Looking Back at Undertaker vs. Kane in Original Inferno Match

An inferno/ring of fire match is good for two guys who don't want to or aren't capable of putting on a wrestling classic.

The gimmick of fire surrounding the ring takes so much attention off the quality of the in-ring work. The wrestlers can drag their opponents near the fire and tease contact with it and not worry about too much psychology or elaborate spots.

This is what we've seen in a past inferno match, but it didn't contain two young guys limited in their abilities. It feature Kane and The Undertaker, two of the best big men of all time.

SummerSlam is going to feature a Ring of Fire match, and the only difference we seem to know going into Sunday is you don't have to set your opponent on fire to win. Traditional pin or submission are still in play. This match also features Kane and the newly debuted Bray Wyatt.

I'm somewhat surprised this match is taking place as this is the first match between the two. Normally, gimmick or stipulation matches don't take place until later in the feud when the score needs to be settled after standard matches couldn't do it. I'm also surprised that neither are limited in the ring.

They don't need to have this dark stipulated match, especially when both of their characters already have so much depth to them as is.

Maybe WWE feels in a match with such legitimate danger, you have to put two guys you know are talented to ensure nothing happens that wasn't meant to happen.

Looking back at the first ever inferno match in 1998, it was as simple as it gets. A story that had one of the best backgrounds ever between two brothers and each was trying to set the other on fire. Every big bump caused the flames to soar higher in the air. The crowd responded each time with a roar.

It made a simple slam to the mat carry so much more important and exciting. It found you watching the match building to every little slam on the mat and helped the wrestlers get the most out of every movement and minute.

The ring surrounded by fire is also significant to those outside the ring. We can expect Eric Rowan and Luke Harper to be ringside supporting Wyatt. We've seen from the 1998 encounter that it's possible to toss your opponent outside the ring over the flames and transition the match to the outside.

It will be interesting to see if this is done, which I think it has to be. It was on the outside of the ring where Kane's arm got set on fire, giving The Undertaker the victory. This is the safest because already being outside the ring allows the person on fire to quickly seek whatever safety measures possible. If he's inside the ring, there's much more room for error.

Nobody has to get set on fire Sunday for the match to conclude. However, Kane will be filming See No Evil 2 very soon, so I think it's logical that he could be written off of television for a lengthy period of time.

What better way for Kane's gimmick and Wyatt Family to make an impact on their first pay-per-view than to set Kane on fire?

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