10 Forgotten WWE Match Types That Need To Return
Forget the cells, ladders, and chambers - bring back these gimmicks!
WWE gimmick matches can be things of beauty. The Royal Rumble is just about the most anticipated event of the year, and the likes of Elimination Chamber and Money In The Bank have become pay-per-views of their own, the titular matches having ramifications for the rest of the wrestling year.
As with any of its good ideas, though, WWE has a tendency to overdo their stipulations. Hell in a Cell went from a gruesome feud-settler to something we need to do because it’s October, and TLC feels significantly diluted since its debut over two decades ago.
To that end, it’s about time WWE freshened things up. Ideally they’d come up with some brand new ideas, but this being a company that dabbles in nostalgia, there are plenty of forgotten match types in its storied history that could be brought back to great effect.
Whether these were once-prominent matches that have since fallen from favour or one-offs that deserve rediscovery, it would be at the very least a welcome change to see something different in WWE’s gimmick fights. In 2022, how about we branch out a little, and inject some fun into our wrestling product?
10. Texas Tornado Tag Match
It’s clear to anyone who’s watched his product of late that Vince McMahon doesn’t care too much for tag team wrestling, but were he to suddenly gain a fondness for two on two action, the old school chaos and pace of the Texas Tornado match would be a fine rare treat for a division that boasts plenty of underused talent.
The simple but effective variation sees the “tag” part of the equation removed altogether. Two teams occupy the ring at all times - anyone can take a fall, and partners are free to double up or break pins and submissions at will. Gone are some of the elements that make tag team wrestling tick - hot tags, ref distractions - but in place is a more frantic style of competition that would be more distinct from the standard WWE style.
Indeed the “rules” of tag team action seem so sporadically followed these days, with every single match involving at least one spot in which all four superstars hop in the ring for some wild brawling. The Texas Tornado bout is organised chaos, and with some of the stellar teams currently going through the motions week after week, a jolt of energy would do them the world of good.