10 Most Death-Defying Matches In Wrestling History
6. Kane Vs. The Undertaker (Inferno Match, WWE Unforgiven 1998)
It has been a while since WWE presented a fully-fledged Inferno Match. SummerSlam 2013 saw Kane and Bray Wyatt contest a Ring of Fire match with a similar stipulation, but it was a highly-controlled environment. The ring was surrounded by flames, but a gang of fire marshals were ready to pounce with blankets and extinguishers should things get out of hand.
Things weren’t quite so safe in WWE’s first Inferno Match, however. The match ends when one participant sets another on fire, and at Unforgiven 1998, the last thing Kane and The Undertaker were worried about was getting burned. They fought with reckless abandon, and at one point, The Deadman flung his huge frame over the top rope, through the flames, and crashed into Kane with a ridiculous plancha.
The Undertaker set Kane’s arm on fire to secure the win, but was it really worth it? Sure, it was a fitting gimmick for such a bitter and violent feud, and it took place in the Attitude Era, but there consequences would’ve been catastrophic had something gone wrong. The first Inferno Match provided some stunning optics, but that was the only upside. WWE have only presented five of these matches throughout history, and as easy as it is to complain about today’s watered-down product, this gimmick is best left in the past.