The Top Ten 4.25.06: Cage Matches

Posted by Julian Williams on 04.25.2006

The matches that made you cringe with delight. Kind of like watching midget porn.

Hey people, my name is Julian and I'm one of the new kids on the block here at 411, but before you give me a wedgie and steal my lunch money at least let me tell you what the Top 10 is all about. Every week, there will be a new topic where I'll countdown the top 10 within that category according to me. Obviously, I haven't seen every wrestling event that was ever created in the history of man and that's why I encourage you guys to send in your feedback or your own top 10 that I will post in the column the following week. Also, if you have any ideas for a top 10 list, send them in. Please feel free to write in guys, even if you just want to call me an idiot. My mom's been doing it for 22 years so I'm kind of immune to it. Alright, now that the intro's out of the way, let's get down to business.

This week we're going to be looking at the Top 10 Cage Matches. Cage matches are usually the culmination of a long standing feud when a regular match just won't cut it anymore. There needs to be violence, there needs to be blood, there needs to be one clear cut winner and no more questions asked. With TNA putting on their second annual Lockdown PPV this past Sunday, here's a look at the top 10 cage matches of all-time(according to yours truly).

10) HHH vs. Ric Flair(Taboo Tuesday 2005)
This match rocked my face and what made it even better was that I wasn't expecting too much from it. I knew it would be a good match, but I wasn't expecting anything like what we got. What we got was a hellacious match that included lots of blood and some wicked chairshots on The Game. Flair brought his A game and had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. Triple H, to his credit, took a hell of a beating and even had to be helped out by two refs at the end of the match. Just a fantastic match and another reason why I worship at the Temple of Flair.

9) AMW vs. XXX(Weekly PPV, 6/25/03)
Everybody knows about their classic match at Turning Point the following year, but this was the original cage match between these two teams and was an awesome match in its own right. Not only was it the first cage match in TNA history, but it was significant because XXX at that point was 4-0 against AMW, mainly due to outside interference from the third member of XXX. This was AMW's way of guaranteeing that there would be no interference from Low-Ki during this encounter. This match is highlighted by Primetime doing a sick crossbody from the top of the cage and AMW delivering the Death Sentence on the Fallen Angel from the top of the cage. A brutal cage match that finally saw AMW get the edge on their nemesis.

8) Edge vs. Matt Hardy(Unforgiven 2005)
Ok, I'm probably going to catch a lot of shit on this one, but I absolutely LOVED this match. The cage stipulation fit in because it ensured that Lita couldn't stick her nose in the match and it would indeed be a one-on-one encounter. This was Matt's retribution after being made to look like a man bitch at Summerslam. A great back and forth match where I really couldn't tell who was going to win. And that leg drop off the top of the cage was BOSS. BOSS I say!

7) Edge vs. Angle(Smackdown, 5/30/02)
This was during the great series of matches that Angle and Edge had after Wrestlemania 18 that included Kurt getting his head shaved bald. This match saw an Angle Slam from the top rope that covered ¾ of the ring, Kurt taking a cock shot on the cage door, a Hulk Hogan run in(or a run out since it happened outside the cage), and a spear from the top rope. Edge bled buckets and while I could of done without the Hogan interference, it was still a super hot match that had the crowd going insane.

6) Stone Cold vs. Mr. McMahon(St. Valentine's Day Massacre 1999)
Yes, I know this is not a five star classic or one of the best matches when it comes to "workrate". But this match had the crowd in the palm of its hand because Austin finally had his hands on Vince and in a cage match no less. There wasn't going to be anymore goons swarming the ring to gang up on Austin. There was no escape for Mr. McMahon and there was going to be hell to pay. Austin beat the holy Jesus out of Vince that included a sick-a-licious bump through an announce table from the top of the cage by the Genetic Jackhammer. Vince, as always, had a plan and that plan was the 500 pound Paul Wight(you know him as The Big Show) who debuted and proceeded to beat the tar out of Austin with the power of the ponytail. I love the ending that saw Austin still win the match by being thrown through the cage by Show and Vince's backup plan backfired right in his face.

5) Ric Flair vs. Harley Race(Starrcade 1983)
Classic, classic, classic match. This one had it all. It was over the prestigious NWA Heavyweight title. It had the $25,000 bounty storyline(which would later be poorly duplicated by HHH and Goldberg) where Harley offered 25 G's to whoever took Flair out. Dick Slater and Bob Orton, Jr. answered the bounty and jacked up Flair's neck. Flair teased retirement only to come back and chase them off with a bat then give a CRAZY Flair promo. And we all know that CRAZY Flair promos rule. This match took place at the first Starrcade and was the first time that Flair was introduced as being from North Carolina. It also had the awesome Flair entrance with the turquoise robe that looked like the costume of Banshee from the X-Men(Bonus points for you if you actually know who the hell Banshee is). Flair bled like a champ, Race beat him down like a badass, but Flair still pulled it out and the crowd went crazy. An awesome, historical match.

4) Angle vs. Benoit(Raw, 6/11/01)
Come on, how could you not love this match? The german suplex from the top rope, the missed moonsault from the top of the cage, the diving headbutt from the top of the cage, and PARANOID Austin on commentary?!? That equals awesomeness my friends. How Kurt is still able to eat solid foods after taking the bumps he takes in this match is beyond me.

3) Owen Hart vs. Bret Hart(Summerslam 1994)
This match took place in the Big Blue Cage, which everyone seems to hate, and was the rematch of their classic Wrestlemania X confrontation. This match was classic in its own right. It was such a close match and saw several near escapes. This match didn't need any blood or over the top violence because these two ring technicians broke each other down with wrestling moves and by ramming each other into those unforgiving blue bars. The ending was glorious and was a great symbolism of how Owen was so close to overtaking Bret as the best of the Hart clan, but was always a fingertip shy.

2) AMW vs. XXX(Turning Point 2004)
This was the culmination of the AMW/XXX feud that lasted just about two years. The losers of this match had to split up, but not for a month or a year. They had to split up FOREVER. This match had lots of brutality and blood flowing all over the place. The match was going along fine and was already a classic when Primetime busted out a mother-floodpucking hurricarana from the top of the cage. That is one spot that I can watch over and over again and never get tired of it. An instant classic which I believe will still be discussed years down the line when people talk about cage matches.

1) Magnum TA vs. Tully Blanchard(Starrcade 1985)
What else can be said about this match that hasn't already been said. This is what a cage match is all about. It was brutal, it was bloody, it was personal. Tully stole Magnum's US title when he had his wench at the moment, Babydoll, hand him a pair of knucks and take Magnum's head off with it. This match was just insanely brutal and you felt like it was personal. You felt like this was indeed the only way these two men could resolve this issue. When you take a splintered chair and ram it into the head of another man until he screams "I Quit" that's how you know it's pretty personal. A true classic that was not actually known about too much until the E decided to include it on their Bloodbath DVD. If you haven't seen this match, do yourself a favor and find it. NOW!!

Thanks for reading the column guys, I hope to hear back from some of you and I hope you tune in next week when the topic will be the Top 10 most ridiculous angles/storylines. Gee, I wonder if I'll be able to think of any (that's sarcasm my friends).