Power Ranking Top 10 Most Exciting WWE Gimmick Matches

Gimmick matches do not have the same impact that they once did, because the powers that be in WWE have decided to build entire pay-per-views around these special attractions rather than let them happen in a feud organically, but that doesn't mean the matches aren't almost always terrific. 

For some reason, it does not seem to be that difficult to make a gimmick match work. Crowds are always excited to see them, so that obviously helps it get over. 

Since we are approaching the Extreme Rules pay-per-view, we wanted to take a look at the 10 most exciting gimmick matches in WWE.

(Note: Even though some of these matches have similar concepts—like a ladder match and TLC match—we will be separating them from each other.)

10. Iron Man Match

WWE doesn't try the Iron Man match anymore for a variety of reasons, but when you have the right two performers to pull it off, the results can be outstanding. 

The most famous example is, obviously, Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart at WrestleMania 12, but almost all of the Iron Man matches in WWE history have delivered in a big way. 

9. Hardcore Match

The match ECW made famous, Hardcore Matches have taken a backseat in WWE simply because the company has toned down the amount of violence on television for various reasons. 

Given the rash of injuries and short careers that this particular match can lead to, it is no wonder why WWE doesn't want performers to go all out when it puts on a hardcore match. 

8. Tables Match

I always liked the Tables Match more than the Hardcore Match because it was a simple gimmick to understand without the same level of violence and danger attached to it. 

Instead of having to beat each other up with chairs and garbage cans, you can just set up a table, get the crowd going into a frenzy then jump through it and you have a winner. 

7. Casket Match

It is a testament to the power of The Undertaker gimmick that he could actually get his own specific gimmick match and have it stick around for the last 15 to 20 years. 

Having Undertaker as a part-time performer—which is being generous—has basically put a stop to this match, but when it is done right, it can be a very effective way to tell a story.

Plus, it is easy to empathize with someone who is scared to death at the thought of having a casket shut on them. 

6. Cage Match

Since WWE has so many different variations of the cage match, it never really gets the air time that it used to. 

The most recent one took place on SmackDown between Mark Henry and Daniel Bryan. If you are looking for an example of what cage matches in WWE can be, find the Owen Hart-Bret Hart match from SummerSlam 1994. 

5. Elimination Chamber Match

This match is like seven different stipulations rolled into one, so it might seem a little low at No. 5, but it is a testament to how strong the top four matches are on this list. 

When the concept was first announced in 2002, it was by far the most interesting gimmick the company had come up with since Hell In a Cell five years before. 

If you like having a Royal Rumble clock, Hell In a Cell-esque cage and a lot of crazy spots with bodies flying around, this is the gimmick for you. 

4. Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match

Who knew that combining the specialty matches of Edge & Christian, The Hardyz and Dudleyz would produce such great results for 12 years?

It's not hard to see why, considering all three of the matches that make this one are featured on this list. It is not an easy match to pull off, to which Edge can attest, as he was forced to retire thanks in large part to what he did to his body in this match, but when it works, it really works. 

3. Hell In A Cell Match

Forget what WWE has turned the Hell In a Cell match into, and just look back throughout the period when it was first made a match in 1997 through 2008. You would be hard pressed to find one of the 16 HIAC matches during that span that wasn't at the least very good. 

This match is supposed to be brutal, violent and bloody. It doesn't happen at all anymore, unless you are Triple H and The Undertaker, but it is hard not to get a Hell In a Cell match over in a big, big way. 

2. Ladder Match

Some might prefer the TLC match now to the Ladder Match, but I am very much a fan of simple and nostalgia in WWE, so I give the straight Ladder Match the edge here.

Its history in WWE is as strong as any gimmick match, mainly because Shawn Michaels was involved in a lot of them and he is one of the best performers in WWE history. Still, you have to love the simplicity of the gimmick and the way that it constantly gets executed to perfection time after time. 

1. Royal Rumble

The original gimmick pay-per-view remains by far the best. 

Even if the winner of the Rumble match no longer means what it used to—getting a title shot in the main event at WrestleMania—it is still the most exciting and unpredictable 60 minutes that you get from the company every year. 

Check back for more on the WWE as it comes, and check out Bleacher Report’s Wrestling Page to get your fill of the WWE. For more WWE talk, check out Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot topics you just can’t miss.

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