Should the WWE bring back the CLASSIC Steel Cage?

[TWJC: The Beginning]

The current mesh is more "old school". The thick blue one was implemented because the 300 pound roided, coked up dinosaurs couldn't climb the mesh. I totally disagree. I think it's ugly and awkward. Doesn't look as primal either.

 

[MrMojoRisin]

First things first. THIS is the 'classic' steel cage. Not this

I couldn't find images, but you can even go back further and see wood framed steel cages with actual chicken wire meshing, and not the chain link fencing that eventually became the norm.

Sorry, but reading this thread, it's really been bugging me seeing big blue referred to as the 'classic' cage, as if this was how cage matches always looked until they came up with the recent idea of using chain link fencing.

Also I see where someone mentioned how old cage matches never had this 'new' escape through the door rule? For the longest time in the WWF, escaping the cage was the ONLY way to win a cage match. There was no such thing as pinfalls or submissions in WWF cage matches. That was the opposite everywhere else however, as the only way to win a cage match was through pinfall or submission.

Anyways, the WWF designed Big Blue for Wrestlemania 2 for two reasons. It was easier to show the action inside the cage... and there was less chance of accidental blood.

They did away with it later for another couple of reasons. They wanted bloodier cage matches, and the blue cage was causing more injuries. Now they don't want the blood again, but they're also concerned about hurting the talent. Plus the current design they use is perfect for TV or PPV, because there's no down time in setting it up. They simply set it up before the show begins, and then take a minute to lower it however they see fit (whether on commercial/promo break, or if they want to make a spectacle of it).

You won't see big blue back, unless they can figure out a way to make getting thrown into steel bars safer for the workers.

 

[CM Steel]

First things first. THIS is the 'classic' steel cage. Not this

I couldn't find images, but you can even go back further and see wood framed steel cages with actual chicken wire meshing, and not the chain link fencing that eventually became the norm.

Sorry, but reading this thread, it's really been bugging me seeing big blue referred to as the 'classic' cage, as if this was how cage matches always looked until they came up with the recent idea of using chain link fencing.

Also I see where someone mentioned how old cage matches never had this 'new' escape through the door rule? For the longest time in the WWF, escaping the cage was the ONLY way to win a cage match. There was no such thing as pinfalls or submissions in WWF cage matches. That was the opposite everywhere else however, as the only way to win a cage match was through pinfall or submission.

Anyways, the WWF designed Big Blue for Wrestlemania 2 for two reasons. It was easier to show the action inside the cage... and there was less chance of accidental blood.

They did away with it later for another couple of reasons. They wanted bloodier cage matches, and the blue cage was causing more injuries. Now they don't want the blood again, but they're also concerned about hurting the talent. Plus the current design they use is perfect for TV or PPV, because there's no down time in setting it up. They simply set it up before the show begins, and then take a minute to lower it however they see fit (whether on commercial/promo break, or if they want to make a spectacle of it).

You won't see big blue back, unless they can figure out a way to make getting thrown into steel bars safer for the workers.

Man that first steel cage in your pic looks like I can make that kind of cage in my backyard, going back to the days of "backyard wrestling". Now the big blue steel cage was design and built for a reason. The times in wrestling were changing in the era of Hogan, Savage, and the Harts. And that style of steel cage served it's propose by being the format of the most classic and epic wrestling matches in history.

Now the E is back using the gated fence-style steel cage. There hasn't been a classic-epic steel cage match ever since. The steel cage last night on RAW between John Cena and Dolph Ziggler had a few good spots. But not a steel cage match to remember for years to come.

 

[MrMojoRisin]

Man that first steel cage in your pic looks like I can make that kind of cage in my backyard, going back to the days of "backyard wrestling". Now the big blue steel cage was design and built for a reason. The times in wrestling were changing in the era of Hogan, Savage, and the Harts. And that style of steel cage served it's propose by being the format of the most classic and epic wrestling matches in history.

Now the E is back using the gated fence-style steel cage. There hasn't been a classic-epic steel cage match ever since. The steel cage last night on RAW between John Cena and Dolph Ziggler had a few good spots. But not a steel cage match to remember for years to come.

You know what... considering that first pic (from a classic between Snuka and Backlund at MSG, when Snuka first dove from the top of the cage) is over 30 years old... I'd hope you'd be able to build something like that in your backyard today.

Big blue had nothing to do with the 'epic' feel of the matches fought inside of it. In fact, many felt that it took away from the traditional feel of a cage match.

Cage matches were bigger, better and more epic back then because they were booked to be bigger, better and more epic. A cage match was always a last resort. A feud ender. An event. You didn't see them often. They involved major players. They would be a long, violent buildup to them. And you wouldn't see the feud continue after they were done (unless of course they ran the house show circuit with them, but that doesn't count).

Cage matches just aren't booked like that anymore. There are just so many more modern matches that give the illusion of being so much more violent and epic than a traditional steel cage match, that they're just not the same.

It has nothing to do with the type of fence they surround the ring with.

 

[Brahma_Bull9]

I like the old one, I know I'm in the minority, but I'm not wrestling what the hell do I care about safety or time to set up.

 

[midgensa]

I am in the one-offs boat with everyone else.

Everytime I see that Hogan WrestleMania match where he is in that Blue Steel Cage I feel like I am looking at the 1980s crappy wrestling cartoon. It just doesn't look menacing or feel like the right thing for the match these days.

I like the mesh cage and the violence it represents. It seems like a tougher structure to get out of and just works for today's television.

 

[Hakushi]

'Hell No! All about Retro, but that was horrible. A lot of 80's-90's WWE was excellent and I am nostalgic for........However, there are also alot I hope I never see again.

 

[CM Steel]

As we saw this past monday on RAW Brock Lesnar via Paul Heyman issued a re-match challenge to Triple H to break the rubber match in their feud with one another. But inside the OLD SCHOOL steel cage from back in the day. I just knew personally that the WWE would bring this classic cage back to the company within the PG era!

But the questions still remains, when will this match happen and what made the E wanna bring it back?