Eric Bischoff thinks it is time to retire a long-standing match stipulation.
First taking place in the 1930s and debuting in WWE in 1976, the steel cage match became a staple of many promotions and was often used as the stipulation to settle rivalries and provide no escape for either of the entrants. Over the next 20 years, multiple classic matches would take place inside the steel structure such as Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart at SummerSlam 1994 and the “I Quit” match between Tully Blanchard and Magnum TA at Starrcade 1985.
Everything would change in late 1997 when WWE introduced the world to the Hell in a Cell match. Taller than a cage and with a roof on top, competitors could be more creative with spots in the match, most notably the brawls and falls from the roof of the cell. With the traditional steel cage match struggling to live up to the heightened drama of Hell in a Cell, Bischoff believes the long-standing stipulation has suffered as a result.
Looking back on the iconic Hell in a Cell match between The Undertaker and Mankind on 83 Weeks, Bischoff stated that the standard cage match has become watered-down and a victim of the cell’s success:
“I do think cage matches have become irrelevant for the most part. Now, maybe Hell In a Cell’s gonna be different, continually, but cage matches have just become a meaningless prop. No reason to have them, no storyline leading into them.”
Eric Bischoff Addresses Potential Final Match Of WCW Legend
An integral part of the rise of WCW, the Hall of Famer played a huge part in the booking of Goldberg, who went on to become one of the biggest homegrown stars in the promotion. Also on his podcast, Eric Bischoff explained why Goldberg should have his final match in the UK.
In other WWE news, a WCW PPV could be making a comeback.
H/t to Wrestling Inc.