Which type of match ends a feud?

[CM Steel]

In wrestling for years there's always been that final in-counter between two feuding wrestler's. Where it would be a gimmick match that ends the feud. But my question is which type of match ends a feud? Let's take a look at a list of gimmick matches...

-No Holds Barred
-Last Man Standing
-An I Quit Match
-Hell in a Cell

In the WWE-PG era their hasn't been a sign of the "Three Stages of Hell" match. And the only time there's a inferno match Kane has to be involved in the match-up. I'm going to use former WWE superstar Dave Batista as an example. He's had three strong feuds in his WWE career since he's become a name in wrestling, against Triple H, the Undertaker, and John Cena.

The Triple H feud: Ended in Hell in a Cell during Batista's first world title run.

The Undertaker feud: Ended in Hell in a Cell in 2007.

The John Cena feud: Ended with a I Quit Match during Batista's last heel run in the WWE.


A steel cage match is just the second round in the feud. But in your opinion, which type of match ends a feud?

 

[Sexcellence of Sexecution]

There isn't one type of match that ends a feud. The conclusion of a feud really depends on the angle, and a steel cage match can absolutely be the end of a feud if booked a certain way. Ambulance Match, Ironman Match, Ladder Match, Texas Bull Rope Match, Judy Bagwell On A Pole Match, it doesn't matter as long as it fits the story you are trying to tell.

 

[Dysturbed]

Do you mean which kind of match ends a feud the best in our opinions? If you just want to know which one ends a feud in general, it can be any of the things that you mentioned since any of those have been applied. Often it seems like a lot of feuds end when something, or someone else diverts the attention away from one wrestler to another as opposed to a specific kind of match doing it.

Edit: as the poster said above "it doesn't matter as long as it fits the story you are trying to tell."

 

[CM Steel]

What I should have said in the title of the thread is "Which type of match is the best way to end a feud?". Because yeah anyone of those matches can be what ends a feud in where the in-ring story is told. But me personally, if I had to choose. It would have to be an I quit match. Because if you have the power to make another guy say "I quit" in a match. That gives the winner of the match something that can't be took away from him. Impowerment!

 

[gurvinder372]

I guess as long as there is a room to start another feud, any kind of a match at a PPV can end a feud. HHH vs Orton match at wrestlemania wasn't any special, but it ended the feud between them. I guess it all depends on how well the current story is told and whether a new one can be started immediately so that audience's interest doesn't drop.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Feuds take so many forms, it seems that any type of ending would suffice, as long as it fits the pattern of what the feud was about.

Take Edge-Matt Hardy. The real-life ramifications of that feud made us wonder if one guy might end it by killing the other; not literally, of course (although "he stole my woman" situations sometimes wind up that way in the real world). But since Edge was a main eventer while Matt was a mid-carder, it's possible one could have won the feud by leaving the other lying unconscious in the ring, with no clear decision by the referee. We figured the main event guy would be the one who wins.....did it really matter how?

Also, take Triple H-Brock Lesnar. Did anyone want to see Brock cleanly beat a legend like Trips in two matches out of two? I didn't, although with Trips as the guy (after Vince) who makes these decisions, it would have been just like him to call for himself to lose again, thereby being demolished in their two match feud. If he was going to do this, what difference would it make how he lost?

For that matter, Trips could even have finished up the feud by winning on a count-out; since the objective of the match-up was to feature two rough, tough guys pounding the hell out of each other, I don't know that a clean win was needed to win the war.

Naturally, we prefer a definitive ending to a feud. Let the guy who wins the last match do it by pinfall or submission; especially pinfall, because that's the classic method of prevailing in a wrestling match.

But there are alternatives.

 

[Agent Of S.H.I.E.L.D.]

HIAC or No DQ, whatever... with any good blood feud in wrestling it just needs some gimmick to blow off the feud with a few chair shots and table smashes. Blood used to be great for this sort of thing, but it will come back one day. It's all cyclical.

 

[Headman]

It really depends on the feud and the company. In ROH the steel cage and the Fight without honor were usually feud enders. In the WWE they've used Hell in a cell and Last Man Standing a lot. No matter what the match it usually has to have a gimmick to change up a match that people have seen before, but it's nice when the match has purpose. Like if the previous matches ended with outside interference, you go with a cage match. Or if the rivalry has gone from being about a belt to something personal you go with any of the NO DQ type matches. It just depends. I don't think there is just one answer to this question.

 

[Judah's Lion]

really awesome thread idea, OP.

definitely agree with the majority here that say "depends on the feud" as that is very accurate. feuds could end in any type of match and have it be logical so long as it follows the character progression and storyline booking.

80's - early 90's seemed to favor steel cages and bull ropes to end feuds.

to Mack Swagger --- 3 Stages of Hell Matches are very rare. i can only think of 3 (what a coincidence!) that have ever happened in the WWE and all have involved Triple H... Triple H/Stone Cold in a Standard Wrestling Match, Street Fight and then Cage Match; Triple H/HBK in a Street Fight, Cage Match and then Ladder Match; Triple H/Orton in a Standard Wrestling Match, Street Fight and then Stretcher Match. these kinds of matches are very rare, PG Era or not.

personally, i think Street Fights and Last Man Standing matches don't end feuds but rather escalate them. Batista had a Last Man Standing match with both Cena and Taker, but the feud continued. Triple H/Foley and Edge/Matt Hardy both had a Street Fight, but the feuds continued.

i think the Ladder Match seems to be a pretty common feud ender. Edge/Cena ended in a TLC Match, Edge/Matt Hardy and Edge/Jeff Hardy both ended the same way. Edge/Flair too, for that matter. HBK/Jericho also comes to mind. Christian/Edge, Christian/Jericho and Christian/RVD all for the IC Title ended with the ladder match. so definitely the Ladder Match has been a feud ender in WWE. TNA too. Hardy/Aires and Hardy/Bully Ray from just this week.

Hell in a Cell definitely gets a nod for this topic. Taker/Mankind ended in the Cell, after competing in other gimmick matches in fact. same goes for Triple H/Foley. Taker/Orton, Taker/Lesnar, Taker/Batista, Taker/Edge, Taker/Triple H... all ended inside the Hell in a Cell. DX/McMahons ended in the Cell. Triple H/Jericho, Triple H/Nash and Triple H/HBK... all ended inside the Hell in a Cell. prior to Hell in a Cell becoming its own gimmick ppv, where some feuds are STARTED (Punk/Ryback), Hell in a Cell was a very common feud ender.

and finally, Iron Man Match. there's only been 10 or less that i can recall in the WWE from Mania 12 to present, and all of them acted as effective feud enders. Hart/HBK for the title started the trend. Rock/Triple H continued it years later. Benoit/Angle had an amazing Iron Man Submission Match that ended their feud too. Benoit and Angle each had another Iron Man Match to end separate feuds, Benoit with Triple H and Angle with Lesnar. i'm not sure if anyone else would count it as it wasn't technically an Iron Man Match, but Cena/HBK from Raw in London went an hour and ended their feud. Cena/Orton did have an Iron Man Match though and was used to end their feud after they had already gone thru a Submission Match and Hell in a Cell. so Iron Man Matches definitely have their place in this discussion.

so super simple answer made really long, i agree that any feud can end with any match just as long as it makes sense with the characters and storyline. the three that i've enjoyed the most have been the Ladder Match in any of its many variations, Hell in a Cell and the Iron Man Match.

 

[Agent Of S.H.I.E.L.D.]

I am always a fan of 2/3 falls and Iron Man matches. Those two are so over with me.

 

[#heel420]

Before they had the pay per view, I think Hell In A Cell was the best way to finish feuds. Now with the pay per view, it doesn't seem like the feuds are as personal and they're just in the cell for no reason besides it's the name of the event.

2 out of 3 falls are always good.
HHH-Rock
HHH-Austin
Benoit-Jericho
Benoit-Angle
Sheamus-Bryan

All great matches and feuds.

 

[scsa316]

I think HIAC has lost its shine since htey no longer go outside and climb on top, it's pretty much a normal no DQ, no CO match with a steel fence around the outside.

I'd go with the traditional cage match. The element of nowhere to run, you have to escape the cage to win, I think settles it best.

LMS or TLC are decent candidates too imo.