10 OTHER Gimmick Matches WWE Needs To Revisit
7. Strap
The Caribbean Strap Match between Steve Austin and Savio Vega from In Your House: Beware of Dog was, low key, one of the best matches from WWE's illustrious history - but the returns have diminished since 1996.
The last version of this match WWE presented - John Cena and Rusev's Russian Chain bout from Extreme Rules 2015 - was undermined by a pointless and distracting traffic light system, in which the sirens erected above each turnbuckle lit up red or green depending on whether either combatant advanced legally. It ruined the brutality of the spectacle; the ring looked like a large-scale toy more so than a vicious battleground. Austin Vs. Vega worked so well because it felt utterly real. Cena Vs. Rusev was something WWE didn't trust its audience to follow without garish, on-the-nose production values.
The strap match, when stripped down, is a sorely-needed return to old school wrestling and an enterprising way of guaranteeing violence without risk of endangering performers in this age of increased Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) awareness.
Wrestling needs violent gimmick matches to thrive, and most fans would rather see the smack of leather whipping a performer's back than the crack of a chair shot in their face.