Did NWA overuse the cage?

[Guest fouronthefloor77]

After watching a bunch of old NWA tapes dose anybody think they overused the steel cage gimmick? between War Games,Bunkhouse Stampedes and every Starrcade having two cage matches for several years straight,The Great American Bash tour featuring a cage match every night.A bunch of angles starting in the cage like Nikita Koloffs face turn,The Horsemen breaking Dusty's leg,The Marietta Massacre.

  Does it make sense that in the latter days of WCW cage matches were less frequent?

 I'm as big a cage mark as anybody but it seems like the WWF made cage matches special because they didn't have them every night.

 Just a thought

 maybe I watch too much wrestling

[Guest Tony149]

I was younger during the NWA days, and I remember enjoying the hell out of the Cage matches. They were used a lot, though.

[Guest fouronthefloor77]

Oh yeah cage matches rule the Ric Flair "cheese grater"spots are priceless!!!

[Guest Juvydriver]

I think they were used a lot before the advent of Nitro/Thunder/Monthly PPV.  Since they were a big traveling show, and most of their shows weren't televised, they could use the cage a lot, and probably had to.

 

Juvy

[Guest OldSchoolwrestling]

I loved the cages in the NWA days.  The had the concept right by having the matches decided in the ring.  I feel the WWF ruined the concept by having cage matches be decided by who got out of the cage first.  The reason for the cage was to keep the participants inside, so that they couldn't run and hide from their opponent.

[Guest Sting Fanatic]

Another thing about the NWA was they really were pushing a more roughcut pre-hardcore/extreme style of wrestling before ECW made it the "cool" thing to do, up to the point that today we actually have Hardcore and Extreme Titles.  I mean, Magnum TA .vs. Tully Blanchard, Starrcade '85.

 

"SAY IT!"  "NO!" *THUMP* (repeat x 25)

 

Of course, the broken table leg into the forehead wasn't *THAT* brutal now was it?

 

As for the cage itself being overused in general, maybe you could say that SOMEWHAT.  Personally, I don't necessarily think the problem with Cage Matches was they were overused.  It was merely the fact that the feuds they were used for were either premature (Ron Simmons/Butch Reed Doom breakup) or the feud itself wasn't booked all that well (Sting .vs. Black Scorpion anyone? - although, I did like the way it ended, getting their is a different story).

 

However, as oldschool put it, WCW had the right concept behind a cage match.  Contain both animals until one cannot continue.  WWF's escape to win sucked on more levels than I can think of.  Walking out the door was always too cheap and "why didn't he do it sooner?"  And climbing over the top really made a high spot off the cage seem stupid (if all you got to do is climb out, WHY jump back in?).  Its all about the psychology.

[Guest Tony149]

In a way the NWA/WCW was a mini-version of ECW. They had women, gimmick matches and lots of blood. I think that was more to do with Dusty Rhodes booking than anything else.

 

I agree that NWA/WCW cage matches were better than the WWF's since you had to win. Not get out first.

[Guest Mark4steamboat]

I am more of a fan of the Mesh cages b/c it seems it owuld be more realistic to draw blood. The WWF canary blue bars seemed like they would knock someone unconscious(sp?) not draw blood. But now that i think about it, most wwf cages never had alot of blood.

NWA used the cage when it was necassary to end long fueds. Wcw used the cage for the smallest reasons(i.e Luger vs Windham GAB 91.)

[Guest J*ingus]

The WWF didn't use those blue-bar cages until the Hulkamania era, but for whatever strange reason the old WWWF still had the same "escape to win" rules.  I think it might've hurt Bob Backlund's career in the long run, because they put him in so many of the damn things, thus making him the "runaway" champion.

[Guest fouronthefloor77]

Since we're on the cage subject what does everybody think of the "Thunderdome" cage. WCW used it only a few times.But It was a new concept of having the cage larger than the ring,but was it really "electrified" at Halloween Havoc 89 I remember freaking when on the old Wrestling News Network when Gordon Solie warned of "Parental Advisory" for the match.

[Guest Tony149]

The Thunderdome cage was just pyro. The cage was like the Hell In A Cell only without the top. Pretty cool.

[Guest J*ingus]

It wasn't electrified, and for that matter, only one of the wrestlers (Muta) even PRETENDED that it was (once).  Only WCW could take Sting/Flair vs. Funk/Muta and mess it up!  

 

Also, the cage-bigger-than-the-ring didn't originate there.  Memphis had used a cage like that back in the early 80's.

[Guest Tony149]

Didn't the top of the Thunderdome Cage catch fire?

[Guest Mark4steamboat]

The cage had a fire but im sure it was staged n/c muta's mist blew it right out. Now think for a second. Does water put out electrical fires that quickly? I dont think so.

[Guest goodhelmet]

I enjoyed the hell out of all the old NWA cage matches. I even enjoy the current WWF cage matches. Cage matches are great as long as Piper-Hogan aren't involved.

[Guest Tony149]

Do you think all cage matches should have blood? I kinda think so. Guys should bleed if they're put in a cage and their heads are rammed into them.

[Guest goodhelmet]

No, cage matches should not have outside interference. Interference defeats the purpose of the cage.

[Guest Tony149]

Who's talking about interference? I'm talking about blood. If you're going to have a cage match, should there be blood?

[Guest Drury37]

I agree that there should be blood in a steel cage match because if you ram someone's head into steel they should bleed.I also agree that there shouldn't be outside interference because yes that does defeat the whole purpose of the cage.

Thanks.

[Guest The Voices In Your Head]

I really enjoyed the cage matches that the NWA had.  I do think they overdid it though [i mean, did they really need to have Flair vs. Jimmy Garvin in a cage???? Watch Bash '87 if you don't know what I mean. It seemed like 60% of all the Flair matches I've seen have been in a cage.] As for the Thunderdome, I liked it, because it looked like there was no way anyone was going to get in or out, and it just looked HUGE.

[Guest gwf0704]

Just like anything else in the wrestling world, if its used the right way it works.  The 3 best IMO are:

 

3)Zbyszko vs Sammartino at Shea Stadium which ended the feud.

 

2)Kerry Von Erich vs Ric Flair for NWA Title where Terry Gordy slammed the cage door on Von Erich starting the Von Erich/Freebird feud!

 

1)Tommy Rich vs Buzz Sawyer in the last match ever between these two which ended their bloody feud after Rich pinned (with no ref in the cage) an immobile Sawyer for 3 count!  

 

To me cage matches should either be the start of a great feud or the ending of one!

[Guest goodhelmet]

"Who's talking about interference? I'm talking about blood. If you're going to have a cage match, should there be blood?"

 

No, there doesn't HAVE to be blood. Look at Owen-Bret at Summerslam '94. No blood, great cage match. It should be used to prevent interference. Blood is just the cherry on the cake.

[Guest Tony149]

I agree about no interference. It helps when the guy(s) know how to blade.

[Guest Choken One]

Blood is not a Option but only use it when It fits the storyline. Like War Games, perfect for Bleeding but a Cage match like Rikishi Vs Val Venis should not require Blood.

 

 Although I loved NWA cage matches, they were over used like Ladders are today. I'd love for a Cage match at between Austin/Beniot.

 

Greatest Cage Match? War Games '92 and Bret/Owen.

[Guest Mark4steamboat]

Race/ Flair had a ****3/4 cage match IMO. If Kiniski had botched the ending it would have been *****.

[Guest oldschoolwrestling]

I really enjoyed the cage matches that the NWA had.  I do think they overdid it though [i mean, did they really need to have Flair vs. Jimmy Garvin in a cage???? Watch Bash '87 if you don't know what I mean. It seemed like 60% of all the Flair matches I've seen have been in a cage.] As for the Thunderdome, I liked it, because it looked like there was no way anyone was going to get in or out, and it just looked HUGE.

The reason Flair had so many cage matches was to give hope to the face.  Flair was notorious for running from opponents and having the Horsemen run in.  Having a cage gave the fans a sense that the face had a much better chance of winning fair and square, which isn't fair to Flair.....

[Guest Drury37]

I actually saw I really good cage match between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels on WWF Best of Bret Hart, it was a 1994 Coliseum Video release.

Thanks.

[Guest Choken One]

I don't recall that match...