Gimmick matches can be a mixed bag in wrestling. For every genius one like WWE's Royal Rumble, War Games or a Ladder Match, we get Chamber of Horrors or whatever Vince Russo cooked up. So fans have been wary when a new style of bout is brought up, especially given there's a few gimmick matches of the past just waiting to be reused. Now and then, they can be brushed off like an Iron Man bout or such, yet a few others can be used more.
10 Forgotten WWE Gimmick Matches From The 1990s
Some weird WWE gimmick matches from the 1990s have probably been forgotten by most fans.Some are too dangerous (inferno, scaffold) and others may be too obscure. Yet a few are notable, some seen as failures, but the concept was sound enough to work. Others are proven to be great gimmick bouts, and surprisingly, they haven't been used in a long time. These are ten gimmick matches of the past that should be brought back for a fun way to shake up a feud.
A Flag Match Works Even Without A Nation
Any Flag Can Do For This
- Used in the territories of U.S. vs USSR
- Don Kernodle and Ivan Koloff were the first combatants.
- Hulk Hogan and Nikolai Volkoff fought in a Saturday Night's Main Event flag match
Granted, "object on a pole" matches can be iffy. Yet the flag match works on several levels. It's a simple idea: two flags in opposite corners, and whoever grabs theirs first wins. That's a classic for battles of the patriotic hero against the evil foreign heel, like Cena vs Rusev.
Yet there are cases where it can work without the xenophobia. Have it be opposing teams with their logos there and spark it up with a chase for the flag. It doesn't have to be an epic blow-off but a point of pride, with the winner showing off the flag to make it the rare pole match that works.
The Hair Match Is An Underrated Match Type
It Can Make A Feud And/Or Wrestler(s) More Entertaining
- Kurt Angle went bald after losing a Hair Match to Edge at Judgment Day 2002
- Molly Holly suggested losing her hair just to get booked at WrestleMania 20
- Vince McMahon and Donald Trump were involved in a Hair Match at WrestleMania 23
The Hair Match is a somewhat underappreciated gimmick match that people rarely talk about. But there have been several amazing hair vs. hair matches in wrestling over the years, most notably Vince McMahon (represented by Umaga) against Donald Trump (represented by Bobby Lashley) at WWE WrestleMania 23.
10 Forgotten WWE Gimmick Matches From The 2000s
WWE delivered some wild gimmick matches during the 2000s that have been forgotten by fans.A few years earlier, Kurt Angle went bald - the best look of his wrestling career - after losing a fantastic Hair Match to Edge at Judgment Day 2002. Their feud was incredibly entertaining, and the Hair Match was one of the many reasons why.
Casket/Buried Alive Match Doesn't Have To Be Just About The Undertaker
These Bouts Can Truly Make A Feud Wilder
- The Undertaker started with "body bag" matches against the Ultimate Warrior in 1991
- The Undertaker specialized in "extra large" caskets for bigger foes
- Surprisingly, the Undertaker lost a Buried Alive match to Mankind
The obvious issue bringing this back is that it's so tied to the Undertaker, it's hard to imagine someone else daring to take it on. But the idea of the only way to win a match being to lock a guy into a casket plays on some fears and makes for a great visual. Having this be tied to "burying" a guy makes sense.
Speaking of which, a "Buried Alive" match works the same way and that can be more general. Whether it's in a special spot by the ring or taken outside to a real graveyard, burying a guy with dirt is an awesome sight. You don't need the Deadman to make either of these gimmick bouts work today.
Loser Becomes Winner's Valet
A Great Way To Give A Heel Comeuppance
- Jimmy Garvin had to work a day at the Von Erich ranch after losing one
- Baby Doll turned babyface working for Dusty Rhodes
- Brian Pillman "won" Marlena for a month in 1997
It's funny a great stipulation like this hasn't been used in so long. The match itself can be any type of battle with the stipulation that the loser has to be the winner's valet/servant for a day or even a week. The most famous example is Jimmy Garvin forced to do a hard day of work at the Von Erich ranch after losing such a match.
It's an obvious way for the arrogant heel to get his comeuppance by being bossed around. There's also the potential for the face to lose and have to work for the bad guy for a bit. Either way, adding the humiliation of serving your opponent would make this match better.
A Stretcher Match Can Be A Brutal Affair
This Bout Can Be Harsh
- Used a lot in Memphis
- WWE One Night Stand had this twice
- Last used in WWE in 2014
This bout is perfect for the capper for a wild feud. As the title implies, the goal is not to win by pinfall or submission, but rather putting your opponent on a stretcher and then carrying it past a certain line outside. This means epic brawling in an anything-goes manner, with guys hammering the hell out of each other.
10 Forgotten WWE Gimmick Matches From The 2010s
There's no way these gimmick matches happened in WWE in the 2010s!The last time WWE used it was in 2014, with John Cena and Kane. There could be inventive bits, like in 2003 when Brock Lesnar used a forklift to put the Big Show on the stretcher. It's meant to be used for a brutal fight and the half-joke of a guy already set for the hospital in defeat to cap off this war.
Bunkhouse Brawl Should Be More Than A Dusty Vanity Project
A No-Holds-Barred Battle Royal Is Great
- Created in 1985
- Crockett tried to make it a PPV in 1988
- Inadvertently inspired the Royal Rumble
Dusty Rhodes was accused of using this to boost himself, as he won almost all of them, including an infamously bad PPV. Yet, like a lot of Dusty's ideas, there was a sound concept behind it. In this case, it is a battle royale where guys could come out in street clothes and use weapons.
This would have been up the alley of ECW, yet today, it can be wild if guys come out in crazy costumes like armor, and the use of weapons adds to it. It could be for a special prize or build it up in a tournament like Dusty did. With WWE reviving so much of the Dream's ideas, bringing this back could be next.
First Blood Is A Fantastic Concept
This Wild Fight Adds Spark To A Brawl
- Kane won his only WWE Championship in a First Blood Match against Steve Austin in 1998
- Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair had one in WCW... ending via pinfall
- Mr. Kennedy defeated The Undertaker in a First Blood Match at Survivor Series 2006
This may be tricky, with WWE a bit more reluctant these days on bloodbaths. Then again, that could make this more compelling. It's an obvious stipulation: whoever bleeds first loses. That can run the risk of softening a match with neither guy wanting to bleed by accident, but the thrill of wondering if a blow leads to an instant win is good.
10 Wrestling Gimmick Matches That Overstayed Their Welcome
Gimmick matches work if they are used sparingly, but these ones really overstayed their welcome.It's also prime for a unique finish, such as Starrcade 1986, where Tully Blanchard was busted open first, but the ref was down, so JJ Dillion cleaned it up, then gave Tully an object to get Dusty Rhodes bleeding and won. It's an open way for a heel to get over cheating to win and spark up a bout.
Championship Scramble Deserves A Second Chance
"Iron Survivor" Proves This Forgotten WWE Idea Should Be Revived
- Created for Unforgiven 2008
- Matt Hardy won the ECW Title in the first
- Chris Jericho won the vacant World Heavyweight Championship in the main event
It is surprising neither WWE nor AEW have tried to replicate this match, as it was a strong concept. Used at Unforgiven 2008, the idea was similar to the Royal Rumble. Two guys (one often the champion) would start going at it one on one. Five minutes later, another guy entered with pinfalls or submissions scored at any time. When the last entrant came in, one more five-minute timer echoed and whoever had the last pinfall/submission when it expired was the champion.
The initial bouts at the PPV weren't well done, which may be why WWE was reluctant to use it again. But the NXT "Iron Survivor" proves the concept can work, even if it threw in additional bits of multiple falls and a "penalty box." That shows brushing off the original scramble concept for a simpler battle now and then might be warranted to give this another chance.
A Tuxedo Match Would Be A Fun Fight
This Wild Match Has A Great Style
- Ted DiBiase and Hacksaw Jim Duggan had a classic Mid-South match
- Jim Cornette and Paul Heyman fought in one at the Great American Bash 89
- Christy Hemme and the Big Fat Oily Guy had an atrocious TNA battle
An old favorite in the territory days (especially Mid-South), it's a fun idea as two guys dress up in their best suits. Rather than pinfall or submission, it's all about tearing the suit off the other guy until he's in trunks. Some of these could be great, like the Hacksaw Duggan vs. Ted DiBiase battle, and could work well.
Something about an arrogant heel who loved flaunting his style being stripped like this was compelling. That they were more open brawls than a wrestling match was good and some guys could have fun making the tux "layers" so as to extend the match. Use it on the right pairing, and this concept can be just as sound for fans today.
Battle Bowl Could Truly Work Today
The Flop WCW Concept Could Fly Better Now
- Debuted at Starrcade 1991
- Was used again at Starrcade 1992
- WCW tried to make it a PPV in 1993
Battle Bowl may have failed in WCW, yet the concept was sound. Twenty teams were chosen "at random" for some unique pairings in tag team matches. The remaining twenty guys were then put in a two-ring battle royal where you first tossed someone into the next ring and then to the floor. The last two guys then fought it out in a regular match.
The execution was sloppy, yet the idea itself can work for an episode of NXT or Dynamite. Don't make the "random" pairings so contrived, just the one-ring battle royal and this can be a fun way to determine a contendership or other prize and a rare time a WCW idea works today.
