WWE Iron Survivor Challenge: Innovative New NXT Stipulation Revealed
Scramble-style match is a first for WWE, filled with unique rules.
WWE will debut an entirely new match at its NXT DEADL1NE premium live event next month that combines elements of a championship scramble, iron man match, and hockey.
On Tuesday's episode of NXT, Shawn Michaels announced the Iron Survivor Challenge, with the men and women competing in these new concepts. There's a series of rules for the match, which HBK detailed: The Iron Survivor Challenge will consist of five competitors and last 25 minutes. Two wrestlers will start, with another being added every five minutes until all five are in the match.
The ultimate goal is to secure the most falls (pinfall, submission or DQ) in the allotted time, which is very similar to an Iron Man match. However, the twist comes in the form of a penalty box. Wrestlers who lose a fall must spend 90 seconds inside the box and away from the action. The winner of the Iron Survivor Challenges will become the #1 contender for the NXT and NXT Women's Championships. Participants will be named in advance of the December 10 PLE.
.@ShawnMichaels unveils a revolutionary NEW match never done before in WWE history for NXT Deadline! #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/ekfGcvo8oY
— WWE (@WWE) November 16, 2022
The match provides some interesting questions about strategy: Would it be better to be in there longer to have more opportunities to pick up pinfalls, or would it be better to come in later so you're fresher at the end? Is it worth it to get DQ'd if you have to spend 90 seconds in a penalty box and can't capitalize?
It's interesting to see WWE roll out a new match concept in its developmental brand, thought it makes sense that they'd test-drive something like this on a smaller stage, where if it flops or runs into problems, it won't be as severely criticized or deemed a huge failure. In NXT, it's developmental, so they are developing new match types... or so they'll say.