wrestling / Columns
The 411 Wrestling Top 5 5.13.13: Week 219 – Top 5 Cage Matches
Hello everyone and welcome to 411 Wrestling’s Top 5 List. What we are going to is take a topic each week and all the writers here on 411 wrestling will have the ability to give us their Top 5 on said topic, plus up to three honorable mentions.
So, on to this week’s topic…
Ryan Byers
5. Randy Orton vs. Ric Flair (WWE Taboo Tuesday 2004) – I probably like this match a lot more than some others do. I freely admit that. For those of you who may not remember the buildup to this particular match, it told a great little story, as Ric Flair claimed that he was going to take the much younger Randy Orton and break him into the wrestling business, truly making a man out of him. Of course, the Nature Boy got a little bit of heat when he phrased this in a vulgar fashion in a pre-match promo, in which he claimed that he had built a career on “making virgins bleed.” Whoops. Regardless of Slick Ric’s controversial phrasing in the buildup, the match fit its intended storyline very well, with Flair as the cagey (get it?) veteran taking Orton to school in a match that his generation made famous, all followed up with the perfect babyface victory for the young gun.
4. Bruno Sammartino vs. Larry Zbyszko (WWWF Showdown at Shea 1980) – Most current wrestling fans probably don’t know as much about this one as they should just because of the falling out between Vince McMahon, Jr. and Bruno Sammartino which has resulted in the Living Legend being whited out of WWE’s history books until just recently. However, at the time, this match was the culmination of one of the hottest feuds in all of professional wrestling, as Zbyszko had been billed as Sammartino’s prize pupil for many years until the moniker frustrated him to the point that he laid out his teacher with a chair. Many months later, the men put their score to bed in a steel cage in the middle of over 36,000 fans at Shea Stadium, making an indelible mark on the psyches of virtually all northeastern wrestling fans at the time.
3. Bull Nakano vs. Aja Kong (AJW WrestleMarinpiad 1990) – Yes, I’m fairly certain some in the comment section will knock me for including a Japanese match on this list, and I’m sure there are a few more who will knock me for including a women’s match on the list. However, given that this battle was more emotional and hard hitting than almost all of the men’s cage matches that I’ve ever seen, I don’t feel too bad about selecting it. Kong and Nakano as wrestlers were both several years ahead of their time and their feud was the stuff of legend, with this match in particular highlighting how far ahead of the curve they were. This brutal bout featured the use of chains, kendo sticks, and pipes all five years before ECW claims that it started popularizing a similar style of wrestling in North America, and it culminated with an insane-for-the-time guillotine legdrop from the top of the cage by Bull. This one is worth tracking down if you haven’t already.
2. Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart (WWF Summerslam 1994) – Forget cage matches, this would probably rank high atop a list of my favorite matches of all time, period. The brothers Hart always had great chemistry going up against one another, and this bout was no exception. Despite the fact that they were handicapped by a WWF policy which did not allow for blood, the inferior “blue bar” version of the steel cage, and the lame “escape only” rules, Bret and Owen overcame all of those limitations and put on a legitimate ****+ battle which rivaled their Wrestlemania-opening bout earlier in the year. Plus, storyline-wise, the match paved the way for the WWF return of “British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith, who was a welcome addition to a very thin lineup of top babyfaces in the company at the time.
1. Ric Flair vs. Kerry Von Erich (WCCW Christmas Star Wars 1982) – I don’t think that this match is as good from a pure “workrate” perspective as some of the others on the list, but I don’t think that there has ever been a cage match as historic as Ric Flair and Kerry Von Erich’s showdown over the NWA World Heavyweight Title in World Class Championship Wrestling in 1982. All of the Von Erich boys had been super babyfaces in their daddy’s WCCW at one point or another, and the Von Erichs had frequently been backed up by their good friends the Fabulous Freebirds in their wars against the promotion’s nefarious heels. Leading up to the match, the Birds offered to assist Kerry in taking the NWA Championship off of the Nature Boy’s waist, but Von Erich declined the offer if it involved any outside interference. This resulted in Freebird Michael “P.S.” Hayes, who was scheduled to be the special guest referee for the match, feeling slighted and slamming the cage door on Kerry’s head at a crucial moment. This lead to Flair retaining his belt and further lead to a red-hot Freebirds vs. Von Erichs feud. As a result, World Class became a super hot promotion and a heavily syndicated one which at certain points even rivaled the national popularity of the expanding World Wrestling Federation. It is rare that a single match can take a promotion’s popularity to the next level like this one did, and that’s why it tops my list.
Michael Weyer
5. Jimmy Snuka vs. Bob Backlund, 1982 You can’t do a “greatest cage matches” list without this one. Sure, some may dismiss the match as a bit slow but it still holds up, both champion Backlund and wild flyer/fighter Snuka clashing in brutal shots and hits. It all built to the now infamous moment of Snuka atop the cage for his famed Superfly dive, Backlund rolling out of the way at the last moment to leave Snuka stunned and allow Backlund to escape. For 1982, this was a fantastic battle highlighted by a spot that seemed completely insane and that alone makes it so memorable.
4. Ricky Steamboat and Jay Youngblood vs. Sgt. Slaughter and Don Kernodle, 1983 For all his massive success as a singles star, Steamboat has always pointed to his run with Jay Youngblood as a major highlight of his career. The two took off in 1982 with a wild feud with Sgt. Slaughter and Don Kernodle, the heel tag team champions doing all they could to keep the titles, the two teams trading belts back and forth several times. It all built to March 12, 1983 as they faced off in Greensboro, a match built so huge that thousands of fans were turned away and traffic in the state’s biggest highway was snarled for miles. What they witnessed was sheer mayhem, skill vs. power with all four men turned into bloody messes as they clashed, using the cage to the best to hurt each other. It finally ended with Slaughter ready to cheap-shot Youngblood but the ref stopping him, allowing Steamboat to roll his partner onto Kernodle and win the tag titles. It’s still worth watching to see four guys and a hot crowd and how a cage match can make any grudge battle more wicked.
3. Ric Flair vs. Harley Race, Starrcade ’83 A true “passing the torch” moment if there ever was one. Veteran Race, having won a record NWA World title months earlier, was facing off against Flair, the hot young champion out to regain the belt. We got a true classic with Gordon Solie providing commentary, both guys doing their best to entertain the hot crowd, clashing with Race’s power vs. Flair’s skill, from flying headbutts to figure-four leglocks and more. It all ended with Flair flying off the top rope with a bodypress to get the pin and the NWA World title. More importantly, this was when the true legend of Flair began, the “Man” taking charge for what would be WCW’s biggest show of the year and the beginning of an era of greatness for his promotion.
2. XXX vs. America’s Most Wanted, Turning Point, 2004: One of the smartest moves TNA ever did was deciding to put this on last for their second three-hour PPV. After the disastrous Kings of Wrestling vs. A.J. Styles/Jeff Hardy/Randy Savage match (where Savage showed up in the last two minutes to pin Jarrett), the crowd needed something great to close the show and these two teams did it. With the stip that the losing team would have to split up, the best tag team feud of the company erupted once more into a fantastic battle that exceeded all expectations. All four men bled hard, smashing each other all over with brutal attacks like a “Tower of Doom” suplex that sent Christopher Daniels flying off the top. Of course, what makes it memorable is Elix Skipper pulling off the greatest spot in TNA history by walking across the top of the cage to hit a hurricarana on Chris Harris. In the end, Daniels was handcuffed to the cage as AMW hit XXX’s own finisher on Skipper to get the pin and end one of the greatest matches in TNA history and still a showcase of how a tag team cage match should work.
1. Magnum T.A. vs. Tully Blanchard, Starrcade ’85 I’m of the camp that if it hadn’t been for his career-ending car crash in 1986, Magnum T.A. would have been the Hogan for Jim Crockett. Massively popular, a great worker, terrific charisma, he had it all and his star was rising high. Perhaps his shining moment came at Starrcade ’85 as he challenged Tully Blanchard for the U.S. title in an “I Quit” cage match. It remains one of the most brutal battles you’ll ever see, both men loathing each other and mixing wonderfully with great blows, each punishing the other brutally with bloody attacks. It all culminated with Magnum raking a wooden spike into Blanchard’s scalp, forcing Tully to yell “YES YES!” into a mic, giving Magnum the win and the title. Still the greatest Starrcade match ever and a showcase for a fantastic feud and one of the most wild battles you’ll ever see, showing how great a cage is for a grudge battle.
Michael Benjamin
5. America’s Most Wanted vs. Triple X (Nashville 2003) This was TNA’s first steel cage match and I wasn’t sure what to expect at the time. Triple X wrestled under “Freebird Rules” and I always liked the combination of Low-Ki and Christopher Daniels better. I’m not so sure this match would have been as incredible without Skipper subbing for Low-Ki though. This was an intense bloody brawl (which I’m sure will be a theme on this list). There were some INSANE spots towards the end, including Skipper hitting a HUGE cross body from the top of the cage, Skipper being thrown from the top of the cage to the floor multiple times, and you can’t forget the DEATH SENTENCE FROM THE TOP OF THE CAGE. This was an excellent match.
4. Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart (Summerslam 1994) – This match was less about the brutality than my last pick but it was just as intense and competitive. Bret and Owen laid it all on the line and built up to the eventual finish in amazing fashion. I absolutely loved all of the escape attempts. They did a great job with all of the false finishes, as I was pretty much on the edge of my seat the entire match the first time that I watched it. Almost 19 years later, this match still stands the test of time.
3. Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit (Raw 2001) – When you take two talents like Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle, throw them inside of a steel cage and give them plenty of time to work a match, you’re going to make magic almost every single time. These guys gave it everything they had with their physical styles and suplex showcases. The two biggest spots were Kurt Angle’s missed moonsault off of the top of the cage and Chris Benoit’s flying headbutt to Angle from the top of the cage. What made it even better, was that it was on free TV. I sure as hell wasn’t expecting to see such a spectacle on Raw that night.
2. Triple X vs. America’s Most Wanted (Turning Point 2004) – Yep, another Triple X vs. AMW match! This was so much better though. The two biggest differences are that they had double the time to work the match and also, this was inside the six sided cage rather than the traditional four sided cage. The cage didn’t even come into play for awhile as all four men were focused on hurting one another. This is one of the exceptions where handcuffs coming into play really made the match far more enjoyable for me. The beating that Chris Harris took was astounding as he was locked to the turnbuckle helpless. Once Chris Harris escaped they exchanged spots that were bigger and better than what they had done two years prior. Of course, this match is most famous for Elix Skipper walking the top of the cage and delivering a hurricanrana to Harris in one of the most jaw dropping spots I’ve ever seen in professional wrestling.
1. Tully Blanchard vs. Magnum TA (Starcade 1985) – This is THE steel cage match that I hold every other cage match up to. The intensity of this match was off the charts. They built to a perfect climax for a match and a feud. These guys just beat the shit out of each other for the entire duration of the match. I mean, Blanchard broke a leg off a chair and tried to stab Magnum in the fucking face with it! Magnum turning the leg around and shoving it into Tully’s eye is the type of hate and competition that you just don’t see in wrestling anymore. Blanchard had no choice but to quit as good had finally prevailed.
Francisco Ramirez
5. Ultimate Warrior Vs. Rick Rude: Summerslam – I enjoy this match probably far more than I should. It’s no secret that Savage and Rude always brought out the best in the Warrior. This match is a perfect example, and showcases perhaps how damn good Rude was at that. Far from a bloody brawl, yet enjoyable enough. It perhaps may stray from the blood and guts of a regular cage match, yet like my number 1 pick, this match holds a good example of a cage match not requiring the ultra-violence in order to still be enjoyable.
4. Lex Luger Vs. Bruiser Brody – Man I love this match for all the wrong reasons. It’s Bruiser Brody at his best and worst. Lex Luger was being billed as the future for Championship Wrestling from Florida. The word is some veterans didn’t take too kindly to that, seeing as Luger only had a little over a year as a wrestler. Other versions of the story bill Brody as upset due to lack of pay, or because Luger called the booking of the match, tradition at the time, maybe even now, stated that the veteran called the match. Those are just the stories, what really happened left with Brody the day he died. Regardless, the end result was a mess. Four minutes into the match Brody refused to sell anything, he puts Luger in a headlock, and referee Bill Alfonso breaks it up, Luger shoving Alfonso and Alfonso calling a DQ. Luger then proceeds to leave the ring, not exactly the way a top babyface would end a match. It perhaps might be unfair to even label this a match, but undoubtedly, this is one of the most famous cage matches ever, again, due to the wrong reasons.
3. Jerry the King Lawler Vs. Austin Idol – A forgotten gem from Memphis. At this point, Lawler was the king, and a wrestling god to the people of Memphis. With that it should be a safe guess that Lawler is the favorite to win the match right? Add the Hair Vs. Hair stipulation, the fact that Lawler at that point had never lost a Hair match and you have yourself a safe bet. Austin Idol turned people’s heads when he stated that if he was to lose the match he would refund every person that attended. The Memphis Coliseum was packed, and everyone witnessed a seesaw match. Back and forth, Idol and Lawler exchanged offense until the referee took a bump. Tommy Rich emerged from under the ring to the shock of everyone in Memphis. A piledriver, and spike piledriver later, Idol won the match. Paul E. Dangerously, Austin Idol, and Tommy Rich commenced to celebrate, and even go as far as call themselves the new Kings of Wrestling in Memphis and the whole world. Lawler’s hair was placed in a plastic bag by Dangerously, a trophy of sorts, and the police had to escort them out of the cage. To the surprise of no one, the crowd was furious, and it showed as halfways down the aisle the crowd proceeded to attack Idol, Rich and Dangerously, forcing them to run out of the arena. Hate like that you just don’t see in wrestling anymore.
2. BJ Whitmer Vs. Jimmy Jacobs – It might be an unpopular choice in mainstream eyes, but I’ll be damned if this isn’t one of the most brutal cage matches in wrestling history. Former tag champs out for each others blood. The brutality and blood was in excess in this match. The duel railroad spike spot is enough to make the most hardcore of CZW fan cringe. The funny thing is this match occurred in an ROH ring. Aside from the cage, weapons were added into the cage at random intervals. BJ Whitmer put Jimmy Jacobs through hell, and the pre-Age of the Fall Jimmy Jacobs was the most psychotic wrestler I’d seen in a cage, and again this is Jimmy freaking Jacobs. The things he did with the baseball bat wrapped in barbwire were enough to make me believe Jacobs had lost it. Even Lacey was put through some brutality, having Jacobs finally lose it. Again, perhaps not a popular choice, but I’ll stick with it.
1. Bret Hart Vs. Owen Hart – How to do a cage match without blood, yet make it an extremely good match, scratch that, make it a classic? Easy, you put Bret Hart and Owen Hart in it, have them go at it and instead of making it about blood and guts, push the escape aspect and technicality. Summerslam was home to the greatest cage match. It lives up to various viewings and thankfully it has aged well. While some will argue that the WWE was not home to good cage matches, I’ll agree to some extent, Cage matches traditionally were the climax or end of a feud, but these two brother went outside of the box, and put on a show for the ages.
Greg DeMarco
5. Tara vs. Mickie James, TNA Impact Wrestling (2010) – As you can tell, I don’t watch much outside of the United States, and I can’t cite the matches from Japan quite like Ryan can. But this match was an instant classic for me—proving that women in the US can have a great cage match. Many will disagree, but I had this slightly ahead of Lita vs. Victoria in the WWE, but it can be argued either way.
Both ladies worked their fine asses off, and the fans were treated to a great story within a great match. I’ve long believed that TNA once had the talent to main event a PPV with a women’s match, and these two prove it could have happened. And the Thesz Press from the top of the cage was perfectly executed, capping off a great match.
4. Austin Aries vs. Colt Cabana, ROH 3rd Anniversary Celebration, Part 1 (2005) – The start of Austin Aries’s title reign was of the utmost importance, as he was following the amazing run of Samoa Joe. Colt Cabana was the perfect foil, a man the ROH faithful would have killed to see get a world title run.
This match was wonderfully booked, causing fans to forget that it was too soon for Aries to lose and buying into every near-victorious moment for Cabana. The end was great as well—one that has been duplicated elsewhere. Cabana was climbing out of the cage, already over the wall and headed down. Aries, realizing he couldn’t stop him, sacrificed everything by executing a heat seeking missile right through the cage door, picking up the last second victory and saving his title.
3. Owen Hart vs. Bret Hart, WWF SummerSlam (1994) – I don’t know what I can say about this match that my colleagues haven’t already said. Bret and Owen were amazing together—100% of the time. They could have wrestled on flatbed driving down the interstate and had a classic!
This match proved that you could have an athletic contest within the steel cage, between two rivals who wanted to prove who was best. They used the “escape the cage” gimmick well. Blood and guts wasn’t the order of the day here, and the old school blue bars were used to perfection. Young wrestlers looking to set themselves apart from the rest should see this match.
2. Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit, WWE Raw (2001) – This match didn’t need a cage to be good—but the competitors in it made this cage match great.
Chris Benoit, for all the reasons to despise the person, was in fact one of the best in-ring performers the business has ever seen. The aspect of his game that is most often underrated was his ability to tell a story in the ring—one that sucks the fans in and takes them on a great ride. Kurt Angle in 2001 was a man anyone would have jumped at the chance to work with, making this a match made in heaven.
They told a great story that used the cage in unique ways. You of course have the two memorable spots—Angle missing the moonsault off of the cage and Benoit electing to avoid a chair toting Steve Austin and connect with a brutal diving headbutt from the top. You’d be hard pressed to find a better modern day cage match than this.
1. Tully Blanchard vs. Magnum TA, NWA Starrcade (1985) – Once again, it’s hard to top what my esteemed colleagues have already said about this match. It had a blood feud behind it and old school booking that brought a rabid crowd to the arena for this encounter. Add in Magnum and Tully, two men who never get the credit they deserve, and you have an amazing match that stands the test of time.
In this day and age of extreme, hardcore, and death match wrestling—that says a lot! Magnum TA and Tully Blanchard were ahead of their time, men who would have been world champions in the modern era (Magnum was primed and ready in his own era, save for the unfortunate car accident).
Magnum emerged victorious after stabbing Tully in the eye with a piece of wood from a broken chair, but neither man would be the same after this match. Twenty-eight years later, and this is still the standard bearer.
List your Top Five for this week’s topic in the comment section using the following format:
5. CHOICE: Explanation
4. CHOICE: Explanation
3. CHOICE: Explanation
2. CHOICE: Explanation
1. CHOICE: Explanation
Your heart is free. Have the courage to follow it…TO CSONKA’S TWITTER!
http://www.twitter.com/411wrestling
http://www.twitter.com/411moviestv
http://www.twitter.com/411music
http://www.twitter.com/411games
http://www.twitter.com/411mma
