10 Most Bizarre Hardcore Matches In Wrestling History

5. Dungeon Match

Chamber Of Horrors
WWE

At Fully Loaded: In Your House - promoted in 1998, during which the WWF for better and worse was creatively frenzied - Owen Hart defeated Ken Shamrock in a completely unique and, yes, bizarre gimmick match. 

It was a submissions rules match performed (and pre-taped) in the unique locale of the legendary Hart Family’s Dungeon - a wild move, considering Bret Hart’s infamous exit from the promotion in the prior December. 

It wasn’t a classic, or anything, but it was adventurous and brief: the exact sort of match through which the WWF was such a compelling and breezy watch during that era. 

It stood out because the Dungeon was an unforgiving physical environment of thick walls and floor. Every single bump looked agonising; it’s little wonder it went under five minutes. It wasn’t visually satisfying in the manner of other plunder brawls - there were no exploding tables, nor any huge freefall stunts - because the Dungeon was a dank, poorly-lit dump. 

It was, however, an aural nightmare with a thudding physicality that made you question the wisdom of what Owen Hart and Ken Shamrock were doing.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!