The Boiler Room Brawl Is An Underrated WWE Gimmick Match
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One of the things that made the late 1990s and early 2000s wrestling exciting for the fans was the gimmick matches they got to witness. Everyone remembers the Hell in a Cell gimmick match debuting in late 1997 when Undertaker and Shawn Michaels tore the house down. Fans, to this day, still talk about the TLC gimmick matches that got revolutionized by The Hardy Boyz, Edge and Christian, and The Dudley Boyz. One specific match gimmick that deserves more recognition is the Boiler Room Brawl stipulation that debuted in late 1996 as one of Mick Foley's specialties.
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Mick Foley's Specialty As "Mankind"
In the late 1990s, WWE was going through a massive change to their product, considering they were shifting away from the former family-friendly image to a more adult-oriented edgier programming. With that said, one of the legends that represented WWE going towards a more aggressive style to their programming was Mick Foley, making his debut the day after WrestleMania 12 in 1996.
As fans started to witness WWE's programming becoming more raunchy and violent, edgy concepts for gimmick matches were on TV in the process. Regarding the Boiler Room Brawl concept, it makes sense that Mick Foley would specialize in it. Not just because Mick Foley was in every Boiler Room Brawl match in WWE, but also the boiler room had a crucial part of his persona as "Mankind."
Mankind would always hang around in the boiler rooms in the arena, where he got dubbed residing from the boiler room. For the next three years, Mankind would wrestle in several Boiler Room Brawl matches, showcasing how over-the-top his character could be. Especially with every Boiler Room Brawl match in WWE featuring him.
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The Rules Of A Boiler Room Brawl Match
The Boiler Room Brawl gimmick is an appealing concept because it's one of those ideas that go outside the creative box. Considering this type of gimmick match isn't in the ring, having hardcore stipulations in different ways will always get fans' attention, even if not correctly executed.
Understanding the rules of a Boiler Room Brawl stipulation is simple for fans to get. As this match takes place in the back area of the arena, the participant who escapes the boiler boom is declared victorious. And considering that Boiler Room Brawl stipulations have no disqualification and no count-outs, anything is legal as the participants can use the surrounding boiler room area to their advantage. The antics of what goes on in a Boiler Room Brawl match make this stipulation enjoyable for fans who like this type of grimy wrestling.
The Boiler Room Brawl's Prominence In The Late 1990s
Arguably, the most notable Boiler Room Brawl match in history would be the first bout at Summerslam 1996 between Mankind and The Undertaker. As Mankind is considered one of The Undertaker's best rivals in his career, their interaction in a Boiler Room Brawl established their rivalry more memorable. It's worth noting that Mankind defeated The Undertaker in that match, which went almost thirty-minute long.
One of the reasons why the Boiler Room Brawl deserves more credit than it gets is because of how it molded perfectly with the Attitude Era as the years went by. In 1999 as WWE hit mainstream popularity, the Boiler Room Brawl fit the criteria of what fans craved regarding over-the-top wacky wrestling. And what's wackier than a match stipulation that has to do with a boiler room of all places?
Mankind wrestled in three Boiler Room Brawl matches in 1999, including a bout with The Big Show at the Backlash 1999 PPV. He's also faced Triple H twice that same year in a Boiler Room Brawl, as it was among the many brutal bouts the two had throughout their historic rivalry.
Should The Boiler Room Brawl Make A Comeback?
Since 1999, there's never been a Boiler Room Brawl match on WWE programming, with the last one being Mankind losing to Triple H on a December 20, 1999, episode of Monday Night Raw. It's been a long time since the match has taken place, considering that Mick Foley had retired from full-time wrestling for over two decades.
Even though many fans don't clamor for the Boiler Room Brawl stipulation to come back, the gimmick match could work in today's wrestling. It's worth noting that the Boiler Room Brawl stipulation originated as an exclusive specialty for Mick Foley, which may be hard for some fans to buy into the gimmick match without him. However, the Boiler Room Brawl stipulation being brought back once in a while in situations that make sense could deliver, as it wouldn't hurt to try something out of the blue in today's wrestling, even without Mick Foley's involvement.
