A cage match is often required when one wrestler continues to run from an opponent, or other individuals interfere in matches between the two nonstop. The cage is there to keep the participants inside the ring, and any outside influencers out. A cage match is won by pinfall, submission, or escaping the cage. Wrestlers can escape the cage by walking through the door, or climbing over the top and down the side.
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Cage matches are often great ways to escalate a feud, and through the years some huge rivalries have been settled inside a cage in WWE. Titles have been up for grabs, wills have been tested, and plenty of blood has been spilled within these four sides of steel.
10 Ric Flair Vs. Triple H
Going down at Taboo Tuesday in 2005, Ric Flair would defend his Intercontinental Championship against his long time protégé, and former Evolution stablemate, Triple H. One of Flair's best performances this late in his career, the match sees Flair dawn the crimson mask early after being sent into the steel.
Flair is getting beaten bad for the majority of the match, though a reversal sends The Game into the steel, busting him open as well. Both men put in a heartfelt performance that culminates in Flair landing repeated chair shots on Triple H before exiting the cage and retaining his title.
9 Ultimate Warrior Vs. Rick Rude
After Warrior captured the WWF Championship at WrestleMania 6, his next big challenge would come from Rick Rude. Warrior and Rude had clashed over the Intercontinental title the previous year, so this cage match at 1990's Summerslam had plenty of story elements behind it.
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Rude played his role as the overconfident heel perfectly, and Bobby Heenan was his ever brilliant and mischievous self throughout the entire feud. The match itself is one of the shorter cage matches on record, but the Philadelphia crowd came alive for every move in the match, and Rude getting tossed around the cage like a rag doll is always a joy to go back and watch.
8 Bret Hart Vs. Diesel
Big Daddy Cool took on the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be in a steel cage at WWE'sIn Your House 6. Bret Hart was seeking to defend his WWF Championship against the much larger Diesel, and The Hitman struggled with that size difference throughout the match.
Both stars were looking for escapes early, with Bret leaning more on working Diesel's left leg, ever the technical wizard even in a cage. After Hart takes a low blow from Diesel, he almost loses the match, until The Undertaker rips through the ring and drags Diesel away from the door, allowing Hart to escape and retain his gold.
7 Kurt Angle Vs. Chris Benoit
The Olympic Gold Medalist and The Rabid Wolverine met on an episode of Raw in 2001 to settle their differences inside the steel structure. Steve Austin was on commentary throughout this match and intended to ensure Benoit's defeat.
The match is exactly what fans want out of cage matches. Angle and Benoit really were a recipe for magic back then, and this match is proof of that. This is the first time fans witnessed Angle's amazing moonsault from the top of the cage, though it failed to connect on Benoit. Benoit lands a massive diving headbutt from the top of the cage later in the match to put some extra sprinkles on the madness.
6 CM Punk Vs. Jeff Hardy
A part of Punk and Hardy's amazing feud over World Heavyweight gold, this steel cage match between the pair went down on an episode of Smackdown in 2009. CM Punk was in his element as the straight-edge heel, acting as the opposite to the carefree party lifestyle Jeff Hardy had become synonymous with.
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The fans were fully behind Hardy in this outing, and Punk played to the crowd wonderfully as the match went on. Hardy came so close to stopping Punk from escaping at the end, only to be sent crashing back down to the canvas in defeat. Hardy cut an in ring promo, apologizing to the fans and saying his goodbyes after the match. As he waved to the crowd on the stage, that dastardly Punk attacked Hardy from behind, spoiling his moment once again.
5 Steve Austin Vs. Vince McMahon
The Texas Rattlesnake was finally able to get his hands on the boss in a steel cage back in 1999 at WWE'sSt. Valentine's Day Massacre. The action largely began outside the ring, with the two sending each other into the stairs and fighting in the crowd.
Things really heated up when McMahon took a high fall from the cage and through the announcer table at ringside. As Vince was being taken away on a stretcher, Stone Cold rushed out to drag his boss back in the cage for more mayhem. The match also saw the debut of Paul Wight in WWE, who would end up losing the match for McMahon after throwing Austin into the cage, breaking it open and sending Stone Cold to the outside.
4 Triple H Vs. Mankind
The opening match of Summerslam 1997 saw Triple H and Mankind go one on one inside the big blue cage. Chyna was notorious for interfering in Helmsley's matches, so the cage was largely there to keep her at bay. Mankind takes some gnarly cage shots in this match, with one particularly devastating shot with the cage door from Chyna.
Mankind pulled through the pain as always, and was able to land a flying elbow from the top of the cage to finish Hunter on pay-per-view. Mick Foley would later remark that the door shot from Chyna in this match was one of the hardest times he had ever been hit in his career. The match still to this day is regarded as one of the best opening matches in Summerslam history.
3 Kurt Angle Vs. Edge
Kurt Angle did more amazing things inside a steel cage in 2002, this time with Edge as his opponent. The two had been feuding for a while and were coming off a hair vs. hair match at Judgment Day, which ended with Edge shaving the Olympian bald.
Kurt would arrive at Smackdown armed with a new wig and a building-sized bone to pick with Edge. The steel cage match was on, and the two nearly burned the arena down with their war inside the steel walls. Edge gets busted open after his face meets each side of the cage, courtesy of Angle. Fans of insane false-finishes should definitely give this match a watch, as several sequences near the match's end had the entire arena convinced it was over.
2 The Dudley Boyz Vs. The Hardy Boyz
This Tag Team Championship unification match went down at Survivor Series 2001, with the Hardys taking on the Dudleys inside a steel cage. These teams clashed throughout the late 90s and early 2000s, and this time the stakes were immensely high. Matt Hardy was able to escape the cage first, though this left his brother Jeff alone to escape the cage and win the match for the team.
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Jeff almost pulled it off, despite the Dudleys numbers advantage. Jeff climbed to the top of the cage, and could have won the match if he dropped and joined his brother on the outside. Instead, Jeff notices D-Von Dudley laid out on a table in the center of the ring, and he can't resist going for a swanton bomb. D-Von rolls off the table, sending Jeff crashing and burning through the table, costing his team the Tag Team titles.
1 Bret Hart Vs. Owen Hart
This match stands tall above the rest of the pack, in a way that only the Hart brothers could pull off. Bret and Owen had just split at that year's Royal Rumble, sparking the infamous "I kicked the leg out of your leg" promo from Owen. They then had their absolute masterpiece in the opening of WrestleMania 10, with Owen coming out on top. After Owen won that year's King Of The Ring and demanded respect, the match was set for Summerslam, this time for the WWF Championship.
With almost the entire Hart family present, both brothers begin the match fast, with each focusing on escaping the cage. Each escape attempt is unique and countered differently than the previous, and the entire United Center is on their feet throughout the match. Bret's beautiful suplex from the top of the cage sends the crowd into a roar, as the stalemate continues to build until Bret finally finds a window to escape and retain his title as Owen finds himself stuck in the cage.
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