any new match they could come up with, if they could do it I would applaud them if it did not sound really stupid, or unrealistic. These matches should and have been used to add interest to a feud, not for guys to compete in the most mind blowingly circus like stuff such as a "tight rope match" or a "kiss the hairy woman match".

 

[stephenjpunk317]

I think that the WWE should bring back the idea that you can only win a cage match by escaping the cage. I forgot when this went away, but I know they added that you can win by submission or pinfall in the cage, so why not make a cage match between two guys who have really been feuding? Maybe something to end the Orton Rhodes feud if that's going to keep going.

 

[Otacon]

I think the WWE just needs to introduce or re-introduce a new title.

Maybe a Television title, or they should just bring back the cruiserweight title.

I personally like to see titles change over, I'm not saying have a guy drop a title every week, but bringing another title in would be cool

 

[Fear&Loathing]

Yeah its about time WWE had a new gimmick match definitely. We have all heard over the past 2 years since the Rise and fall of WCW dvd on many different occasions in different topics how WWE should have a go at the War Games concept and I totally agree that they should give it a try because in WCW there never were really bloody war games matches and i think it would fit into this Era of WWE perfectly but a totally new concept i agree with the revamped tag team division in a tag team Royal Rumble match it will also give a chance for WWE to introduce some of the older teams on occasion. Like recently we have seen The Headbangers on the internet saying how they would love to face AirBoom well with a Tag Team Royal Rumble WWE have the chance to re introduce old tag teams and give the division a re boot.