Deathmatch wrestling is a very specific style, and it isn't one that every fan enjoys. This is why it is quite niche, and when it comes to mainstream wrestling, it rarely happens. Big names often don't end up competing in this stipulation, purely because of the danger that comes with it.
RELATED: 10 Pairs Of Wrestlers Who Had Both A Technical Match & A Violent One
However, occasionally, a mainstream wrestler who fans are well aware of will step inside the ring and battle it out in a deathmatch. Whether it be light tubes, glass, or pizza cutters, everything is fair game in these encounters. It often leads to bloody and violent bouts, which isn't something that people are used to seeing.
10 Matt Cardona
Matt Cardona is best known for his WWE career, and he is very much a mainstream name. Even with his release, Cardona has continued being a huge star, whether it be for Impact Wrestling or on the independent scene. But that is what led him into a deathmatch against Nick Gage, of all people.
Cardona picked up the win here, which led to him calling himself the Deathmatch King. It's a gimmick that pushed his heel character in GCW. Cardona proved he is willing to do anything to get over, and his efforts were great to see, with his victory leading to fans pelting him with drinks and rubbish, creating an iconic moment in wrestling.
9 Jon Moxley
Starting in CZW, Jon Moxley came from the world of deathmatch wrestling. He battled it out in plenty of violent encounters throughout his career, but after he arrived in WWE that all changed. He became a mainstream star and someone that people would never expect to see in that type of situation.
RELATED: 10 Violent Matches That Are Hard To Watch
In WWE, he had a few stipulation matches, but he never got close to the violence he is capable of. In AEW, he has returned to showcasing that edge. He has also been able to appear for GCW where he has stepped back into the world of deathmatch wrestling, despite being one of the biggest names in the sport.
8 Pentagon Jr.
Pentagon Jr. is someone that wrestling fans are well aware of, having put together some amazing matches throughout his career, whether he was in Lucha Underground or AEW. He is a great technical star, and someone who can mix it up with high-flying moves as well, but he has also had a deathmatch.
He got to compete against Sami Callihan, in this particular match, with the two men putting on a brutal and bloody encounter for Impact Wrestling. He showed a different side to himself here, with this one being all about violence, rather than his skills as a wrestler.
7 Mickie James
Impact Wrestling very recently put together a deathmatch on television, and they made it a big deal as it was the first time a women's match headlined a PPV for the company. Mickie James was a big part of that, winning the encounter and showcasing some real creativity throughout.
She is someone who has tons of experience, and in 2022 it was not something she needed to be doing. However, the fact that James is still looking to push herself to extreme heights as a wrestler highlights why she is so beloved by fans overall.
6 Deonna Purrazzo
Deonna Purrazzo was Mickie James' opponent that night, and much like the WWE legend, she is not someone who fans would typically expect in this environment. Despite that, she stepped up in that match and put together an excellent encounter with Mickie, which more than lived up to the deathmatch billing.
RELATED: Chelsea Green & 8 Other Women In Impact You Need To Know About
It was an excellent match between the two of them and helped get a lot of attention for both women. They saw the opportunity that was in front of them and seized it with both hands. Purrazzo is someone on the rise, and performances like this are the reason why.
5 David Arquette
David Arquette may not be a mainstream wrestler, but he is a huge celebrity, which makes this even more surprising. He competed against Nick Gage for GCW as he returned to professional wrestling. Arquette showcased just how much he loved the sport by competing in this type of match.
He didn't hold back like some celebrities do, with Arquette getting bust open badly after a light tube spot. However, he continued fighting, and it was the type of match that helped him as it wasn't about the in-ring quality - this one was about telling the story through violence.
4 Drew Gulak
Drew Gulak is best known for being an incredibly technical wrestler who is capable of putting on world-class matches with anybody. His entire WWE gimmick has always been about not doing anything dangerous such as going to the top rope, so a lot of people would be shocked that he was in this type of match.
But that was the case during his days with CZW where he worked against Danny Havoc in a violent match that involved a lot of barbed wire. It's a bout that showcased a different side to his ability overall, proving he is versatile.
3 Doudrop
Doudrop is another wrestler who doesn't exactly push violence with her WWE gimmick. However, fans who remember her as Viper and Piper Niven will know she was always an aggressive character. That was clear during her iconic ICW feud with Kay Lee Ray, which led to a deathmatch between them.
The two women put everything on the line in that match, and they didn't hold anything back. The match had table spots, trash cans, thumbtacks, and everything in between. It was aggressive and exactly what people wanted to see on that night.
2 Cody Rhodes
Cody Rhodes has proven throughout his AEW career that he's willing to take big bumps when needed, whether it is launching himself off a steel cage or going through a burning table. However, competing in a deathmatch is a new level of violence and pain, and it's something that Cody did after his WWE career.
RELATED: 10 Things You Didn't Know About The Rhodes Family
This was at a point when Cody was truly making his name and proving himself. That is what happened within this match, with a lot of dangerous sequences - this encounter also saw a burning table spot, with Cody sending Christopher Daniels crashing through it.
1 Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho is one of the biggest names in the history of professional wrestling, so when he stepped into a deathmatch in 2021, audiences were stunned. He is someone who could easily have refused that, but instead, Jericho went all out in a brutal encounter against Nick Gage.
Seeing a deathmatch on AEW television was certainly something different, and not what fans expected. However, they didn't hold it back or tone it down. It was hard-hitting, and led to complaints from advertisers due to the pizza cutter spot, with this being a great match for fans who might not normally watch this style.
