Steel Cage Matches Have Lost All Their Luster in WWE
There was a time in WWE when Steel Cage matches served as the be-all and end-all to ruthless rivalries. Now, however, the gimmick match has been devalued to the point where it has lost all of its luster.
Steel Cage matches have been a fixture in professional wrestling for the better part of the last century, dating back to 1937. Long before the days any other match type was introduced, the cage concluded feuds and guaranteed closure.
While the gimmick match is still used today, it no longer means as much as it once did. The announcement of a cage match years ago would instill excitement in fans, but these days it's met with a lukewarm reaction because it all but confirms there will be interference.
Originally, the purpose of a Steel Cage match was to prevent anyone from getting involved, along with keeping the combatants inside.
Oddly enough, it now seemingly welcomes outsiders into the steel structure more often than it does keep them out.
This was never more evident than at last Sunday's Extreme Rules pay-per-view in the Seth Rollins vs. Randy Orton main event.
Since late last year, Rollins and Orton have been bitter enemies, clashing in a classic contest at WrestleMania 31.
Although Orton avenged his injury suffered at the hands of Rollins, the rivalry resumed in the weeks following 'Mania with a renewed focus: The Viper had his sights set on Rollins' newly won WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
With the ability to choose the stipulation for their rematch at Extreme Rules, Orton ultimately went with a Steel Cage match to ensure J&J Security wouldn't play a factor in the finish to their anticipated encounter.
Unfortunately for him, his plan backfired.
At the event, Orton and Rollins had yet another solid outing, but the inevitable interference from J&J Security and later Kane hindered it from being better.
With WWE not delivering on the stipulation of there not being any outside interference, why should fans take any future Steel Cage matches seriously?
This issue was also evident in last year's train wreck of a match between John Cena and Bray Wyatt at the same event, as well as at 2011's installment during the Steel Cage WWE Championship match. It's been a recurring theme over the years that must be put to an end immediately.
Due to the absurd outcome of the match, Orton and Rollins will be meeting for a third time on PPV later this month at WWE Payback.
Steel Cage matches should not be placeholders for feuds. Instead, they should be what rivalries are built toward.
The same can be said for the Hell in a Cell match: It's been reduced to feeling like just another match due to it getting its own pay-per-view. No longer does it see the definitive ending of a rivalry—it's merely the continuation of one.
Moreover, Steel Cage matches—or any sort of stipulation match, for that matter—should not be contested simply because it's Extreme Rules and "It's that time of the year again."
WWE, along with other organizations, would be wise to hold these kind of special bouts solely when it is deemed appropriate. This is why Iron Man and Three Stages of Hell matches still have meaning: They are only utilized every few years so that a rivalry can be resolved.
This may not seem like a major deal right now, but it will have long-term repercussions.
PPV buyrates are a thing of the past with the WWE Network, but Steel Cage matches won't entice any new viewers to tune into an event if they know how it will finish ahead of time.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is a journalism major at Endicott College. Visit his website at Next Era Wrestling and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.
