WWE in the land of Extreme: Part I

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘Wrestling’? If you are not one of the ardent fans of the sport, your answer may very likely hover around a synonym of ‘violence’ or ‘brutality’. It is true that the WWE and other promotions have striven to promote the art of wrestling, and people like Kurt Angle and The Rock are testimony to that. But the true entertainment has always been given to the fans by the bloodbaths and carnage associated with the matches which have, let us say ‘unconventional’ rules. In this series of articles we take a look at some of the greatest match types, people and moments which have immortalized the style of ‘Hard-core’ wrestling.

In this part, let’s revisit some of the most exciting (and brutal) match types to ever take place in (and around) a wrestling ring:

1. Hell In a Cell:

The Devil’s Playground, Satan’s Structure and God knows how many other names have been given to the demonic structure which plays home to this kind of match. In Hell in a Cell, the combatants are locked inside a 20ft high Steel Cell. Inside, there are no disqualifications. You can use anything you can find under the ring to brutalize your opponent, and even the Cell can be used a weapon.

Undertaker Chokeslams Rikishi off the top of the cell

The first ever Hell In a Cell match took place at Survivor Series 1996 between the Undertaker and Shawn Michaels, and featured the debut of Kane, who broke through the cell to attack his brother. Even though the Phenom lost that particular match, he would go on to make Hell in a Cell his personal playground by competing in no less than 11 such encounters, and winning 5 of them. Overall, there have been 21 Hell in a Cell encounters which have given us many memorable moments, like Mick Foley falling off from the top of the Cell, and Edge getting slammed through the ring by the Undertaker. Initially, a 16ft high cell was used. The amplified version has been in use since Summerslam 2006, When D-Generation-X defeated Big Show and the McMahons.

Hell In a Cell has also inspired a lot of variants in the world of wrestling. Notable among them are the Elimination Chamber and the Punjabi Prison.

2. TLC:

Well it’s the three most brutal elements of Hardcore wrestling rolled into one. Tables, Ladders and Chairs was originally conceived as the perfect stipulation for a triple threat tag match between the Hardy Boyz (who perfected the art of flying high from ladders), the Dudley Boyz (“D-Von, Get The Tables!!”) and Edge and Christian (Con-chair-to, anyone?). But throughout the years, various other superstars have felt their bodies being broken by wood and metal in this brutal environment. The rules are simple: The title(s) being defended are hung above the ring, and to win you must climb the ladder and retrieve the belt(s).

Edge about to spear Jeff Hardy in mid-air

The first ever TLC match took place in Summerslam 2000, and it was won by Edge and Christian. The match was received with such excitement by the fans, that the WWE conducted TLC-II at the grandest stage of them all, WrestleMania X-Seven. Edge and Christian won again, the Highlight of the match being Edge spearing Jeff Hardy (who was hanging on to one of the title belts) in mid-air off the top of a 15-foot ladder!! Edge is undoubtedly the best in the business of TLC, having competed in seven of the eleven TLC matches to have taken place so far, and won no less than five of them.

3. Inferno:

WWE. com once called it the ‘sickest wrestling match ever conceived’. Various state health commissions have held objections against holding this type of match. This is the encounter where the ring is literally surrounded by flames, and the only way to win is to make at least one of your opponent’s body parts catch fire.

Undertaker and Kane in the first ever Inferno match

There have only been four inferno matches in the WWE since its inception in 1998, and all four have featured the Big Red Monster, Kane. Very few wrestlers have the audacity and the courage to step into such an environment. Triple H, a participant of the third inferno match one quoted in an interview that it had become impossible for him to breathe during the match, as the flames had burned up most of the oxygen. This is truly one of the most sadistic stipulations for a match that one could ever think of.

4. Elimination Chamber:

Hell In a Cell was just not enough for us, was it? Welcome to Satan’s Structure. Made up of over 2 miles of steel chain and weighing over ten tons, the elimination chamber is the ultimate Doomsday Device. Six wrestlers participate in this match, out of which four are locked up in glass pods at the four corners of the ring and the other two start the match. Every two minutes, one of the pods is unlocked and one of the competitors joins the fight. Eliminations happen via pin-fall or submission, and the last person remaining is the winner.

The first ever elimination chamber match took place at Survivor Series 2002, where a resurgent Shawn Michaels won the World Heavyweight Championship after outlasting the likes of Triple H, Kane and Chris Jericho in a physical encounter. Overall, there have been 13 Chamber matches. Triple would be the most successful performer in the Chamber, having won four out of the five matches he has been in.

5. ‘I Quit!!’

Imagine a match where there are no rules at all. The match can be taken outside the ring to any place in the world and using anything and everything against your opponent is legal. Now add the fact that in order to win, you must force your opponent to quit. Not by submission, but by uttering the word ‘I Quit’ through his mouth. Not only is this match one of the most destructive and career-altering of all, but gives rise to perhaps the most humiliating moment in the loser’s career.

Ever since Bret Hart defeated ken Shamrock in WWE’s first ever ‘I Quit’ match at WrestleMania XI, there have been 13 such encounters. John Cena has won all three of these matches he has been in, and this kind of match-ups has actually become a testimony to Cena’s fabled resilience and heart.