PG Era's signature match?

[Trill Co$by]

The Hogan era dubbed the Steel Cage
The Hart/HBK era dubbed the Ladder Match
Attitude Era brought us the Hell In a Cell and TLC matches
and the long forgotten Ruthless Aggression era brought us the Elimination chamber and Money in the Bank

So with that in mind, I got to thinking... what signature match could the WWE label as a PG Era creation? I'm looking at the current match types that WWE uses often and I can't think of anything that sticks to my mind. Can anyone think of one that could be considered a PG Era creation?

 

[Tech N9ne]

The Non-Blood Matches. I don't know. I guess with the negativity surrounding the opinion on WWE being Rated PG, the thing that stands out the most to me, is the lack of extra violence in the matches and lack of innovation regarding new matches.

So, I guess one of the true changes in this "Era" has been blood being basically non existent. Accidents happen, but they bleed much more when it is intentional (blading), then when their nose or lip gets hit a little too hard, or they bite their tongue.

Though, there is the occasional SIGNIFICANT non intended moment. Like what happened on last weeks RAW with CM Punk's nose.

 

[therockiswwf]

Does the scramble or chair match count?

But the reason the pg era doesn't really have a signature is because they have not created a new match type. All the ones you put the matches were new (I'm not sure if the cage match was around before Hogan or when they started to use it so I maybe wrong about the cage match being new). I guess you could say the chair match but there is not a lot of emphasis on it. I would just say chair match or none.

 

[Decarow]

This was around the start of the PG Era, but I have to go with the Championship Scramble. It was a concept that WWE has tried to make big (putting it in a video game and trying once more after its original try). It's honestly not a bad match, I think most people didn't like it because there were 3 matches in the same night and that's a little too much, even for a new thing. I honestly like this match though. It would be good to have it once a year, and would be better for a mid-card title. Hell, use it to declare a number one contender.

 

[Tully]

Hornswoggle playing large roles in story lines was brought to us thanks to the PG era. Off top of my head though, I can't think of anything innovative nor interesting to be introduced into WWE PPVs in the last 7 years or so.

 

[Ezekyo]

Haha, I was gonna say something along the lines that Tully said. The horrid series of matches which saw Hornswoggle constantly defeating Chavo Guerrero in ridiculous match stipulations.

That's kind of what bothers me about the PG era; PG doesn't necessarily mean WWE has to resort to childish, nonsensical content that would be hard to explain to a non-wrestling fan who just happens to flip the channel and see wrestlers dancing instead of wrestling. That kind of time could have been dedicated to some sort of new match/concept that could've been spoken in the same breath as TLC, Hell in a Cell (or Heck in a Cell to keep it PG), cage matches, etc.

 

[Decarow]

Everybody get off of the PG ERA, It only exists to filter out. Figure that one out. I am not saying it isnt long term but it will start getting more "hardcore " as the years go on.
Thats a fact from DA GURU if you dont like it tough S%$T

I see that you're new. But when you post on these forums, it has to be on topic. You might be trolling, I don't know. The OP wasn't dissing the PG Era, he was asking for the defining match. Now, I recommend answering that question with a relevant answer.

As I stated earlier, I believe it's the Scramble match due to its uniqueness.

 

[The Suplexer Perfecter]

The only real "new" match was the Championship scramble, and that is even like that Hardcore battle royal from WM2000 but without the technical title changes.

They still used the same matches from the previous "eras", even though the Elimination Chamber was really the only new unique match from the last one. If you have a group of good gimmick matches, I don't think you'd have to keep making new ones.

Hell in a Cell (or Heck in a Cell to keep it PG)

You can say hell on a PG show.

 

[Cookie14]

I would say that the Elimination Chamber came along towards the very start of the PG era, so that would be my personal choice.

If you choose not to include this match (or think it came before PG) then my choice would be the Royal Rumble. Changing it to 40 men could have happened at any time, but it happened now, making this years RR more interesting than any in years

 

[ScottishBlood]

this may sound stupid...but we are getting a bit more actualy wrestling and the demise of the tag-division ? or possibly alot more youth potential wrestlers than gimmick matches

 

[Ruthless-RKO]

I don't think you can say there is one...
The reason why I say this is because the past year, we now have themed ppv's.. so we will always see a hell in a cell match, elimination chamber, tlc match, MitB match etc.. and I don't think there really have been any new types of matches invented.. with the exception of championship scramble which hasn't been used much..

You could also say, matches without blood is the main type of match you will see in the PG era..

 

[The_Reptile_]

I think the signature match of the PG era is a simple, straight, wrestling match. Rather just bog people down with gimmicks, we have normal matches, and frankly they've been awesome. I think you can pinpoint it after survivor series when the match quality started going up, but they seem to be going at a faster pace, better spots, cleaner transitions, and all around great. You've great guys like Morrison, Punk, Bryan, and Ziggler, and other noticeable up coming stars like Sheamus, Miz, Mcintyre, Rhodes, Nexus, Corre, and established stars helping them out.

If anything, they seem to be going for a Ring of Honor style booking. Granted, ROH is still better, but the gap between the two is a lot less than it was last year. The only thing they really need to fix are the promos.

 

[RatedLSM]

Not to be 'that guy,' (but/sry) I think, by definition, that the pg-era can be most accurately described as the first era (since that's what we started calling them) to be defined by the lack of a signature match..
I'm sitting here reading and thinking that for a match to define this period of time now, that the wwe univrse is currently experiencing, they would literally have to create a 'new match' that's (let's face it) more lame than all of the above mentioned match types..

.. my vote is unquestionably for the Championship Scramble Match . A 20 minute-title match w/ 5 contenders (or 4 cntndrs n a champ, dep on how u c it), with multiple falls occurring in each one?? That sounds pretty lame, although, i'll admit i've never watched one.
Neway besides that all others above had taken place b4 th 'pg-era' started.

 

[The Suplexer Perfecter]

I would say that the Elimination Chamber came along towards the very start of the PG era, so that would be my personal choice.

If you choose not to include this match (or think it came before PG) then my choice would be the Royal Rumble. Changing it to 40 men could have happened at any time, but it happened now, making this years RR more interesting than any in years

Elimination chamber was created in 2002, that wasn't PG. That was still TV-14. Had plenty of chamber matches until 2009 when PG was going on and had no blood.

 

[Alastor]

I would say Money in the Bank and the short matches whereby the winners cash in their opportunity to win the title. While Money in the Bank was first made just before the PG-era officially started, the format was not definitive until recent years. The cashing-in matches produced some of the more memorable moments during the PG-era such as Punk cashing in on Hardy at Extreme Rules and Miz winning the title from Orton on Raw.

 

[JJ15776]

The only match created in the PG Era is the Championship Scramble, but that hasn't been used in over two years.

I think the PG Era's signature creation is not a specific match type, but all match types. Themed events. Replacing the old PPVs we knew and loved with Extreme Rules, Elimination Chamber, HIAC, MITB, TLC, etc.

 

[mral82]

When did the Beat the Clock Challenge start?

I think that was 2006 on smackdown! when Mr. Kennedy won the it but I could be wrong. The Steel Cage Match started in 1937 the golden era of pro wrestling. As far as the PG Era the time now would be the Championship Scramble or Bragging Rights match between Smackdown! and Raw.

 

[bjarvis]

I agree. Definitely the Scramble match. I know its a No Way Out/Elimination Chamber themed PPV, but I would definitely enjoy watch one of the Brands having a Scramble match, whilst the other is an Elimination Chamber. The PPV before WrestleMania I've always seen as an all-hands on deck, last opportunity PPV. So its the best time to start and end feuds, and put as much necessary talent on PPV. I would definitely enjoy a Miz vs. Morrison vs. Cena vs. Punk vs. Sheamus vs. Orton - Scramble.

I've enjoyed the Scrambles we've had. I particularly loved the fact that The Brian Kendrick did so well for a period of time, and Jericho's sneaky win. I think its a great concept yet, this is one thing WWE never learns, they over expose it (see The Hell in a Cell match, the Elimination Chamber, etc.) The Hell in a Cell was always looked forward to. It was a once a year (not including the Raw Cell's) and it was always brutal. Now the PG era might have been one of the reasons for the legacy of the Cell dying, but having two or three in one night is just over doing it. And as such, trying to put three decent matches in the cell (see: DX vs. The McMahons & Big Show).

 

[Papa Pillman]

Changing it to 40 men could have happened at any time, but it happened now, making this years RR more interesting than any in years

I actually think that is a good observation...

Where I would differ with the original post is that I think the cage match was a defining match in pro wrestling going far back into the territory days and pre-WWF and probably even WWWF. I would say that the Royal Rumble was the defining match of the early WWF years or the "Hogan Era".

Much in that same vein, I'd say that if the 40-Man Royal Rumble becomes a yearly event(and I say that is likely, atleast as long as the brands remain split) then it could truly prove to the defining event in match innovation/transformation/originality that has happened in this current era.

And for those that might say this isn't really an original match, but merely an altered Royal Rumble, then I may just as well counter with a Royal Rumble is nothing more than an altered battle royal(another gimmick match staple far pre-dating Vince Mcmahon's influences).

 

[mrbrownstone]

The Money In The Bank match without a doubt. That match was first introduced in 2005 at WM 21, 2005 is when the current era (PG are) started as it is when Cena first rose to prominence so therefore the MITB is a match from the PG ere not the Ruthless Aggression era.

Since then there has been a MITB ladder match at every WM and it has now even got it's own PPV. That makes it the PG era's signature match with ease and basically by default since there haven't really been any other significant matches invented during the PG era.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I can only really think of the Championship Scramble, same as everybody else. There has been a couple of unique matches, like the Punjabi Prison match, but these were just one-offs and will probably never be used again.

With the no blood, PG style right now, it is quite difficult to create new style gimmick matches that will entertain the fans, so it will tend to be matches with stipulations rather than a new style cage or weapons match

 

[Trill Co$by]

The Money In The Bank match without a doubt. That match was first introduced in 2005 at WM 21, 2005 is when the current era (PG are) started as it is when Cena first rose to prominence so therefore the MITB is a match from the PG ere not the Ruthless Aggression era.

Since then there has been a MITB ladder match at every WM and it has now even got it's own PPV. That makes it the PG era's signature match with ease and basically by default since there haven't really been any other significant matches invented during the PG era.

The Ruthless Aggression Era ran from 2002 to 2007, which would indeed put MitB into the category of a Ruthless Aggression era match. There was still blood in the year 2005, and the PG era is completely against it (unless you're Jack Swagger). Cena winning the title has nothing to do with the change of an Era, that's like saying every time a title changes we have a new era. Cena winning the title was simply a beginning of the change, and to be honest it was a really good one for the WWE's financial assets back then.

And yeah I guess I kinda over looked the Championship Scramble, and I can see it as a PG Era creation and quite honestly, it's a damn good one IMO. It's one of those matches where you want to see the guy at Number 1 end up winning the match because, well it's that much of a challenge.

Still, unless you really rack your brain around it, the match will skip your mind and that's kind of a let down because if they were really on point with it, they could have a scramble match at like Summer Slam or Survivor Series.

 

[Alastor]

What is with people claiming that the scramble match is what define the PG era when almost nobody will care about that style of gimmick match? The era's signature match need not have its origin from that era. It just has to be prominent in the era and none is more prominent than the Money in the Bank Matches and subsequent cashing in. Heck, if you want a match type that started from the PG-era I think the Chairs match has made a better impression than the scramble match but more because of its ridiculous nature than anything.