10 Wrestling Feuds That Borrowed From Unlikely Inspirations

8. The Undertaker Vs Shawn Michaels (Buzz Sawyer Vs Tommy Rich)

Mankind Undertaker Roman Reigns Braun Strowman
WWE.com

The peak of Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker's incredible 1997 rivalry came with the innovation of a stipulation that has lasted beyond its original intent, and all thanks to their incredible utilisation of it.

Hell In A Cell was as well confined by the narrative as 'HBK' was in the structure himself. Alongside the nascent D-Generation X, Michaels had taken every opportunity to cheap shot 'The Deadman' then run like f*ck when confronted with the consequences. The prison was his penance. WWE had embraced the blue bar cage for over a decade before the return of the mesh, whilst the Cell called for a roof to theoretically block his escape. And it was this that sprung from the wrestlers and Jim Cornette's memory of the legendary 'Last Battle Of Atlanta'.

There - and in a blood feud of their own - Tommy Rich and Buzz Sawyer contested a classic that was for years lost to archive photos and the memories of those who saw it. Far from a faithful recreation, Michaels and The Undertaker propelled the concept into WWE lore at the first time of asking.

 
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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett