10 Things Wrestling Fans Didn't Know About Steel Cage Matches
The steel cage match has helped evolve WWE and pro wrestling in general in many different ways. Sure, not everything about the match makes sense, like why would anybody jump off of the top of the cage instead of escape, but it helps create some iconic matches.
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Everyone from Bruno Sammartino to The Young Bucks has competed in a steel cage match. Although there are many unforgettable moments associated with the steel that surrounds the ring, this list will examine 10 things fans might not know about the illustrious match type.
10 Chris Jericho's First Match On Raw Was A Steel Cage Match
Although Chris Jericho is a WWE and AEW icon, he rose to fame in wrestling in WCW. At the company, Jericho was underutilized, like many other cruiserweight stars on the roster. Many WWE fans remember his great arrival to WWE when he announced "Raw is Jericho."
Some fans might forget that Jericho's first match on Raw was a Steel Cage Match against Gotch Gracie in 1999. It wasn't his first match at the company since he wrestled on a few episodes of SmackDown before competing in a cage on Monday Night Raw.
9 America's Most Wanted Defeated Triple X In TNA's First Steel Cage Match
TNA/Impact Wrestling has become well known for its innovations to the steel cage match. Along with once having an entire pay-per-view devoted to the spectacle, the company made great use of its six-sided ring to elevate content featuring its high-flying performers.
The first cage match in the history of the company happened at NWA TNA Weekly PPV #51 (when it still worked with the NWA). America's Most Wanted ended up winning the NWA World Tag Team titles from Triple X in a match that still holds up even nearly two decades after its original airdate.
8 WrestleMania 2 Was The First And Last Time A Steel Cage Match Was The Stipulation For The Main Event At WrestleMania
WWE helped steel cage matches become a staple in popular wrestling across the world. Even though the company has put on countless steel cage matches, only one WrestleMania event has featured the stipulation in the main event.
WrestleMania 2 is significant not only because it featured a steel cage main event, but also because it introduced the blue cage to the masses. The new cage was baked into the story where the company claimed the new steel format could help reinforce it for King Kong Bundy. Hogan ended up defeating King Kong Bundy in the cage to retain the WWE Championship.
7 The Steel Cage Match Pre-Dates World War II
The earliest known versions of the modern-day steel cage match date back to January 9, 1936, in Caruthersville, Missouri. In that era, the match was known as a "chicken wire fence match" that was placed as a cage within the ring. Jez Vs. Otto Ludwig and Joe Dillman Vs. Charles Sinkey took place in this smaller cage.
These matches took place more than three years before World War II, meaning it's one of the oldest stipulations in the history of wrestling.
6 WWF WrestleMania: Steel Cage Challenge Featured The Video Game Debut Of Bret Hart
WWE had so much success with products using the likeness of the Steel Cage that the company released a video game based around the structure in 1992. WWF WrestleMania: Steel Cage Challenge featured ten playable wrestlers and it, notably, features the first time Bret Hart was a playable wrestler.
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The game was re-released in 2018 as a handheld TV game under the name WWE WrestleMania: Steel Cage Challenge.
5 Hulk Hogan Never Lost A Steel Cage Match In WWE
Although many fans remember Hogan losing multiple cage matches in WCW (he famously lost to Roddy Piper at Halloween Havoc 1997), Hogan never lost a single cage match in WWE. All of his televised cage matches, including tag team bouts, featured wins from Hogan. It is estimated that he won every non-televised cage match in WWE as well.
The list of legends Hogan defeated in the company in a steel cage is also long, including the likes of Andre The Giant, Randy Savage, and Kamala.
4 Luna Vachon Faced A Man In A Steel Cage Match
Luna Vachon is one of the most impactful women to ever set foot in a wrestling ring. She was the first woman to ever be featured in a WWE video game. She is also one of the first women to ever compete against a man in a steel cage match. At ECW Heat Wave in 1995, Vachon faced Stevie Richards in an intergender match. Even more shocking, she defeated Richards in the bout.
3 Only Two Steel Cage Matches Have Received A 5-Star (Or Above) Ratings From Dave Meltzer
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The second match in WWE history to receive a 5-star rating from esteemed wrestling critic Dave Meltzer was a steel cage match between Owen Hart and Bret Hart at SummerSlam 1994. The classic bout was a sequel to their clash at WrestleMania 10. This is the first official steel cage match to ever earn the distinction since WarGames is its own match stipulation.
Over 27 years after SummerSlam 1994, Meltzer awarded the second 5-star steel cage match at AEW All Out 2021. The insane match between The Young Bucks and The Lucha Brothers actually received more than 5 stars from Meltzer, earning a 5.75 rating.
2 Terry Funk Competed In A Cage Match In Four Different Decades
Terry Funk is one of the most underrated legends to ever compete in the world of wrestling. He's done everything from 5-star technical masterpieces to barbed wire matches. His career spanned over 50 years and he achieved a rare milestone in the steel cage. Terry Funk wrestled in a cage match in four different decades.
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He competed in his first steel cage match in the late '60s, when he was on the NWA circuit. In the 1970s, he was the World Champion defending his title in the cage. In the '80s, he was battling Ric Flair and Dusty Rhodes behind steel. In the '90s, Funk was on WWE television capturing the tag titles in a steel cage match.
1 The Blue Cage Was Changed Because It Was Rough
The famous blue steel cage was a fixture in WWE for years. Many fans today associate it with the early years of WWE although it wasn't the original version of the cage the company used. Apparently, WWE changed the cage not only because it looked cartoonish, but also because it was rough on the wrestlers. With such little give, the chicken wire version of the cage was much easier on the talent.
