10 Wrestlers Who Innovated New Stipulation Matches

9. Dusty Rhodes - Bunkhouse Stampede

Bray Wyatt John Cena
WWE Network

The Bunkhouse Stampede was a less-celebrated Dusty Rhodes creation, but one that is remembered affectionately enough in certain circles. People mourned the wilderness years of one Dusty creation, and it wasn't this, to put it that way.

But it was cool idea, and a damn popular one in certain areas, consistent with the blood and guts ethos of awesome, prime Jim Crockett Promotions. It was a slight - but very characterful - tweak on the Battle Royal that was aged very quickly by its successor counterpart up north.

Many of the combatants entered the ring in their street clothes, to get the match over as a scrap more real or more violent than the wrestling, and weapons were permitted. Of course, this being wrestling, signature weapons were used, quite charmingly, including the spikes worn by the Road Warriors. Powder flew across the ring, chains were scraped against faces, throats were strangled: it was a fun and violent match, but it wasn't unique enough to become truly iconic, nor did it present the very best of the promotion's style.

The Bunkhouse Stampede had a distinct and earthy southern flavour, hence why its aesthetic hasn't carried over - and the 1988 event was so horrendously organised and received that it developed a stigma so rotten that the quality of the earlier, wilder matches have been condemned by association.

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!