Steel Cage matches are a great way to settle a feud.
When that cage drops and the superstars are locked in, there’s something special about watching them desperately try to escape the cage and pick up the victory.
Because there have been so many; a lot of really good steel cage matches fly under the radar. Here are 5 underrated Steel Cage matches that deserve a second viewing.
1. The Undertaker vs Batista – Smackdown, May 11th, 2007
This is mainly remembered for the post-match angle, in which Mark Henry attacked both The Undertaker and Edge. He then cashed in his Money in the Bank opportunity, pinning The Deadman and becoming the new World Heavyweight Champion. As a result, most people forget that Taker and Batista put on a brutal Steel Cage match in the lead up.
They had just come off a violent Last Man Standing match at Backlash and had hoped that this match would settle the feud once and for all. Both men came in with injuries. Batista had his right thigh taped up and Undertaker had his right arm in strapping. Despite these injuries, both men beat the living hell out of each other for 17 violent minutes. The finish was great too. Both men’s feet touched at exactly the same time, so once again, there was no winner.
The Undertaker was Batista’s best opponent by a long way. They never had a bad match against one another and usually it was the best match of the night. This was just another violent chapter in one of the best feuds in the last 10 years.
2. Edge vs Chris Jericho – Extreme Rules 2010
Until the last few minutes of this match, these two had had one of the most clinical Steel Cage matches in WWE history. Two of WWE’s very best, they proved that sometimes, you don’t need to have a violent, bloody steel cage match in order to end a feud.
This whole feud had started at The Bash 2009, where Edge and Jericho won the tag team titles. Unfortunately, Edge then suffered a severe injury, forcing him to be on the shelf for months. Jericho replaced him with The Big Show, and then repeatedly trashed Edge whenever the opportunity arose. Then, at the 2010 Royal Rumble, Edge made a shock return in the Royal Rumble match, eliminating Jericho and John Cena en route to winning the Rumble, and earning a title match at Wrestlemania. Jericho then won the World Heavyweight title at Elimination Chamber, beat Edge at Wrestlemania, then lost it to the Money in the Bank holder Jack Swagger on the next Smackdown due to Edge beating the hell out of him and rendering him unconscious. Got that? Good.
This was the feud ender. As said above, this wasn’t your typical Steel Cage match. Y2J targeted the injured leg of Edge, thereby rendering it useless to escape the cage. The match flowed for 20 minutes, really picking up the pace in the last few minutes. Jericho hit an awesome looking Springboard Codebreaker that nearly won him the contest, until Edge snapped and repeatedly targeted Jericho’s leg. Edge hit the Spear, picked up the win and ended what was a fantastic feud between two of WWE’s modern best.
3. Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Vince McMahon – St Valentine’s Day Massacre, 1999
A match that pretty much summed up the Attitude Era. It featured two of its biggest stars, and certainly its most popular in Austin, and it was a chaotic, messy match, but one that was fantastic.
There were only a few minutes of action inside the cage. McMahon took his time getting into the cage, hoping to out-psych the Texas Rattlesnake. Austin didn’t bite however, and followed Vince to the outside. It was there that he proceeded to beat the holy hell out of Mr McMahon.
This being a Vince McMahon match, he took some brutal shots, including one from the top of the cage to the announce table outside, which looked very painful. Austin didn’t care though, taking great joy in beating up his boss. Vince bled, and his face was a crimson mask for a long period of the match.
The finish was surprising too. Paul Wight, who would go on to become The Big Show, came up from under the ring, and started decimating Stone Cold, until he threw him into the cage with such force that the cage wall broke, allowing Austin to escape the cage. Austin would receive a WWE Championship shot at Wrestlemania 15, and once again outsmart Vince McMahon.
The unusual finish aside, this was a great match. Austin/McMahon is an all-time great WWE feud, and one of the main reasons why WWE won the Monday Night Wars. They always worked well together, and this match is one of the best from their feud.
4. Edge vs Kurt Angle – Smackdown, May 30th, 2002
This may shock you, but Kurt Angle and Edge were really good in the ring together. This came in at a golden era for Smackdown, and just before the famous Smackdown Six (Angle, Edge, Rey Mysterio, Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero and Chavo Guerrero) would tear the house down with fantastic wrestling.
Angle was still a comedic character at this point, wearing a wig having been shaved bald by Edge at Judgement Day. He wasn’t yet the wrestling machine he would become in later years. However, he was still a great wrestler, and signified this by putting on a Match of the Year contender with Edge.
Edge was on the cusp of greatness at this point in his career. Already a multi-time Tag Champion, Intercontinental Champion and a King of the Ring at this point, he just needed a top-level star to feud with so he could break into the main event scene. Enter Kurt Angle. They’d already had stellar matches at Backlash and at Judgement Day, and this cage match was the end to their singles feud.
They didn’t hold back either. They went full pelt at each other, both determined to prove that they were the better man. Both men took hellacious bumps from the top rope, including a nasty looking suplex from Edge and a top rope Angle Slam from Angle. The crowd were hot throughout and were firmly in Edge’s corner for the duration.
Yes, the finish – which involves Hulk Hogan – is a bit screwy. But that shouldn’t take away from what was a career making performance from Edge, and another fantastic performance from Kurt Angle.
5. Eddie Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio – Smackdown, September 9th, 2005
Granted, when most people think of the Guerrero vs Mysterio feud, they’ll think of the Ladder Match at Summerslam for custody of Rey’s son Dominik. As a result, people forget that this match was the end of their feud, which is a shame, because it is a fantastic match.
Heel Eddie Guerrero doesn’t get the credit he deserves. He was a beloved babyface for so long, that when he turned heel, people didn’t buy it at first. However, due to some fantastic work by Eddie and also by Rey, Guerrero’s heel work ended up being some of the best work of his career, before it was tragically cut short due to Guerrero’s death in November 2005.
Rey is the best babyface WWE have had in the last 20 years. Insanely likeable, phenomenally talented and one of the most popular stars in history, Rey always gives his all even if the story behind it is terrible. This feud was a classic case in point. It got too much like a soap opera when they involved Dominik, but both men gave their all to try and make it work. For the most part, they succeeded, with this match being a fantastic end to their feud.
Eddie, being the heel, repeatedly targeted Rey’s legs throughout, with Rey employing tactics of utilising his speed and agility to outmanoeuvre Guerrero. They had a smart, logical match, with Rey realising that he couldn’t use the 619 because of the cage, and Eddie trying to seriously injure Mysterio’s knee. It was a worthy end to what was a fantastic feud.
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