Professional wrestling match types - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Many types of matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, can be found in the form of performing art

Performing arts

The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...

that is professional wrestling

Professional wrestling

Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...

.

Some of them are very enjoyable for fans and occur relatively frequently, while others are developed so as to advance an angle, and thus, such match types are used rarely. Specific match types in professional wrestling are often notable due to either their frequent use, logistics of setup, or a memorable instances of such a match. Often, specialty matches are used as a finale to a popular or infamous storyline.

Because professional wrestling's existence has spanned over decades

History of professional wrestling

Professional wrestling in the United States, up until the late 1920s, was viewed as a legitimate sport. Across the country there were "iron men" who would stand in the center of the ring, usually at state fairs, and literally shout out a challenge to anyone with the nerve to enter the ring...

, and many things in it have been recycled, many gimmick match types are actually variations of previous gimmick matches, match types can be organized into several loose groups. The following is a list of common or otherwise notable match types.

Variations of singles matches

The standard wrestling match (or 'one fall match') involves two wrestlers attempting to win the match through either pinfall or submission while not getting disqualified, or "counted out"—caught outside of the ring for a referee

Referee (professional wrestling)

A professional wrestling referee is the official figure that makes sure that wrestling matches move smoothly in an attempt to maintain kayfabe. The referee also has the ultimate power in the ring...

's count of 10 or 20, depending on the company's rules.

In matches where championships

Championship (professional wrestling)

A Championship or "title" in professional wrestling is a recognition promoted by professional wrestling organizations.Championship reigns are determined by professional wrestling matches, in which competitors are involved in scripted rivalries...

are being contested, the champion typically (but not always) retains the title in the event of a disqualification or countout finish, no matter which competitor was disqualified or counted out in what is known as the "champion's advantage". Commentators and bookers generally explain it as saying the challenger "must beat" the champion. Playing into this, some storylines have heel

Heel (professional wrestling)

In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...

champions protect their titles by intentionally losing in such ways.

Some of the most common variations on the singles match restrict the possible means for Defeat: only pinfalls are permitted in a Pin only or Pinfall match, only submissions in a Submission match, etc. Another variation is a Time Limit match in which a match is contested until a time limit is reached or a wrestler achieves victory; in the event of the former, a separate method (audience reaction, "judges", or even a rematch) is used to determine the winner. Time Limit matches were invented during the vaudeville

Vaudeville

Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...

days of professional wrestling as a way to stop matches that lasted well into hours. A Battle of Respect is often held in tribute to another wrestler, where all means of victory are removed (that is, wrestlers simply wrestle each other for a fixed amount of time, without victory taken into consideration).

The following matches have their own articles due to being commonplace:

"I Quit" match
Iron Man match
Iron Man match
An Iron Man match is a professional wrestling match type that is set to go a specific amount of time, usually 30 or 60 minutes, with the competitor with the most falls at the end of that time named the victor...
Monster's Ball match
Monster's Ball match
A Monster's Ball match is a professional wrestling, hardcore match staged by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. The name is derived from the 2001 film Monster's Ball....
Ladder match
Ladder match
A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling that is most commonly used to describe a match where an item is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item...
Ultimate X match
Ultimate X match
The Ultimate X match is a type of professional wrestling match created by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , mainly used in their X Division. It is considered the "signature match of the X Division," as stated numerous times by Mike Tenay right before an Ultimate X match begins.-Match...

Champion vs. Champion match

This match is played between two reigning champions, for e.g. World Heavyweight Champion (WWE)

World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)

The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...

vs. WWE Champion

WWE Championship

The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...

or World Heavyweight Champion (WWE) vs. WWE Intercontinental Champion

WWE Intercontinental Championship

The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is the original secondary title of the promotion. Currently, it is the secondary championship exclusive to the SmackDown brand...

. These matches are generally played when there are contests between two promotions or brands. The rules are similar to a Singles Match as a player can win via Pinfall, Submission

Submission wrestling

Submission wrestling or Combat wrestling in Japan, is a formula of competition and a general term describing the aspect of martial arts and combat sports that focus on clinch and ground fighting with the aim of obtaining a submission using submission holds...

, Disqualification and Countout. This doesn't mean that the winner would get his opponent's title, unless if the match is contested to unify both titles

Championship unification

Championship unification is the act of combining two or more separate professional wrestling championships into a single title.-History:In professional wrestling, championships may be unified to consolidate the number of championships in a given promotion, or to add legitimacy and prestige to a...

Empty Arena match

An Empty Arena match is a hardcore match

Hardcore wrestling

Hardcore wrestling is a form of professional wrestling that eschews traditional concepts of match rules in favor of matches that take place in unusual environments, using foreign objects that are not normally permitted...

between two or more wrestlers which takes place in an arena devoid of fans. The only people present are the competitors, referee

Referee (professional wrestling)

A professional wrestling referee is the official figure that makes sure that wrestling matches move smoothly in an attempt to maintain kayfabe. The referee also has the ultimate power in the ring...

, and cameramen. The match is broadcast, or videotaped and played later. e.g. The Rock vs Mankind

Mick Foley

Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...

during the WWF's Super Bowl

Super Bowl

The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...

halftime show on January 31, 1999. Empty arena matches are rare, and usually accompany other, filled-arena matches, due to the cost of renting an arena and not selling tickets.

Falls Count Anywhere match

A Falls Count Anywhere match is a match where only pinfalls can take place in any location, negating the standard rule that they must take place inside the ring and between the ropes. As such, this also eliminates the usual "countout" rule. As the match may take place in various parts of the arena, the "Falls Count Anywhere" provision is almost always accompanied with a "No Disqualification" stipulation to make the match a hardcore match

Hardcore wrestling

, so as to allow wrestlers the convenience to use any objects they may find wherever they wrestle.

A variation of the rules state that once a pinfall takes place, the pinned wrestler will lose the match if he is unable to return to the ring within a specific amount of time—usually a referee's count of 10 or 30. If the pinned wrestler makes it to the ring in this time, the match continues. Under these rules, all pinfalls must take place outside of the ring, technically making the match no longer falls count anywhere. Occasionally, this stipulation is listed as having a specific territory in which falls count (e.g. the state, county, or general location the match is in).

A new variation on the stipulation, submissions count anywhere, debuted at WWE Breaking Point

WWE Breaking Point

Breaking Point was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on September 13, 2009 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brands. The name of the event was voted by fans via...

in a match between D-Generation X

D-Generation X

D-Generation X was a professional wrestling stable in WWE . The group originated in the midst of the WWF's "Attitude Era" from 1997 to 2000...

and The Legacy

The Legacy (professional wrestling)

The Legacy was a villainous alliance of professional wrestlers in World Wrestling Entertainment. The group was led by Randy Orton and contained the tag team of Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase....

Flag match

The Flag match is essentially the professional wrestling version of capture the flag

Capture the flag

Capture the Flag is a traditional outdoor sport generally played by children, where two teams each have a flag and the objective is to capture the other team's flag, located at the team's "base," and bring it safely back to their own base...

. For the match two flags are placed on opposite turnbuckles, each representing a specific wrestler or team of wrestlers, and the object of the match is to retrieve the opponent's flag and raise it while defending the flag in the wrestler's corner.

An anthem match is a variant of a Flag match with the added stipulation that the national anthem of the winning wrestler's or team's home country will be played in the arena after the match.

Handicap match

A Handicap match is any match where one wrestler or team of wrestlers face off against a team of wrestlers with numerical superiority such as two against one, or three against two. Normally the babyfaces are outnumbered with the heels having more members on their team to provide an unfair advantage. In some two-on-one Handicap matches the team with superior numbers act under tag team

Tag team

Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...

rules, with one person in the ring at a time. In others, such as tornado matches, all competitors are in the ring at the same time.

Iron Man match

An Iron Man Match is a multiple-fall match with a set time limit. The match is won by the wrestler who wins the most falls within the said time limit, by either pinfall, submission, disqualification, countout, or knockout; e.g. Bret Hart

Bret Hart

Bret Hart is a Canadian on-screen personality, writer, actor and Semi-retired professional wrestler. Like others in the Hart wrestling family, Hart has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College...

vs. Shawn Michaels

Shawn Michaels

Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...

at WrestleMania XII

WrestleMania XII

-Other on-screen talent:-External links:**...

for the WWF Championship

WWE Championship

Lumberjack match

A Lumberjack match is a standard match with the exception that the ring is surrounded by a group of wrestlers not directly involved in it. These wrestlers, known collectively as lumberjacks—or sometimes lumberjills when they're female—are there to prevent the wrestlers in the match from fleeing the ring. The groups of lumberjacks are typically split up into groups of faces

Face (professional wrestling)

In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...

and heels

Heel (professional wrestling)

who occupy opposing sides around the ring. Usually, the "opposing" lumberjacks (that is, face lumberjacks if the wrestler is a heel, and vice versa) swarm the wrestlers if they leave the ring and force them back in it. Occasional interference from the lumberjacks is not uncommon, nor is an all-out brawl on the outside involving most of the lumberjacks. Early lumberjack matches even featured the lumberjacks wearing stereotypical lumberjack

Lumberjack

A lumberjack is a worker in the logging industry who performs the initial harvesting and transport of trees for ultimate processing into forest products. The term usually refers to a bygone era when hand tools were used in harvesting trees principally from virgin forest...

clothing in keeping with the lumberjack theme, though this is generally no longer done. A common theme is for the lumberjacks to consist entirely of heel wrestlers to stack the odds against a face competitor.

Variation of this match include the "Canadian" Lumberjack match, in which the lumberjacks are equipped with leather straps

Belt (clothing)

A belt is a flexible band or strap, typically made of leather or heavy cloth, and worn around the waist. A belt supports trousers or other articles of clothing.-History:...

, the "Extreme" Lumberjack match, competed under Extreme

Hardcore wrestling

Rules, and the TNA's "Fan's Revenge" Lumberjack match, during which fans equipped with straps act as lumberjacks and are encouraged to whip wrestlers.

(Move) match

A Move Match is a match where the first wrestler to perform a specific move is the winner. The move is usually a signature move of both wrestlers involved, in which case a stipulation can be added that the loser is no longer allowed to use the move—or on the case of large wrestlers a generic move (e.g. bodyslam) that is notoriously hard to perform on both wrestlers. The match usually takes the name of the target move (e.g. Chokeslam challenge, Bodyslam match) or is more generalized to "Finisher Match" if both wrestlers are trying to perform their finisher to win.

X rules match

An X Rules match is a match contested under specific, often undisclosed, rules where the "x" is replaced by a title usually meant to sound traditional (cf. Marquess of Queensberry

Marquess of Queensberry rules

The Marquess of Queensberry rules is a code of generally accepted rules in the sport of boxing. They were named so because John Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry publicly endorsed the code, although they were written by a sportsman named John Graham Chambers. The code of rules on which modern...

) or boastful for one combatant. The angle of many of the matches has one wrestler, usually the heel

Heel (professional wrestling)

, challenging another to a match to be contested under some kind of rules without going into detail, then making up rules in their favor as the match progresses and feeding them to the ring announcer.

Pick Your Poison

When a storyline of tag on tag happens, a pick your poison match may occur, where before the show, one wrestler from each side picks an opponent for the other. Usually they pick the other half of the team, but the rules permit any wrestler to be chosen.

Scaffold match

A Scaffold match takes place, in whole or in part, on a piece of scaffolding

Scaffolding

Scaffolding is a temporary structure used to support people and material in the construction or repair of buildings and other large structures. It is usually a modular system of metal pipes or tubes, although it can be from other materials...

erected above the ring. The match can end in one of two ways; either with the losing wrestler falling off of the scaffold to the ring below, or with a wrestler retrieving a flag from the opposite side of the scaffold and return it to his own. Scaffold matches have a legitimate air of danger about them, as the bump from such a height is hard to protect against and objects such as chipboard tables are placed in the ring to attempt to cushion the fall.

Elevation X, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...

's variation of the scaffold match, has two scaffolds placed above the ring intersecting to form an "X", with the only way to lose being to fall from the structure.

Special referee

Any time a usual referee

Referee (professional wrestling)

A professional wrestling referee is the official figure that makes sure that wrestling matches move smoothly in an attempt to maintain kayfabe. The referee also has the ultimate power in the ring...

is replaced with someone unusual for a specific reason, it is referred to as a Special Referee or Special Guest Referee match. The special referee is often a celebrity, a manager

Manager (professional wrestling)

In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...

, or another wrestler—with the latter sometimes showing a bias for or against a competitor.

A special outside referee, also known as special enforcer or special guest enforcer; is someone charged with the task of keeping interference out of the match.

Strip matches

There are two kinds of matches which are contested where a wrestler doesn't win by pinfall or submission, but only by stripping their opponent of their clothing. Historically, these types of matches were contested between managers or valets

Manager (professional wrestling)

, due to their supposed lack of wrestling ability. In the Attitude Era

The Attitude Era

The Attitude Era was a period in World Wrestling Federation and professional wrestling history that began as a direct result of the Monday Night Wars, a television ratings conflict between the WWF and longtime rival promotion World Championship Wrestling that lasted from 1995 to 2001...

, however, full-time female wrestlers (known as Divas

WWE Diva

Diva is a term used by World Wrestling Entertainment , an American professional wrestling promotion, to refer to its female talent. The term is applied to women who appear as wrestlers, managers or valets, backstage interviewers, or ring announcers....

in WWE) began engaging in strip matches for the purpose of titillation.

Bra and panties match

A bra

Brassiere

A brassiere is an undergarment that covers, supports, and elevates the breasts. Since the late 19th century, it has replaced the corset as the most widely accepted method for supporting breasts....

and panties

Panties

Panties are a form of underwear, usually light and snug-fitting, designed to be worn by women or girls in the area directly below the waist. Typical components include an elastic waistband, a crotch panel to cover the genital area , and a pair of leg openings which, like the waistband, are often...

match is so named because it takes place between any amount of female competitors

WWE Diva

with the winner being the first to strip her opponent down to her undergarments. An evening gown

Evening gown

An evening gown is a long flowing women's dress usually worn to a formal affair. It ranges from tea and ballerina to full-length. Evening gowns are often made of a luxury fabric such as chiffon, velvet, satin, or silk...

match ends the same way, but instead of the women starting out the match in regular clothing or ring attire they begin in evening gowns.

Tuxedo match

A tuxedo

Black tie

Black tie is a dress code for evening events and social functions. For a man, the main component is a usually black jacket, known as a dinner jacket or tuxedo...

match is similar to the Bra and Panties match, where the match is contested between two male competitors in tuxedos. In order to win, a wrestler needs to strip the opponent's tuxedo off of him.

Non-wrestling singles variations

Some matches do not actually involve wrestling, instead relying on other sports or physical activity to determine a winner and a loser. Common types of matches include arm wrestling

Arm wrestling

Arm wrestling is a sport with two participants. Each participant places one arm on a surface with their elbows bent and touching the surface, and they grip each other's hand...

, boxing

Boxing

Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...

, kickboxing

Kickboxing

Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....

, mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts

Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...

, and sumo

Sumo

is a competitive full-contact sport where a wrestler attempts to force another wrestler out of a circular ring or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet. The sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally...

Substance match

This is a match which involves mainly two women who have of a lesser wrestling experience. The match includes a large container filled with various substances in which the two women will wrestle. Substances can include anything from mud to chocolate milk. Sometimes, specialty substances are used for certain occasions e.g. gravy for Thanksgiving and egg nog for Christmas.

Sock Match

The rules of the Sock Match dictate that the two competitors must attempt remove their opponent's socks to win the match.

Arm wrestling match

An Arm wrestling match, in the context of professional wrestling, is a worked form of a basic arm wrestling

Arm wrestling

Arm wrestling is a sport with two participants. Each participant places one arm on a surface with their elbows bent and touching the surface, and they grip each other's hand...

contest.

Boxing match

The professional wrestling version of a Boxing match has standard boxing

Boxing

rules applied to it. Wrestlers wear boxing gloves and the match is contested in rounds with fouls given out, though the matches are generally worked and end with one wrestler cheating and using wrestling maneuvers.

Pillow fight

A Pillow fight is a match held between women

WWE Diva

for which pillow

Pillow

A pillow is a large cushion support for the head, usually used while sleeping in a bed, or for the body as used on a couch or chair. There are also throw pillows , which are pillows that are purely decorative and not designed for support or comfort...

s and a bed are placed in the ring. The pillows may be used as weapons, but other than that standard wrestling rules apply. A variation, the Lingerie Pillow Fight, requires the participants to wear lingerie

Lingerie

Lingerie are fashionable and possibly alluring undergarments.Lingerie usually incorporates one or more flexible, stretchy materials like Lycra, nylon , polyester, satin, lace, silk and sheer fabric which are not typically used in more functional, basic cotton undergarments.The term in the French...

. Another variation, the Pajama Pillow Fight, requires the participants to wear pajamas

Pajamas

Pajamas, also spelled pyjamas , can refer to several related types of clothing. The original paijama are loose, lightweight trousers fitted with drawstring waistbands and worn in South and West Asia by both sexes...

Sumo match

For a Sumo match, the ropes are removed from the ring and standard sumo

Sumo

rules apply. The first person to step outside of the ring or touch the mat with any part of the body but the soles of the feet is the loser.

Hardcore-based variations

Hardcore wrestling is a subset of professional wrestling where some or all of the traditional rules do not apply. Most often this simply means there are no disqualifications, which itself eliminates countouts, allowing decisions to take place anywhere. Other common euphemisms for hardcore matches are Street Fight or Brawl (both of which suggest wrestlers dressing in normal street clothes), Extreme

Extreme Championship Wrestling

Extreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...

Rules, No Holds Barred match, Bimbo Brawl (involving female wrestlers) and Good Housekeeping match (which emphasized the use of kitchen implements as weapons, in fact, the use of a Championship Belt as a weapon was deemed illegal, and the referee was allowed to restart the match if it was used).

Some promotions, such as Extreme Championship Wrestling

Extreme Championship Wrestling

, Juggalo Championship Wrestling, and Combat Zone Wrestling

Combat Zone Wrestling

Combat Zone Wrestling is a independent wrestling promotion. In 1999, John Zandig and four of his students, Ric Blade, Lobo, Nick Gage and Justice Pain began to run backyard wrestling shows in New Jersey and Delaware, showcasing a brand of hardcore wrestling dubbed as "ultraviolence"...

, have specialized in hardcore matches, with "standard" non-hardcore matches being the exception. World Championship Wrestling

World Championship Wrestling

World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...

utilized the term Raven's Rules for hardcore matches involving the wrestler Raven. They also created their own specific brand of hardcore match, for which bouts were to begin backstage rather than in the ring.

Barbed wire steel cage match

A barbed wire steel cage match is one of any number of matches that uses strands of barbed wire

Barbed wire

Barbed wire, also known as barb wire , is a type of fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strand. It is used to construct inexpensive fences and is used atop walls surrounding secured property...

in some capacity. Simply using barbed wire in an otherwise regular steel cage match does not make the match a barbed wire steel cage match; the barbed wire must be part of the match's design. A Barbed Wire Massacre match is when the regular ring ropes are removed from the ring and the barbed wire is strung up in their place.

Clockwork Orange House of Fun match

The Clockwork Orange

A Clockwork Orange

A Clockwork Orange is a 1962 dystopian novella by Anthony Burgess. The novel contains an experiment in language: the characters often use an argot called "Nadsat", derived from Russian....

House of Fun match, also known as Raven's House of Fun, was created by professional wrestler Raven (legitimately

Shoot (professional wrestling)

A shoot in professional wrestling is a term that refers to any unplanned, unscripted or real-life occurrence within a wrestling event. Contrary to popular belief, the name does not originate from "shooting in" for a takedown, as in amateur wrestling - rather it is a carny term shortened from...

, as Raven pitched the idea himself to TNA's creative team). It is a singles match for which a chain link wall is erected on one side of the ring with chains wrapped from it to various points on the ring itself with weapons hanging from them. In the first match the only way to win was to put an opponent through two tables after throwing them off "Raven's perch" (a small scaffold), but afterwards it was changed to falls-count-anywhere rules.

Fans Bring the Weapons match

In a Fans Bring the Weapons match, all the weapons are provided by the fans prior to the show. Sometimes the weapons will be in the ring before the match starts, although occasionally weapons will be handed to the wrestlers during the action.

First Blood match

A First Blood match is a no-disqualification match where in order to win a wrestler has to make his opponent bleed. Or, rather, depending on the nuances of the promotion and the angle surrounding the match, the first person to bleed loses, regardless of source. There have been matches where bloody noses count. In a variation called Sadistic Madness, which was created by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

, the opponent must be bleeding before a wrestler can legally pin them. Although, there are no disqualifications, outside interference cannot be seen causing the participant to bleed. A variation, the Doomsday Chamber of Blood, takes place inside of a barbed wire

Barbed wire

topped cage.

Hard 10 match

The Hard 10 Tournament match (initially known as the "Dupp Cup") was created by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

. It is contested on a points system, where the points are earned for the use of weapons. The first person to earn ten points—and be up by at least two points—wins. Regular strikes with a weapon are worth one point, while putting an opponent through a table is worth five.

Last Man Standing match

The Last Man Standing match is a hardcore-style match where the only way to win is by knockout

Knockout

A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...

. That is, a wrestler will lose the match if they are unable to answer a ten-count after being downed, similar to the knockout ruling of a boxing

Boxing

match. In order to avoid losing, the downed wrestler must be on his or her feet by the count of 10. A similar type of match is the Texas Death match (aka. Mexican Death Match), where a wrestler must be pinned or forced to submit before the referee

Referee (professional wrestling)

A professional wrestling referee is the official figure that makes sure that wrestling matches move smoothly in an attempt to maintain kayfabe. The referee also has the ultimate power in the ring...

will begin the ten-count.

No Count-Out match

A No Count-Out match is a regular match where both competitors can stay outside of the ring or stay down for longer than the standard 10 or 20 seconds.

No Disqualification match

A No Disqualification match, also known as a No Holds Barred match, or sometimes as a Raven's Rules match, is a match where neither wrestler can be disqualified, allowing for weapons and outside interference. The key differences between a No Disqualification match and a standard hardcore match are that falls must be made in the ring, there is less emphasis on the use of weapons, and often the Count-Out rule is still in effect for No Disqualification matches.

Taipei Deathmatch

A Taipei

Taipei

Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...

Deathmatch is a match where the wrestlers' fists are taped and dipped into glue and in broken and crushed glass, allowing shards to stick to their fists.

Stipulation-based variations

As professional wrestling seeks to also tell a story, some matches are made solely for the purposes of advancing the plot. This typically involves the loser of a match being penalized in some way.

Last Chance match

A Last Chance match, also called a Do or Die match, is a championship

Championship (professional wrestling)

match where, if the challenger does not win the title, they are banned from challenging for it again as long as the winner of the same match holds it.

Loser Leaves Town match

Loser Leaves Town is a generic term for any match where the loser has to leave the current promotion

Professional wrestling promotion

A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...

or brand

WWE Brand Extension

WWE, formerly the World Wrestling Federation and World Wrestling Entertainment , currently promotes its core business of professional wrestling through two "brands" named after their two major television shows Raw and SmackDown...

. These matches were most often held during the "territorial days", when wrestlers frequently jumped from company to company. It is held with somewhat greater frequency (though still not nearly as common as in the old days) in World Wrestling Entertainment

World Wrestling Entertainment

World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...

, where the losing wrestler typically leaves the brand (Raw or Smackdown), only to go to the other brand.

Retirement match

A Retirement match is any match where, should a wrestler lose, they are forced out of the company

Kayfabe

In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...

. The "retirement" stipulation can be applied to just one wrestler or both wrestlers in a match can be wrestling for their careers. Further still is a more legitimate retirement match, the last match of a (usually "legendary") wrestler's career. In this case it's designed to be a last hurrah, showcasing the wrestler's talent one last time for their fans.

Luchas de Apuestas

Luchas de Apuestas (literally translated

Literal translation

Literal translation, or direct translation, is the rendering of text from one language to another "word-for-word" rather than conveying the sense of the original...

from Spanish

Spanish language

Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

to gambling fights) are matches where both wrestlers wager something specific (the mask or hair) on the outcome. The loser of the match then loses the item, being forced to take off the mask or be shaved bald. It is also possible for a wrestler to put someone else's item on the line, with the same stipulation applying in the event of a loss. These matches have a storied history in Mexico

Lucha libre

Lucha libre is a term used in Mexico, and other Spanish-speaking countries, for a form of professional wrestling that has developed within those countries...

. Upon unmasking it is not unheard of for a wrestler's real name and information to be published. As a form of further humiliation, the loser can be forced to physically hand the mask he just lost to the winner.

The most popular types of wager are the mask of a masked wrestler or the hair of a non-masked wrestler, most commonly put against each other in Mask vs. Mask (in Spanish: Máscara contra Máscara), Mask vs. Hair (Máscara contra Cabellera), or Hair vs. Hair (Cabellera contra Cabellera) matches. Throughout Mexico, when a masked wrestler loses their mask, they are not allowed to compete under a mask with that same gimmick. In addition to masks and hair, championships

Championship (professional wrestling)

, or careers—as a form of retirement match—can be put up as the wager in any combination.

Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal

Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal, also known as Raw

WWE RAW

WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...

Roulette, is not a match type itself. It's a way to assign a type to a match that does not yet have one. Before the match either a "wheel of fortune" or roulette wheel

Roulette

Roulette is a casino game named after a French diminutive for little wheel. In the game, players may choose to place bets on either a single number or a range of numbers, the colors red or black, or whether the number is odd or even....

featuring a number of match types is spun, with the match landed on being used for the night.

Location-based variations

Though most matches take place in and around the ring

Wrestling ring

A wrestling ring is the ring stage on which professional wrestlers wrestle.-Configuration and construction:The configuration and construction of the "traditional" ring is very similar to that of a boxing ring, though the wrestling version has three ring ropes...

, some are designed specifically for more exotic locales. The majority of these matches take on the name of their setting, often appending "brawl" to the end, and are generally hardcore

Hardcore wrestling

by definition. The following is a list of locale-based variations that supplant or replace the standard rules.

Backstage Brawl

A Backstage Brawl is a multi-competitor match held in a backstage. During the match wrestlers are encouraged to use anything backstage while fighting, and the "last man standing" is declared winner. Wrestlers can be eliminated from the match both by the standard pinfall and submission method of victory or by simply becoming too bloody

Bloody

Bloody is the adjectival form of blood but may also be used as an expletive attributive in Australia, Britain, Ireland, Canada, Singapore, South Africa , New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Anglophone Caribbean and Sri Lanka...

to continue the match. A one on one Backstage Brawl is basically a no disqualification match held in a backstage or a backstage setup.

Boiler Room Brawl

A Boiler Room Brawl starts in a boiler room

Mechanical room

A mechanical room or a boiler room is a room or space in a building dedicated to the mechanical equipment and its associated electrical equipment. Unless a building is served by a centralized heating plant, the size of the mechanical room is usually proportional to the size of the building...

, with the winner being the first wrestler to successfully get out. World Championship Wrestling

World Championship Wrestling

used a match with similar rules, naming their match and its location The Block.

Parking Lot Brawl

Two types of matches take place in parking lots, the Parking Lot Brawl and the Iron Circle match. They're essentially the same thing, two wrestlers fighting in a parking lot, the major difference being the Iron Circle match takes place in the middle of a multitude of cars parked in a circle with their headlights on, while the Parking Lot Brawl tends to be in a sparser location.

Hog Pen Match

A Hog Pen Match takes place in a hog pen full of pigs, placed near the stage. The match could be won by pinfall and submission. The match can also end by throwing your opponent into the hog pen.

Weapon-based variations

Though the use of foreign objects is illegal under the standard rules of professional wrestling, some match types have been devised to allow in specific objects under certain conditions. The object in question is usually related to one or both of the wrestlers gimmicks or was in some way instrumental in the angle that led to the match taking place. In either case, the matches generally take the name of the weapon being used ("Singapore Cane

Shinai

is a weapon used for practice and competition in kendo representing a Japanese sword. Shinai are also used in other martial arts, but may be styled differently from kendo shinai, and represented with different characters....

match", "Nightstick match"). The following is a list of weapon-based matches where additional rules supplant or replace the standard rules.

Crazy 8 match

The Crazy 8 match, used mostly in the defunct Pro Wrestling Unplugged promotion, involves placing a championship belt at the top of a scaffold with the first wrestler to retrieve it being declared the winner. Placed in and around the ring for the wrestlers to utilize during the match are one side of a steel cage, two trampolines, and four rope swings.

Ladder match

A ladder match is a match where a specific object (usually a title belt) is placed above the ring—out of the reach of the competitors—with the winner being the first person to climb a ladder

Ladder

A ladder is a vertical or inclined set of rungs or steps. There are two types: rigid ladders that can be leaned against a vertical surface such as a wall, and rope ladders that are hung from the top. The vertical members of a rigid ladder are called stringers or stiles . Rigid ladders are usually...

and retrieve it. This is often used in WWE

World Wrestling Entertainment

with their Money in the Bank

Money in the Bank ladder match

The Money in the Bank ladder match is a professional wrestling ladder match held by WWE. The match can feature anywhere from six to ten participants from any WWE brand, with the objective being to retrieve a briefcase that is suspended 20 feet above the ring...

matches.

King of the Mountain match

The King of the Mountain match is described as a "reverse ladder match". Instead of retrieving an object hanging above the ring, the winner is the first person to use a ladder to hang a championship belt

Championship (professional wrestling)

above the ring—after having scored a pinfall or submission (pinfalls count anywhere) to earn the right to try. A wrestler who has been pinned or forced to submit must spend two minutes in a penalty box

Penalty box

The penalty box is the area in ice hockey, rugby league, rugby union and some other sports where a player sits to serve the time of a given penalty, for an offense not severe enough to merit outright expulsion from the contest...

Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match

A tables, ladders and chairs match (often abbreviated as "TLC match"), is an extension of a Ladder match with chairs

Folding chair

A folding chair is a light, portable chair that that folds flat, and can be stored in a stack, row, or on a cart.-Uses:Folding chairs are generally used for seating in areas where permanent seating is not possible or practical. This includes outdoor and indoor events such as funerals, college...

and tables

Table (furniture)

A table is a form of furniture with a flat and satisfactory horizontal upper surface used to support objects of interest, for storage, show, and/or manipulation...

also being present as legal weapons. The first ever TLC match took place between Edge and Christian, The Dudley Boys and the Hardy Boyz at the WWF event Summerslam 2000. Since 2009, WWE has held a pay-per-view in December named WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs

WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs

TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs is a professional wrestling event produced annually by WWE, a Connecticut–based promotion, and broadcast live and available only through pay-per-view...

which features this match as its marquee matches. The match has variations one is competed as a ladder match, which the person/persons must retrieve an object suspended above the ring. The other as a traditional style match won by pinfall or submission.

(Weapon) match

In this variation, only the named weapon is allowed to be used as a weapon. Examples include the singapore cane match, the chair match, the whip/strap

Whip

A whip is a tool traditionally used by humans to exert control over animals or other people, through pain compliance or fear of pain, although in some activities whips can be used without use of pain, such as an additional pressure aid in dressage...

match, etc.

(Object) on a Pole match

The Object on a Pole match—whose name is usually derived from the object being hung; i.e. "Brass knuckles

Brass knuckles

Brass knuckles, also sometimes called knuckles, knucks, brass knucks, or knuckledusters, are weapons used in hand-to-hand combat. Brass knuckles are pieces of metal, usually steel despite their name, shaped to fit around the knuckles...

on a Pole", "Steel Chair

Folding chair

on a Pole", "Singapore Cane

Shinai

on a Pole", "Paddle on a Pole", "Necklace on a Pole", "(WWE) Contract on a pole", or "Mistletoe (on a Pole)" — is the spiritual forebear of the ladder match

Ladder match

A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling that is most commonly used to describe a match where an item is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item...

. In this case an object is placed on a pole that extends from one of the four turnbuckle

Turnbuckle

A turnbuckle, stretching screw or bottlescrew is a device for adjusting the tension or length of ropes, cables, tie rods, and other tensioning systems. It normally consists of two threaded eyelets, one screwed into each end of a small metal frame, one with a left-hand thread and the other with a...

s on the ring with the wrestlers battling to reach it first. Unlike the ladder match, however, reaching the object doesn't usually end the match; it simply allows that wrestler to use it as a weapon. This is not a no-disqualification match; the weapon on the pole is merely an exception to the disqualification rule. But this is sometimes a no-disqualification match; which any weapon, plus the one on the pole can be used.

Multiple variations of the "Pole match" exist. In some cases the match is closer to the ladder match, in that reaching the object does end the match. In others there will be objects above all of the turnbuckles. Further still, there can be a mixture of the two, with an object placed at (though not above) each turnbuckle, one to end the match, the rest to be used as weapons. Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

used a "Pole match" as a setup to another match, placing objects at four of their six turnbuckles with the promise that the first wrestler to reach each object would be allowed to use them weeks later at an already scheduled cage match.

Strap match

A Strap match, known by many names and done with many slight variations, is any match where the competitors are placed on the opposite ends of a restraint to keep them in close physical proximity. By definition the strap—and anything tied to it—are considered legal and in play weapons. The most common rule for victory is for one wrestler to have to go around the ring, touching all four corners

Turnbuckle

in order and without stopping, although they can also end in pinfalls. Because of the strap's legality, and subsequent use as a choking device, submissions are generally not allowed.

The Strap match is one of the most varied forms of professional wrestling match type, both in name and implements used, with the name used generally coming from the implement used and one or both of the participants gimmicks (i.e. Russian Chain match, Indian Strap match, Samoan strap match, which was the signature match of Umaga, Country Whipping Match). Common restraints include a belt

Belt (clothing)

A belt is a flexible band or strap, typically made of leather or heavy cloth, and worn around the waist. A belt supports trousers or other articles of clothing.-History:...

, bullrope (length of rope

Rope

A rope is a length of fibres, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to provide compressive strength...

with a cow bell

Cow bell

A cowbell or cow bell is a bell worn by freely roaming livestock, so that they do not run away or wander off without being heard. While bells were used on various types of animals, they are typically referred to as "cowbells" due to their extensive use with cattle.A trychel is a large cow bell...

in the center), steel

Steel

Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...

chain

Chain

A chain is a sequence of connected links.Chain may also refer to:Chain may refer to:* Necklace - a jewelry which is worn around the neck* Mail , a type of armor made of interlocking chain links...

s, one to two foot "leash

Leash

A leash is a rope or similar material attached to the neck or head of an animal for restraint or control...

", or leather strap. In the dog collar variation, the wrestlers are connected at the neck by dog collar

Dog collar

A dog collar is a is a piece of material put around the neck of a dog. A collar might be used for control, identification, fashion, or other purposes. Identification tags and medical information is often placed on dog collars. Collars are also useful for controlling a dog manually, as they provide...

Tables match

A Tables match is a match in which to win a wrestler must put their opponent through a table

Table (furniture)

A table is a form of furniture with a flat and satisfactory horizontal upper surface used to support objects of interest, for storage, show, and/or manipulation...

—that is, a wrestler must use some offensive maneuver on their opponent that causes them to contact and break the table.

Tables matches can be contested with tag team

Tag team

s, under both elimination and one "fall" rules. A more "extreme

Hardcore wrestling

" version, the Flaming Table match requires the tables be set aflame before an opponent is put through it for it to count towards a win. Another variation is the two out of three tables match. There is also another type called the three table showdown which can only be won when one wrestler puts his opponent through three tables but it does not have to be at the same time.

Taped Fist match

For a Taped Fist match the wrestlers are allowed to tape and/or wrap

Hand/wrist wraps

A hand wrap or a wrist wrap is a strip of cloth used by boxers to protect the hand and wrist against injuries induced by punching...

their hands to allow them to punch harder without damaging their hands. In one variation, the Taipei Death match, the taped fists are dipped in super glue

Cyanoacrylate

Cyanoacrylate is the generic name for cyanoacrylate based fast-acting adhesives such as methyl 2-cyanoacrylate, ethyl-2-cyanoacrylate , and n-butyl cyanoacrylate...

, then broken glass.

Enclosure-based variations

Some matches take place in specific enclosed environments. Although the majority of these enclosures are set up either in or around the ring

Wrestling ring

, some of them are placed apart from it. In all cases, the structure itself is considered "in play" and most enclosure-based matches are decided by pinfall or submission unless specific other stipulations are made beforehand.

Cages

Cages are one of the oldest form of enclosures used in professional wrestling. According to some historians, the first "cage match" of any kind took place on June 25, 1937 in Atlanta, Georgia. This match took place in a ring surrounded by chicken wire

Chicken wire

Chicken wire, or poultry netting, is a mesh of wire commonly used to fence poultry livestock. It is made of thin, flexible galvanized wire, with hexagonal gaps...

, in order to keep the athletes inside and any potential interference out of the action. They have evolved a great deal over time, changing from chicken wire to steel

Steel

bars to chain-link fencing

Chain-link fencing

A chain-link fence is a type of woven fence usually made from galvanized or LLDPE-coated steel wire...

(the latter is now the standard, due to it being cheaper to manufacture, lighter to transport, and more flexible and thus safer for the wrestlers).

A steel cage match is a match fought within a cage formed by placing sheets of mesh metal around, in, or against the edges of the wrestling ring

Wrestling ring

. The ways to win a steel cage match are as followed; either pinfall, submission, or by escaping the cage (over the top or through the door) and having both feet touch the arena floor. In Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

, steel cage matches are won by just climbing to the top of the cage wall. Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

had a six-sided ring, hence the phrase "six sides of steel." This was changed, however, when TNA switched to a conventional four-sided ring.

Doomsday Cage match

Also called a Tower of Doom, the Doomsday Cage is a three story cage—the middle one split into two rooms—all of which house wrestlers. The object of the match is for a team of wrestlers to fight their way from the top cage to the bottom, where pinfalls and submissions come into play.

Inferno match

An inferno match is a special type of match where the ring is completely surrounded by flames. The only way to win is to set your opponent on fire. Inferno matches usually end on the outside of the ring; this way, paramedics can assist the unfortunate loser of the match. Due to the potentially graphic or dangerous nature of this type of match, it is very rarely seen in North America. In fact, there have only been four to this date.

Electrified Cage match

The ring is surrounded by a steel cage which is electrified. The cage can be used as a weapon. The only way to win is by pinfall or submission.

Elimination Chamber match

The Elimination Chamber is a large, circular steel cage which surrounds the ring

Wrestling ring

entirely, including creating a grated floor area on the apron. Inside the cage, at each turnbuckle

Turnbuckle

, is a clear "pod" where four of the six competitors in the match must wait to be released to join the two who start at the opening bell. As the name implies, wrestlers are eliminated one-by-one via pinfall or submission until only one remains. An Extreme Elimination Chamber took place at the 2006 December to Dismember pay-per-view, where a weapon was given to each wrestler waiting in a pod. The metal is black and the chambers are made of 'bulletproof glass'. The chamber is 36 feet (11 m) in diameter and is composed of 16 tons of steel and 2 miles (3.2 km) of chain. Since 2010, WWE has held a pay-per-view in February named WWE Elimination Chamber

WWE Elimination Chamber

Elimination Chamber was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on February 21, 2010 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri. It was the first Elimination Chamber event...

which features this match as its marquee matches.

Lion's Den match

The Lion's Den match aimed to mimic the look and feel of mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts

matches. A sloping, angular, steel cage was set up, stating that the only way to achieve victory was through knockout or submission.

Punjabi Prison match

The Punjabi Prison match, named after the Punjab

Punjab (India)

Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...

state that The Great Khali (the match's 'founder') is billed from, consists of two large bamboo

Bamboo

Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....

cages. The first being four sided and standing 16 feet (4.8 m) tall, while the second has eight sides and stands 20 feet (6 m) surrounding the first.

The inner cage has a four foot (1.2 m) by four foot door on each of its sides, with a referee

Referee (professional wrestling)

A professional wrestling referee is the official figure that makes sure that wrestling matches move smoothly in an attempt to maintain kayfabe. The referee also has the ultimate power in the ring...

standing by to open them at a wrestler's request. Each door may only be opened once and is only allowed to remain open for sixty seconds, after which it is padlock

Padlock

Padlocks are portable locks used to protect against theft, vandalism, sabotage, unauthorized use, and harm. They are designed to protect against some degree of forced and surreptitious entry.- History :...

ed. Should all four doors end up locked before the wrestlers escapes, they are forced to climb out over the top, where the bamboo is fashioned into spikes. Between the two cages are sometimes placed two tables, upon which are weapons (both "medieval" and "bamboo" variations of standard wrestling weapons). Once a wrestler has escaped the first cage, he must climb over and out of the second cage, with the first wrestler having both of their feet touch the arena floor being declared the winner.

Thundercage

World Championship Wrestling

's Thundercage, based on the film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome is a 1985 Australian post-apocalyptic film directed by George Miller and George Ogilvie, written by Miller, Doug Mitchell and Terry Hayes, and starring Mel Gibson and Tina Turner. It is the third installment in the action movie Mad Max franchise...

, is a large domed structure of steel bars engulfing the ring. Although it does not have a top, the sides curve in to prevent escape.

Mexico's AAA

Asistencia Asesoría y Administración

Asistencia Asesoría y Administración is a lucha libre professional wrestling promotion based in Mexico...

promotion tweaked the concept with the Domo de la Muerte ("Dome of Death"), which uses a similar cage but only allows victory by escaping through a hole at the top center. This variation is also used in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

, where it is called the Steel Asylum. In AAA it is typically used for multi-man "luchas de apuestas" (bet matches), with the last man standing in the cage losing his mask or hair.

The Thunderdome is a variation on the Thundercage, with the area near the top of the cage electrified. The only way for a wrestler to win the Thunderdome match is to have their opponents' "terminator" (usually a manager

Manager (professional wrestling)

who stands outside of the ring) throw in the towel to stop the match. In another variation of this match, each pinned competitor in the match is handcuffed to the cage. The last man left is given a key to unlock his teammates to attack the other team, who are still handcuffed.

Triple Cage match

A Triple Cage match involves three cages stacked on top of each other, with each cage decreasing in size from the bottom up.

Two variations exist, in one competitors begin in the ring inside the lowest cage and must make their way to the roof of the third cage where an object is suspended, with the winner being the first competitor to obtain the object and exit the cage. The other, dubbed the Tower of Doom match had two teams of five make their way down from the uppermost cage to the bottom, with victory achieved when all five members of a team escaped a door there. The cages were cut off from each other, with doors controlled from outside by referees, who only opened them for two-minute intervals.

WarGames

Sometimes suffixed with the tagline "The Match Beyond", the War Games match features two rings surrounded by an enclosed steel cage (with a roof) with two teams (or sometimes three) facing one another. One man from each team starts out with another from either team at random entering the cage via a timed interval. The winning team must get a member of another team to submit after all members of each team are in the cage. In ECW

Extreme Championship Wrestling

, this was known as an Ultimate Jeopardy match, with a stipulation for each participant which would be enforced if he caused his team's loss.

Lethal Lockdown

Similar to the WarGames match utilized in WCW, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

's Lethal Lockdown consists of a single ring enclosed by a steel cage with two teams facing off with each other. The staggered entry system is identical, but weapons are permitted and are even provided. When all competitors have entered the ring, a roof is lowered onto the top of the cage, with various weapons hanging from it. Victory can be attained by pinfall or submission. This match has become a staple of TNA's Lockdown

TNA Lockdown

Lockdown is a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced every April by the American professional wrestling promotion Total Nonstop Action , is considered one of the flagship PPVs in the company, alongside Slammiversary and Bound for Glory...

pay per view every April, where every match is contested inside a cage, but has also made appearances at other TNA pay per views.

Xscape Match

The Xscape match is featured annually at the Lockdown

TNA Lockdown

all-steel-cage pay-per-view

Pay-per-view

Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...

in April. This variation of the Lockdown Match has 4–6 competitors and is a two stage process. The first stage is a standard pin/submission elimination contest, with eliminated wrestlers leaving the cage through the door until there are only two wrestlers left. The last two competitors then face off; the only way to win at this stage is to climb out of the cage all the way to the floor.

Container-based variations

Some matches have a container stationed in or near the ring, with the object of the match being to trap the opposing wrestler in it. Many of these matches take the name of the container, such as Ambulance match and the Casket match. A similar type of match aims to restrain opposing wrestlers somehow, and the match often takes the name of the restraining device - for example, the Stretcher.

These matches are often fought using hardcore rules, or at the very least rules that allow wrestlers to do more without being disqualified. In team matches, an entire team typically has to be placed in the container to lose. In some cases, the restrained wrestler must be taken past a certain point ringside in order for a victory.

Common containers used for these matches are caskets

Coffin

A coffin is a funerary box used in the display and containment of dead people – either for burial or cremation.Contemporary North American English makes a distinction between "coffin", which is generally understood to denote a funerary box having six sides in plan view, and "casket", which...

(connected to The Undertaker's Deadman persona, either using a typical coffin or a double-deep, double-wide casket, sometimes specially designed for specific opponents The Undertaker takes on), bodybags, ambulance

Ambulance

An ambulance is a vehicle for transportation of sick or injured people to, from or between places of treatment for an illness or injury, and in some instances will also provide out of hospital medical care to the patient...

s, dumpster

Dumpster

A dumpster is a large steel waste receptacle designed to be emptied into garbage trucks. The word is a genericized trademark of Dumpster, a American brand name for a type of mobile garbage bin...

s, hearse

Hearse

A hearse is a funerary vehicle used to carry a coffin from a church or funeral home to a cemetery. In the funeral trade, hearses are often called funeral coaches.-History:...

s (known as a "Last Ride match", also connected to The Undertaker gimmick), and stretcher

Stretcher

A stretcher is a medical device used to carry casualties or an incapacitated person from one place to another. It is a simple type of litter, and still called by that name in some cases....

Ambulance match

An Ambulance match is fought under hardcore rules and the only way to win is for one wrestler to force their opponent into the back of an ambulance and close the door.

Buried Alive match

A Buried Alive

Premature burial

Premature burial, also known as live burial, burial alive, or vivisepulture, means to be buried while still alive. Animals or humans may be buried alive accidentally or intentionally...

match is a No Holds Barred match in which the object is for one wrestler to throw his opponent into a grave dug out of a large mound of dirt placed outside the ring. Once in the grave, the wrestler must bury his opponent in dirt to the referee's discretion. This is usually ten scoops of dirt done in the style of a standard ten-count. Shovel

Shovel

A shovel is a tool for digging, lifting, and moving bulk materials, such as soil, coal, gravel, snow, sand, or ore. Shovels are extremely common tools that are used extensively in agriculture, construction, and gardening....

s and wheelbarrow

Wheelbarrow

A wheelbarrow is a small hand-propelled vehicle, usually with just one wheel, designed to be pushed and guided by a single person using two handles to the rear, or by a sail to push the ancient wheelbarrow by wind. The term "wheelbarrow" is made of two words: "wheel" and "barrow." "Barrow" is a...

s are often placed outside the ring, near the dirt mound, and at Survivor Series 2003

Survivor Series (2003)

Survivor Series was the seventeenth annual Survivor Series professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...

and Bragging Rights 2010

Bragging Rights (2010)

Bragging Rights was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , that took place on October 24, 2010 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was the second and final Bragging Rights event. Seven matches took place at the event...

, a bulldozer

Bulldozer

A bulldozer is a crawler equipped with a substantial metal plate used to push large quantities of soil, sand, rubble, etc., during construction work and typically equipped at the rear with a claw-like device to loosen densely-compacted materials.Bulldozers can be found on a wide range of sites,...

was also made available to completely bury the opponent. There have only been five Buried Alive matches in the history of WWE, all have involved The Undertaker.

Casket match

The Casket Match (formerly known as the Coffin match) have a casket near the ring, with the object of the match being to trap the opposing wrestler in it. In team matches, an entire team typically has to be placed in the casket to lose.. The Casket match was designed by The Undertaker and first appeared at the 1992 Survivor Series

Survivor Series (1992)

Survivor Series was the sixth annual Survivor Series pay-per-view professional wrestling event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on November 25, 1992 at the Richfield Coliseum in Richfield, Ohio...

as the Coffin match. The Coffin Match was fought under largely standard WWE rules, with the addition that after pinning the opponent, one then had to place the opponent into a coffin and nail it shut in order to officially win the match. Later Casket matches would use the format of the modern day Casket match in which a wrestler needed only to throw an opposing wrestler into the casket and shut the lid, as opposed to sealing it closed. The Casket match has seen repeated use since the standard was established in 1994 for a match between The Undertaker and the late Yokozuna. They remain largely synonymous with the Undertaker, although Kane, his storyline half-brother has been known to participate in them as well. Casket matches have recently been adopted for use in TNA Wrestling in addition to the WWE. Abyss and D'angelo Dinero battled in the first such match in TNA at the 2010 Final Resolution Pay-Per-View event.

Last Ride match

A Last Ride match is a hardcore match, in which the only way to win is for one wrestler to force their opponent into the back of a hearse, close the door, and drive it out of the arena. The first match of this type occurred at WWE No Mercy 2004

No Mercy (2004)

No Mercy was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on October 3, 2004 at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It was the fifth annual No Mercy event, and featured eight professional wrestling matches...

in which The Undertaker challenged John Bradshaw Layfield

John Layfield

John Charles Layfield is a former American professional wrestler, a former commentator/host for mixed martial arts promotion Vyper Fight League and financial analyst for Fox News...

for the WWE Championship

WWE Championship

Stretcher match

In the Stretcher Match, one wrestler must incapacitate their opponent to such an extent that they are able to get them onto the stretcher and roll them to the finish line, usually past a line at the top of the entrance ramp. It can not end in a pinfall, submission, count-out, or disqualification.

Several-sided match variations

There are a few match types that involves several (as in, more than two) sides.

Basic non-elimination matches

The most common example of a non-elimination match is the Three Way match (Also known as a Triple Threat match; was known by the now-defunct WCW

World Championship Wrestling

as a "Triangle" match), where three wrestlers battle it out under standard rules. However, one distinction from a singles match is that these matches usually omit disqualifications. In many promotions, however, there are typically no distinctions between the two terms. The Four-Way match is similar, but involves four wrestlers. American independent promotion, USA Xtreme Wrestling (USA Pro Wrestling) hosted a match involving 8–12 competitors known as the 8 Ball Challenge. These types of matches can be used in certain situations to take a title off a wrestler, without "weakening" him in the process.

The triangle match combines elements of tag team

Tag team

wrestling with multi-competitor wrestling. In this match contested by three competitors, one of the competitors must remain outside the ring, to await a tag from either of the other two combatants. Thus, while being tagged out may afford time to recuperate, one cannot win unless they are tagged back in. The Six-Pack Challenge is similar, but involves 6 wrestlers, with 4 men outside the ring at a given time. The Triangle match can be expanded to accompany more wrestlers (i.e. the Four Corners match is a match where four wrestlers are involved).

Six-Man Mayhem is a unique multi-competitor match used mainly in Ring of Honor

Ring of Honor

Ring of Honor ' is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2002 by Rob Feinstein and Gabe Sapolsky. From 2004 to 2011, the promotion was under the ownership of Cary Silkin before being sold to the Sinclair Broadcast Group in May 2011...

. It involves six wrestlers, with two actively in the ring, and four others outside standing at the turnbuckles. Instead of tagging in and out to become legal, the outside wrestlers enter the ring using "Mexican

Lucha libre

Lucha libre is a term used in Mexico, and other Spanish-speaking countries, for a form of professional wrestling that has developed within those countries...

" rules—entering the ring as soon as another leaves. WWE has used this match, calling it a Six-Pack Challenge.

Championship Scramble

WWE features a match called the Championship Scramble in which none of the wrestlers are eliminated. Two wrestlers start the match and every five minutes another wrestler enters until all five participants are present. After the last wrestler enters, there is a five minute time limit. Each time a wrestler scores a pinfall or submission, he becomes the interim or unofficial champion, and such reigns aren't recorded as official reigns. Five minutes after the final wrestler enters, the wrestler that scores the last pinfall or submission is declared the winner and the official champion.

Basic elimination matches

Most matches involving a larger number of competitors are typically elimination matches. These matches may begin with a normal start, where all of the competitors are in the ring at the same time when the match begins, or may have a staggered start, in which wrestlers enter at timed intervals.

The most common example of an elimination match is the Three-Way Dance, where the first fall eliminates one wrestler, reducing the match to a standard one-fall match. The Three-Way Dance was popularized in Extreme Championship Wrestling

Extreme Championship Wrestling

, where it became a regular specialty of the promotion. The name Fatal Four-Way Elimination match is often used in place of the Four-Way Dance. Some promotions use a tag format for the match, whereby only two wrestlers are inside the ring at the same time while other competitors stand on the apron. This is known as a Corners match (as in a Four Corners match for four wrestlers).

Another variation of elimination matches is the Survivor Series

Survivor Series

The Survivor Series is an annual professional wrestling pay-per-view event held in November by WWE. It is one of the "Big Four" events, along with WrestleMania, Royal Rumble and SummerSlam, as It is one of the original four pay-per-views produced by WWE....

match, most commonly held at the WWE pay-per-view event of the same name. A Survivor Series match is similar to a tag-team match, except that whenever a wrestler is pinned, taps out or disqualified, he is eliminated from the match. In a Survivor Series match, the wrestlers are divided into two teams, typically with four or five members on each team, and the winners ("survivors") of the match are the wrestlers still remaining when all members of the other team have been eliminated. This differs from the Torneo Cibernetico

Torneo cibernetico

A Torneo Cibernetico is a type of elimination tag-team match that frequently appears in Lucha Libre promotions.The match is a 16-man elimination tag team match consisting of 2 teams of 8. It uses standard Lucha Libre tag-team rules with elimination occurring with a pinfall, submission,...

match which is popular in lucha libre promotions, particularly in Mexico. Like the Survivor Series match, the wrestlers are divided into two teams, two teams of eight, however if one team has been eliminated the remaining team must eliminate each other until there is only one survivor.

Battle royal

A multi-competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until one is left and declared winner. Typical battle royals begin with 20 participants in the ring, who are then eliminated by being thrown over the top rope and having both feet touch the venue floor, the "Shawn Michaels rule".

Gauntlet match

A Gauntlet match is, in a sense, a quick series of one-fall one-on-one matches. Here, two wrestlers begin the match, and are replaced whenever one is eliminated (by normal means), with the last person standing being named the winner. A Gauntlet match may also be played out in multiple "parts" as part of a storyline (where a face wrestler must face a series of a heel wrestler's underlings before facing the heel himself, for instance) – this was common in World Championship Wrestling

World Championship Wrestling

in the early 1990s, where it was referred to as a Slobber Knocker. A participant involved in a Gauntlet match may be said to be "running the gauntlet", although in most cases this designation is reserved for those who are involved for most of the match.

The Gauntlet may also be referred to as a Turmoil match, a likely backformation from Tag Team Turmoil, which is used to denote a Gauntlet involving tag teams. In singles gauntlet matches in World Championship Wrestling, pins were counted without the need of the single man being on top of the gauntlet member.

Relay match

The match has two (or more) teams of between 3 or 12 members to a team and before the match there will be a coin toss to see which team switches out first. Every 3 or 5 minutes the teams will switch. The first team to get a pinfall wins. It is sometimes contested under hardcore rules

Hardcore wrestling

Series variations

Sometimes, a match is considered as a series of smaller matches, which may take place concurrently, consecutively, or even in different shows. The most common form of a series match is extending the one-fall concept to a series of falls, the most common being the best two out of three (known as a two out of three falls match). These types of series matches are often booked to the final match to emphasize the equality of the wrestlers involved, however, longer series may be shortened due to storyline or other factors. Series matches may involve the same match throughout, or may use different matches for some or all of the series. A series match may or may not involve the same wrestlers throughout (such as when a main competitor is forced to use a substitute in the event of an injury partway through).

Beat the Clock Sprint match

Beat the Clock Sprint match is the name given to each match in a series of matches between different wrestlers to see which wrestler can win their match the fastest. These matches are typically held on the same night, and the fastest winner is typically awarded a title shot or other prize.

Elimination Chase

The Elimination Chase, first used in WWE's ECW brand in 2007, is a series of multi-competitor, one fall matches, with the loser of the fall being eliminated from future matches until one competitor remains.

External links

WWE.com – Specialty Matches

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