10 OTHER Gimmick Matches WWE Needs To Revisit

2. Iron Man

Punjabi Prison 2006 Great American Bash
WWE.com

The Superstar Shake-Up (that never gets less irritating to type) confirmed that, as talented as WWE's roster is, it is low on star power. Much of that is WWE's fault - the treatment afforded to Sami Zayn is astonishingly bad, given how over he was in NXT - but it is what it is.

Look no further than the recently-confirmed Extreme Rules main event. WWE has elected to fling five if its more prominent acts in a Fatal 5-Way bout which, while an exciting enough proposition in itself, spells doom for the undercard. Expect desperate stipulations flung at matches barely worth watching on television. To compensate, WWE should create an aura of major importance around the few stars they have bothered to push with much conviction.

We have seen an Iron Man match very recently, which ordinarily would have made the prospect of another, so soon, less appetising - but it really wasn't as special as the stipulation promised. Charlotte Vs. Sasha Banks from Roadblock: End Of The Line felt unnecessary because we'd already seen both women share fall after fall after fall throughout 2016. One more was too much; instead, we got five.

At its best - and those examples are admittedly few and far between - the Iron Man match is the work of two masters sustaining excitement over an epic duration. There is enough quality within the both rosters to justify this underrated star-making tool.

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!