Ranking Every PPV World Championship Steel Cage Match From Worst To Best

Title: WWF Championship

Match Time: 10:05

This was the payoff of a beautifully constructed rivalry built over nearly two years, allowing each wrestler to engage in other feuds during the period, but always coming back to each other.

Ten minutes was probably a little disappointing considering the magnitude of the final encounter, the blow-off to conclude a long-running feud with the company’s top prize on the line.

It was so story-driven that the shorter runtime didn’t really matter in the end. It was a fairly common match length for a guy of The Ultimate Warrior’s explosive physicality anyway.

After a posedown (yes, a posedown) at the 1989 Royal Rumble, Rick Rude and the tassel-wearing beast traded the Intercontinental title throughout the rest of the year.

When Warrior defeated Hulk Hogan for the WWF Championship at WrestleMania VI, there was no better option than Rude to challenge for his newly won strap.

Bobby Heenan was again an outstanding showman in his role as the mischievous and conniving manager, of course getting his comeuppance in the process.

The Ravishing One played the cocky heel to a tee. Mix that with Ultimate Warrior’s ever-fiery antics and energy and you had a match that entertained, drew emotion and had the audience guessing all at once.

The Philadelphia crowd were eating it all up, popping at every Warrior babyface comeback and jeering every Rude mannerism and gesture.

Warrior would take the win with a gorilla press that felt like an eternity before climbing out.