10 Dumb Stipulation Matches WWE Should Never Book Again
Apologies to Judy Bagwell, but no more weapons, contracts, or family members on poles, please.
Some rivalries can't be ended with a "normal" wrestling match. Sometimes, the heat is so intense that there needs to be something extra to send both combatants into an explosive finale. Something that raises the stakes well above a simple 1-2-3.
And a Punjabi Prison match ain't it, folks.
People like to give Vince Russo hell for being the king of the asinine gimmick match, but wrestling history is rife with examples of match types that cheapen a feud instead of building it to a spectacular end. Whether it's a classically held match variety dating back to the territory days or a custom blow off created specifically for a storyline, there is a demonstrably wrong way to up the ante. If professional wrestling is going to continue to convert new viewers, then it's time WWE evaluates its stock of stipulations and eliminates some of the most glaring cringe.
Luckily, most of these shameful stips haven't been seen on WWE TV in a long time, but if Elias' recent booking is any evidence, there's no guaranteeing we won't be seeing some facepalm-inducing booking in the near future. To help pre-empt that shameful day, we're counting down the incredibly dumb match stipulations that need to be retired for good...
10. Object On A Pole Match
Poor Elias.
As alluded to in the intro, the once-Drifter has been the butt of a couple of guitar on a pole matches in recent history, rendering the capable worker a two-time victim of one of the worst bout gimmicks in wrestling lore. Worse yet, he's lost both times, taking a smack of balsa wood across the back each time
All wrestling fans dread object on a pole matches. Ever since 2000, when viagra, treasure chests, and Buff Bagwell's mother were all hoisted above the turnbuckles as prizes for match contestants, the stipulation has been a stain on the industry. It's now synonymous with creative decline, an association WWE should be wary of.
Object on a pole matches can be funny, and not everything needs to be serious in wrestling, but no one walks out of one of these clashes looking better than they went in. Nor does the audience get much excitement out of watching wrestlers struggle to pluck a foreign object that dangles just barely above their grasp. Best leave this one in the bin of history.