The Point Of The Steel Cage

[The Brain]

I just finished watching Smackdown and heard the announcement that The New Age Outlaws will defend the tag titles against Cody Rhodes & Goldust in a steel cage match on Monday Night Raw. This is a result of Brock Lesnar’s interference in the title match last week. Triple H stated the rematch would be in a cage so there would be no interference and it would be fair to everyone. Preventing outside interference seems to be the reason for most cage matches over the past few years. In my opinion this devalues the steel cage match.

At the risk of sounding stuck in the past the steel cage match used to be the be all end all of the gimmick matches. The cage match used to be reserved for only the most vicious blood feuds. The point was to keep the competitors in the ring. The door was locked shut and it was just two guys beating the hell out of each other with nowhere to go until there was a winner. It was violent and extreme. It was a prop used to sell the hatred between two wrestlers and a cage match used to be highly anticipated. Now it’s a prop used for no reason at all and often we don’t even know there is going to be a cage match until we’ve turned on the show. Using a steel cage simply to avoid the possibility of outside interference takes away the true meaning of a cage match.

 

[Best in the World]

I think every since the introductions of things like the Elimination Chamber and Hell in a Cell, the Cage match has kind of lost it's luster, Hell in a Cell and Elimination Chamber, are now PPV matches, reserved majority of the time just for those events, the Cage match on a LIVE TV show, has sort of been done a lot, while there are definitely cases that it's been on PPV's, it really depends on the talent more-so than anything.

But most of those matches are/have been done for the purpose of avoiding outside interference, that's pretty much what it's done for now, even back in the days of the Attitude Era, while the match was of course built around hatred, it was to ensure that nobody would interfere (even though majority of the time someone did just that). It's really lost it's luster through the years, but to be fair, Hell in a Cell and Elimination Chamber have kind of lost their luster through the years as well.

 

[The Eighties]

Hell in a Cell replaced it as the ultimate blood feud match, but it too as been diluted. You can add other gimmick matches to that list as well with PPV's dedicated solely to them, hell you can add a list of moves that have also been diluted as pro wrestling has devolved into overkill in all aspects.

Speaking of the WWE cage match, I always thought the escape rule was pointless, face's winning by running away never made sense to me. The NWA idea of it simply giving the competitors no room to avoid each other and a harsh environment to finish the feud in with a pin or submission made the most sense.

 

[Soulblazed]

I completely agree that the Steel Cage match has been devalued over the years. As others have stated, it's best used under NWA rules where 2 guys beat the shit outta each other until one is lying in a pool of his own blood while the victor exits the cage..

As far as the Hell In The Cell PPV goes, WWE should get rid of the HITC PPV and replace it with Halloween Havoc.

The Elimination Chamber is something I feel should be used once every 5 years, that way it's made to be special again and won't be taken for granted as being a yearly event.

Now one thing that makes me not want to watch any Steel Cage/HITC/Elimination Chamber matches in todays WWE is that there's almost NO bloodshed in those matches anymore. The fact that barely anyone bleeds in these matches ruins the matches for me, because I think that if 2 wrestlers who "hate each other" are in a dangerous, steel structure that both of them should be bleeding and actually going through hell trying to take each other out instead of what happens in most WWE Steel Cage matches/HITC/Elimination Chamber matches, but especially in the Steel Cage matches, the wrestlers don't use the cage itself as a weapon nearly enough in general. The psychology has to be there in any of those 3 matches along WITH blood..Because honestly a Steel Cage/HITC/Elimination Chamber match without blood is false advertising on WWE's part.

Here is the last good Steel Cage match in the WWE where the wrestlers actually bled and had a true reason to be in a Steel Cage match-Ric Flair vs HHH for the IC Title at Taboo Tuesday 2005

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmWntGKCztE

 

[BestWrestlingOpinions]

Ever since they went PG, there isn't much brutality in feuds anymore. Like it or not, using items to attack the opponent, hitting them on the head and bleeding actually do add on that brutality. I like what WWE has done to try and protect their Superstars, but this wohle thing has devalued most gimmick matches. HiaC is now a joke, the cell itself is rarely used, it is thrown away as a match stipulation like nothing too. Same for the Steel Cage. Although, the Cage doesn't seem as brutal as the Cell, although it actually is, because there is nowhere to go, whereas in the Cell you can get out of the ring etc.

Things have been devalued ever since the PG era, and the reason of most gimmick matches has been changed for that matter.

 

[Pedigree1]

The steel cage match lost its luster. True enough,it used to be the end of all be all to end feuds! It was the ultimate way,to end a particular feud back in the day. I never liked the escaping rout,that has always devalued the importance of the cage. HIAC replaced it in 1997. But,im not saying all the blood is necessary but it is a brutal very taxing match on both competitors. I still feel the HIAC is important but they should really scrap the yearly PPV,and make it something very special!!

 

[kumarjtk]

after they fing HIAC the steel cage probably used in the starting of fued and hype their show to the fans.

But this week situation is they used the steel cage by protecting the match result like DB vs Bray Wyatt its end up in a high yes chants and DB beat the Bray.

In this match i see goldy and cody got injured by brock and they signed off with multiple injury. goldy never come again and cody comeback after a month.

why i say this means Goldust recently say that he didnt like to face each other.

So this type of story put Goldy out of wwe and brock look even vicious and stronger before wm.

 

[thebarber]

the traditional cage match lost all of its worth when the Elinination Chamber and HIAC matches were booked.
The no-blood rule also has cage matches rendered meaningless.
The steel cage match is just a gimmick to change things up, on this occasion it will be used to trap people inside instead of stop getting people involved in the match. Im expecting the NAO to retain and beat a hasty retreat, while Goldust turns on Rhides, leading to a Mania XXX match between the two

 

[Mitch Henessey]

If I'm going off recent memory, you had Lesnar VS Triple H at Extreme Rules last year, and Jeff Hardy VS CM Punk in the steel cage in Hardy's farewell match on Smackdown a few years ago. Both matches used the steel cage to end personal feuds between two hated rivals. Other than that, it's hard to pick out too many steel cage matches, and say "This needs to be in the cage."

The prestige of the steel cage match is not what it used to be, but you have to factor in a change of the times with this current path also. You have Hell In A Cell, TLC matches, MITB matches, and Elimination Chamber matches in WWE now.

As the years passed, steel cage matches slowly fell to the bottom of the barrel for alluring gimmick matches, because you have so many other options to look forward to now. Hell, HIAC isn't what is used to be. Undertaker/HHH ended in the Cell at Mania in a great match, and before that you had DX and the McMahons, and the overlong Cell match with HBK and HHH. Now HIAC feels like a watered down second rate match, because WWE uses HIAC as a gimmick pay per view every year.

 

[Softcore Holly]

Most of the gimmick matches lost it's luster a while ago. Hardcore matches are now as hardcore as my name, HIAC isn't much better, if the last TLC PPV is any sign of the future that's getting turned to lackluster garbage too, they've been finding new ways to make Last Man Standing matches into total jokes, and really I'm afraid on how badly are they going to nerf the EC. So really there's not much surprise to see steel cage matches go down to the bottom of the barrel.

That being said I wouldn't get rid of it, the whole "can't escape" part of it is useful for situations like the DB-Wyatt thing, and it does have more of a allure to it then a regular hardcore match.

 

[rbv13]

Just speaking on this Mondays cage match, they are going to use it as major mark out moment for Cody. The Brotherhood has been work house cage matches in which Cody hits a monster spot from the top. It has been way over with those crowds and now they want to captipalize on that.

 

[Best in the World]

That being said I wouldn't get rid of it, the whole "can't escape" part of it is useful for situations like the DB-Wyatt thing, and it does have more of a allure to it then a regular hardcore match.

It definitely works in the position of cowardly heels that hit and run. I think that's another part of that match that made it work, majority of the time it happened because the heel was too "scared" to face the face, and more often than not they would run away. This came in handy because the heel virtually couldn't out-right run away and it would allow the face to get their hands on him, while the heel would try every low tactic and scamper to run away and get out for their "survival" or "reign". The concept does still work in that area as well, and it's pretty basic idea that revolves around the Cage match as well, of course that's another thing that could just as easily be done in the Hell in the Cell kind of concept, but I feel the Hell in the Cell should be saved for more "personal hatred" while the Cell should focus around more-so the heel always running or taking the cheap way out in their matches.

 

[yourdamnluck]

after cena vs jbl i thought i quit match replaced everything as the ultimate blood feud match but they have not used it that often.......
may be to keep it exclusive......
i think hhh vs bryan should be i quit match at wm only way to keep people happy and bryan out of title picture while still being relevent.....
back to the topic ya steek cage matches have become kind of boring the whole trying to drop out of cage or escape through the door it needs to be improvised may be barbed wired steel cage with locked doors......

 

[#1Dobz92]

Just speaking on this Mondays cage match, they are going to use it as major mark out moment for Cody. The Brotherhood has been work house cage matches in which Cody hits a monster spot from the top. It has been way over with those crowds and now they want to captipalize on that.

Sounds about right. Willing to bet they have escape rules on and Goldust gets out but as Cody's about to do the same he decides to go for broke and do the moonsault.

 

[bioshock]

Cage matches on Raw have a nice history of being pretty good matches with big spots. The good thing is on free tv we don't expect anything huge from the match but they always over deliver unlike on PPV where its usually a letdown, as per the HIAC matches we usually end up bitching about for doing nothing. Its a shame we don't see HIAC matches on free time, I think they would go over pretty well.

 

[gaggletop]

I have thought this many times over the years, but as other's have said, the hell in a cell has replaced the cage as the go-to feud ender. Another poster commented on how they didn't like the idea of escaping the cage being a win, as for a face to run would make no sense. That made me think of a new type of cage match...

A Reverse Cage Match. This type of match would be for ultra personal reasons, Think Jericho-Michaels after Jericho hit his wife. michaels didn't care if he won or lost, he just wanted to hurt Jericho. That being said, the only way to win would be to chase your opponent OUT of the ring. That means that you have either beaten him so savagely that he runs to escape, or that he was forced from the cage. This would allow for both a heel to win while the face maintains credibility, or for a face to win fairly. There are many scenarios that could allow for either opponent to win while the other maintains credibility.

1. The face simply forces the heel from the ring (Think a Cena Match)
2. The face pulls the heel back in as he is trying to escape to dish out more punishment, only to get screwed somehow (think heel being handed a weapon as he tried to escape)
3. Either falls from the top during a fist fight on top of the cage
4. Interference and the heels drag the face out
5. Face/heel thrown through cage (ala Big show/austin)
6. Chokeslam through the ring
7. And this would only be used to REALLY PUSH a heel.....Have the heel legitimately make a face run. It has never happened, the face has always been brave, but someday we may see a realistic face that just got his ass kicked and cannot take it anymore

 

[Straightfromthehart]

Have to agree with the original post. As well as that it is very rare to see a traditional "leave the cage", cage match. I'm from the late 80's early 90's days where the back and forth of trying to escape the cage added so much to the matches. And as has been said already its now more to keep people out than the wrestlers in. They need to be more imaginative, the cage should add to the match not take away.