WWE: 13 Worst Match Stipulations In The Past 15 Years

4. Lions Den Match (WWE)

This match caught fire during the Attitude Era because WWE tried to connect with UFC Fans through the use of Mixed Martial Arts fighters and match styles such as the Lions Den Match, where two men entered a circular structure with high fenced walls and a referee stood atop the structure, calling the match and looking for submissions or knockouts, because these were not pinfall matches. While stars such as Ken Shamrock, Owen Hart, and Dan Severn showed their mettle in the Lions Den, the octagon-like shape was about half the diameter of the UFC ring and the high fences made it difficult for fans and even camera personnel to get good shots of the action occurring inside. Also, the Ultimate Fighting Championship was not even on Worldwide TV at this point and was known for its brutality and broken bones during bouts, so when stars such as Shamrock and Severn emerged from the UFC, the fans did not always take kindly to their appearance in WWE, so the Lions Den had only midcard relevance at best. The enclosure had to be brought into the arena from elsewhere and fights often took place aside of the entry ramp, so an odd overhead camera and limited movement made for technically sound, yet not exciting bouts for the most part, and this match type disappeared gradually over time, especially as stars such as Shamrock left the sport or merely WWE.