Let's Talk About Gimmick Matches - Steel Cage (fence)

[D-Man]

So, I got sidetracked for a while after my first Gimmick Match post, but I plan on continuing these threads for a while.

Let's move onto the most classic, feud-ending gimmick match in the history of professional wrestling... the Steel Cage. Last time, we talked about WWE's version... a blue, unbendable, difficult to work with cage that was more catered to large opponents than storytelling matches. This time, we need to jump into the historical structure that is still used to this day...

It's been calling the "unforgiving structure." More blood has spilled in this type of match than any other in history. Classic feuds ended in the cage and many began. But even people that have never watched a wrestling match always seem to know the severity of the "Steel Cage Match."

I can't even count how many classic matches took place in this structure... that's YOUR job. Discuss your favorite steel cage matches (fence-version) and what made them so memorable.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

Is this the same "steel cage" that was used in three matches last night and erroneously called "Hell in a Cell?" I Digress.

I've always associated the mesh cage with WCW. NOT WWE. When I think "WWE" and "Steel Cage" I think of the blue bars you posted last time. WCW was always the proprietor of the mesh cage.

And to me, there isn't anything that harkens back to the mesh cages of WCW than War Games. An annual event involving 2 cages, it was sort of a mix of Survivor Series (5 on 5), and the Elimination Chamber. Most great War Games matches involved the 4 Horsemen. Now THAT was a Steel Cage match!

 

[violentautopsy80]

Favorite mesh cage match was Uncensored with the layered cages with The Ultimate Solution (Jeep Swanson) and Z-Gangsta waiting at the top. It was just sheer lunacy and nothing compared to any bloody Ric Flair steel cage matches from the NWA.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

Favorite mesh cage match was Uncensored with the layered cages with The Ultimate Solution (Jeep Swanson) and Z-Gangsta waiting at the top. It was just sheer lunacy and nothing compared to any bloody Ric Flair steel cage matches from the NWA.

Ugh that match was brutal. And not in a good way, not in a "he's hardcore" kind of way. In a "dear god they charges people for this puss?" kind of way. It's no wonder Wrestling Observer named this three-tiered cage match the "Worst Worked Match of the Year" at the time. It deserved it. How many old Hogan retreads could WCW dig up? Let's go get Zeus! Look at this guy, Jeep Swanson, let's get him. Wait, he needs a name? Quick, he's on in 5 minutes, give him something!

The Alliance to End Hulkamania had ZERO chemistry and made ZERO logical sense. Much like the match. Had it just been Hogan and Savage vs The 4 Horsemen, it would have been 20 times better.

 

[D-Man]

The biggest problem for me is that I missed so much WCW history back in the day that I was unaware of the many, numerous cage matches they had in the past. And I know that many of you will choose WCW and NWA matches in this thread. Since I'm always in the mood to learn something new about the history of professional wrestling, can you guys enlighten me on some more classic non-WWE cage matches of the past? And can you direct me to where I can view them for myself?

I started this thread as a fun way for all of us to remenisce good times of the past. I guess it's turning into a learning experience for me

 

[IrishCanadian25]

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Not sure if this will work, since I cannot use Youtube at work. But this is the 4th part of the 1991 War Games Match between the 4 Horsemen (Flair, Arn, Lex, Tully, and JJ Dillon) vs the Road Warriors (Hawk, Animal, Dusty, Koloff, Ellering), which is generally considered the original and the classic.

There have been 24 War Games matches, almost all of which involved the Horsemen, and oddly enough, more than half occured at WCW / NWA house shows in the Greensboro area.

The War Games match is also where the infamous Sid Vicious powerbomb on Brian Pillman occured, nearly snapping Pillman's neck.

 

[MattMoses]

NWA/WCW held a lot of cage matches, the most well-known being the WarGames. The earlier versions were some of the greatest bouts in the companies history. Unfortunately, most of the earlier ones took place at house shows, and the footage is owned by WWE and have only since released one of them (on the Four Horsemen DVD). A few fan cams exist, but they are really bad quality. The later ones were so embarassing that I'm cringing as I type this. Enough of that.

Tully Blanchard. When I think of the steel cage, he comes to mind. Yes, partly due to the WarGames he participated in, but he had some phenomenal singles cage matches. Two of which are often hailed as the best ever, and rightly so. The first of which was against Dusty Rhodes at the Great American Bash of '85, for the NWA Television title. Now you have to remember, back around this time, the NWA TV Title was a pretty big deal (this match even headlining over NWA Champion Ric Flair). Rhodes had just defeated Blanchard's just-short of a year long title reign, and the two had a pretty great feud throughout early-mid '85, culminating in this classic match. (Note: this feud later re-ignited a year later, featuring barbed wire ladder matches and another cage match. It's something worth looking into for a classic NWA feud).

You will have to excuse the poor quality and that a few snippets of the match are cut, but it's the best I can find without having to upload the full thing. Sorry about that.




The next match is Blanchard taking on Magnum T.A for the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship. This feud took place straight after the first chapter of Rhodes/Blanchard, with Tully chasing the US championship. Both men traded victories, cheap wins and low blows with each other, and was by far the most exciting feud in wrestling at the time. It lead to arguably the greatest cage match of all-time at Starrcade '85. Enjoy.

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[maar130]

Now on the later half of 2005 Ric Flair and HHH had a Steel Cage match at Cyber Sunday that most people never watched. Well even at his old age that match was very cool and whil none gave Flair a chance, he was able to walk out with the victory in a very decisive way, there was blood everywhere and eventhough the feud ddn't end there that match was one of few that really reminds me what the cage gimmick was all about.