Steel cage match

In professional wrestling, a steel cage match is a match fought within a cage formed by placing four sheets of mesh metal against the edges of a ring.

Background

Traditionally, the steel cage match is used to settle the most personal and vindictive of feuds, or in instances when a series of matches have been fraught with interference. The cage is used as a barrier to keep the competitors inside, and keep the interference on the outside. The cage is an open-topped enclosure, with sides often made from sturdy plastic or chain-link fencing. Traditionally, the only way to win is to escape from the cage either by climbing over the top of the cage or through the door that the wrestlers enter at the start of the match, and having both feet planted on the ground. However, it is not uncommon for cage matches to permit pinfalls or submissions. In such a case a referee is also placed in the cage, and should the inside referee be knocked out, escape becomes the only possible winning method.

History

According to some historians, the first "cage match" on any kind took place on July 2, 1937 in Atlanta, Georgia. This match, between Jack Bloomfield and Count Petro Rossi, took place in a ring surrounded by chicken wire, in order to keep the athletes inside and any potential interference out of the action. While exact details of this match are sketchy at best, it is entirely possible that this match represented the earliest form of a steel cage match in recorded history.

Invention

There are those who credit late promoter Paul Boesch with the idea of the steel cage match. Author Joe Jares wrote in the 1974 book Whatever Happened to Gorgeous George?, "...Texas wrestling is just wild and nutty enough that it is possible he's not kidding me", joking about creating the cage match concept. The roots of the cage match can be traced back to Galveston, Texas, where officials wrapped a ring in fishing net for a match between Wild Bull Curry and Dirty Don Evans. The concept was not well received, but the idea did, however, pave the way for something more attractive: the fence match. The fence match predates the steel cage match, but was similar in style and execution to the cage matches seen in later years.

The idea behind the classic steel cage match known to fans today could also be traced back to Los Angeles, California, and the famous Grand Olympic Auditorium. In the late 1960s, Freddie Blassie, with promoter Mike LeBell, created and promoted the "Blassie Cage" to blow off his feuds with wrestlers like John Tolos and The Sheik, which was a one-of-a-kind idea at the time. It is believed the winning concept of escaping by climbing over the top or exiting through the door was indeed, the brainchild of Fred Blassie himself.

Promotional Usage

World Wrestling Entertainment

The World Wrestling Federation originally used a chain link cage but later switched to a thick, grid-like cage as part of a storyline between Hulk Hogan and King Kong Bundy leading up to WrestleMania 2 in 1986, but then switched back to the chain link in 1999 because it had more give. They have mostly used Fred Blassie's concept of winning by exiting the cage, with few exceptions.

WWE has also experimented in other types of cages, involving the usage of a roof, a larger cage that surrounded the ringside area (Hell in a Cell), and the Elimination Chamber.

Despite the popularity of cage matches in WWE, no one had won either of WWE's heavyweight titles in a cage match until 2002. Shawn Michaels became the first to accomplish this, winning the World Heavyweight Championship at Survivor Series 2002 in the Elimination Chamber. Triple H accomplished this same feat in the Chamber at New Year's Revolution in 2005.

Soon after that match, Lita and Victoria took part in the WWE's first Diva Steel Cage match shortly after Lita returned from a broken neck.

World Championship Wrestling

World Championship Wrestling used several types of cage. Some of the cages encompassed only the ring, while others would encompass the ringside area as well. They would often have a roof on the cage, and would always only allow victory by means of pinfall or submission (apart from special matches, such as the Triple Cage, where to win, one of the participants had to take the title belt which was hanging from the ceiling above the third cage).

Variations of the Steel Cage match in WCW included a special steel cage created by Ric Flair, as well as the Thundercage (the original Hell in a Cell), the Thunderdome Cage (a roofless cage with walls that curved inward in a semi-domed fashion), the WarGames Cage, and the Triple Cage.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling originally used a four-sided ring and prided themselves on having the tallest cages in wrestling, which not only made for less interference but also for more incredible highspots. They have since switched to a six sided ring and, thus, have a six sided cage, which they refer to as the "Six Sides of Steel".

TNA took this concept to a new level at their Lockdown Pay Per View, in which they utilized the Six Sides of Steel Cage for every match. Added stipulations such as a tables match, a blindfold match, a flag match, a #1 contender's match, a classic escape match, and Lethal Lockdown (a variation on WCW's Wargames Match) were used for variety.

The most famous matchup in TNA history to have taken place in a steel cage is the America's Most Wanted vs. Triple X match from TNA Turning Point 2004. During the match, Elix Skipper walked on the top steel cage and gave a hurricanrana to Chris Harris. James Storm and Chris Harris defeated Christopher Daniels and Elix Skipper by pinfall. As a result, Daniels and Skipper are no longer allowed to tag team in TNA Wrestling ever again.

Ring of Honor

Ring of Honor has used the steel cage two ways: a feud ender, and for scramble cage matches. One famous incident happened at the ROH Show At Our Best, where Jay Briscoe faced Samoa Joe for the ROH World Title. During the match, Jay Briscoe began to bleed from his head so badly that the blood actually began to clot. ROH has also used the cage for Scramble Cage Melee, a multi-man match where the only way to win was to hit your opponent with a move from the top of the cage. Jack Evans won after hitting a 630 Senton on Trent Acid. So many people were injured that ROH has not done another Scramble Cage Melee.

ROH mainly uses the cage, however, as a feud-ending match. Bryan Danielson defeated Homicide in a steel cage at The Final Showdown after an Airplane Spin with 101 rotations. CM Punk defeated Jimmy Rave in a cage match at Nowhere To Run after a superplex with both men standing on top of the cage. And Generation Next defeated The Embassy in a Steel Cage Warfare match, which is similar to the Wargames matches WCW ran.

Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre

Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre uses a grid-like cage most similar to the original Blassie Cage. The promotion builds up to cage matches with two groups of wrestlers of three or more feuding and then booking them in an everyman for themselves cage match. Wrestlers escape until there are only two wrestlers left in the cage. The final two face each other in a regular pinfall and submission victory match and the loser of that has head shaved or loses his mask. CMLL generally has at least one cage match a year in either the Spring or Summer.

Variations; various additions can be made onto the cage:

Scramble Cage Match

In a Scramble Cage Match, invented by MATRATS and Graham Owen is a Ring of Honor specialty match, has wooden platforms added on the top four corners of the cage (known as the Scramble Cage, to allow wrestlers to easily execute aerial moves from the top of the cage to the interior. A Scramble Cage Melee version is an elimination match held in a Scramble Cage where elimination occurs from a successful aerial move from the cage platforms.

Barbed Wire Steel Cage

A Barbed Wire Steel Cage typically denotes one where barbed wire lines the top of the cage, acting as a deterrent to those that want to escape from the top, but may also refer to a cage where barbed wire replaced the chain-link or chicken mesh construction. Most recently, JBL defeated the Big Show in this type of match at WWE's No Way Out in February 2005.

Lucha en Juala Electrificada

A cage match in AAA where the cage is supposedly electrified with brief time periods where the cage is turned off so wrestlers can escape. Usually involving four wrestlers, the last person remaining loses and may lose his mask or have his head shaved.

External links

Professional wrestling match types

Cage Match

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