10 WWE Match Types That Made Only One Appearance

Down through the years, the WWE has provided fans with a wide range of exciting, eclectic, and at times downright bizarre match types. From the Elimination Chamber to Hell in a Cell and ladder matches, we have become accustomed to an annual round of action-packed chaos.

On rare occasions, though, so out of the ordinary are bookings, that it is ultimately decided that the match circumstances need never be repeated. As much can come for a whole variety of reasons – fan backlash, safety concerns, or one-off storylines which could not be sufficiently recreated.

We’ve already looked at the best matches in WWE history previously, but we have delved into the history books of wrestling once again to provide a list of 10 such match types which occurred once, and never again, in the WWE.

1

Duchess Of Queensbury Rules Match

Without a doubt one of the most unusual match types ever in the WWE, the ‘Duchess of Queensbury Rules’ match pitted William Regal against Chris Jericho at Backlash, 2001. Regal, Commissioner at the time, made the booking in the knowledge that his opponent would have essentially no chance of emerging triumphant. This came with none of Jericho, the announce team or the fans watching on having had any real idea of the rule set in place. As much allowed for the ‘Duchess’, sitting ringside, to make up the stipulations as things progressed. At one point, to prevent Y2J from pinning Regal, the Duchess called an end to the ‘first round’, leaving all in attendance perplexed. The latter, in a surprise to none, ultimately secured the victory.

2

Kennel From Hell Match

The first of several matchups on our list to have taken place inside a cage, this one will not be quite as familiar to casual fans of wrestling as some of the star-filled affairs detailed below. And as much comes for good reason… Back in 1999, a long-running feud between The Big Boss Man and Al Snow came to a head at Unforgiven. With the Hardcore title up for grabs, the pair went face to face inside a cage, which was surrounded by a Hell in a Cell, and a group of rottweilers. The match itself proved to be something of a disaster, with the two wrestlers having looked lost, and the ‘vicious’ rottweilers in attendance entirely disinterested in what was unfolding before them. Snow eventually retained his Hardcore title, knocking The Big Boss Man out before climbing from the cage, in a match which will live on as one of the most infamous in WWE history.

3

Good Housekeeping Match

Of all of the bizarre match types to have been sanctioned in the WWE down through the years, the ‘Good Housekeeping Match’ has a legitimate claim to being the downright strangest. Taking place at No Mercy in 1999, the bout saw Jeff Jarrett face off with Chyna, for the Intercontinental title. The stipulation, based on Jarrett’s misogynistic shtick at the time, was that the two opponents could only attack each other with items which would generally be found in the home. A chaotic scene inevitably played out, which saw everything from a kitchen sink to a toilet seat and ironing board made use of as weapons. Chyna ultimately emerged triumphant, becoming the new IC champion after flooring Jarrett with a guitar.

4

Six-man Hell In A Cell Match

It may come as something of a surprise to hear that the famed six-man Hell in a Cell match was only made use of on one occasion. What a spectacle it proved to be, though… Back in the year 2000, at Armageddon, six of the biggest names in wrestling – Kurt Angle, The Rock, Rikishi, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H, and The Undertaker – locked horns for the WWF Championship inside Hell in a Cell. Many a fan will need no reminder of the carnage which subsequently unfolded, but for those who do require as much, the sextet proceeded to beat the living daylights out of each other for a full half-hour. The highlight, which to this day remains one of the most iconic in WWE history, came upon The Undertaker launching Rikishi off the roof of the cage into an awaiting pickup truck filled with hay. As much had been parked ringside by Vince McMahon, who, against the match type from the offset, came up short in his efforts to tear down the cell. In the end, it was reigning champion Kurt Angle who prevailed, retaining his belt after pinning The Rock, who was fresh off being hit with a Stunner.

5

The Raw Bowl

Another match type which saw the light of day only once, and for good reason, came in the form of the 1996 ‘Raw Bowl’. Intended to take advantage of the viewership of College Football’s ‘Bowl Week’, the booking in question pitted a quartet of tag teams – the Smoking Gunns, Yokozuna and Owen Hart, Savio Vega and Razor Ramon, and the 123 Kid and Sycho Sid – against one another, in an elimination format. The matchup took on an American football-themed appearance, with the participants sporting custom jerseys, the ring made out to look like a football field, and cheerleaders as well as a marching band at ringside. Each tag team was even permitted one ‘time out’ to make use of during the bout. The match was, in truth, a tough watch, and at times flat-out confusing. The Smoking Gunns ran out eventual winners, handed the ‘Steve Lombardi Trophy’ for their efforts.

6

House Of Horrors Match

The late, great Bray Wyatt was the man behind our next entry. Bringing to a head one of the most memorable feuds in recent wrestling history, Wyatt challenged Randy Orton to a ‘House of Horrors’ showdown at Payback, 2017. The match began with Orton being dropped off at the ‘House’ in question before quickly being attacked by his long-time foe upon stepping inside. From here, the pair brutally beat one another down in every room of the building, each one more eerie and downright chilling than the last, as Wyatt made use of his home turf to time and again gain the upper hand. The pair eventually made their way to the ring to close out the matchup, with interference courtesy of Jinder Mahal and the Singh Brothers having allowed Wyatt to pick up the victory, with one final Sister Abigail.

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7

Extreme Elimination Chamber Match

Take your ordinary Elimination Chamber, wildly dangerous as is, and add the element of a barrage of weapons for all involved. This one appeared to have all the elements of a show-stopping spectacle in the making. Upon the curtain being brought down on the ‘Extreme Elimination Chamber’ during December to Dismember in 2006, however, fans were left feeling deflated. The event as a whole was a mess from start to finish, with the last-minute decision to replace Sabu with Hardcore Holly having not gone down at all well. The six superstars involved, in Holly, The Big Show, Bobby Lashley, CM Punk, Test and Rob Van Dam, did their best to liven up what was an unmemorable affair, making use of the tables, baseball bats and crowbars at their disposal to pick each other apart. The popular Punk being first eliminated, however, set the tone for what was to come, with Lashley having emerged as ECW Champion, on a night to forget for the WWE as a whole.

8

Asylum Match

Next up comes a clash which will be well remembered by regular viewers of the WWE in recent times. The ‘Asylum Match’ took place back in 2016, at Extreme Rules. Credited with essentially creating the match type was Dean Ambrose, who was provided with the inspiration by none other than his opponent – Chris Jericho – after Y2J strapped ‘The Lunatic Fringe’ in a straight jacket amid a lengthy feud between the pair. The clash saw Ambrose and Jericho locked inside a cage, which featured a series of hanging weapons around its edges. After the likes of a fire extinguisher and several Kendo sticks were made use of by the two superstars, the highlight of the matchup arrived with Ambrose slamming Jericho down into a bed of thumbtacks. A Dirty Deeds swiftly followed, ensuring that it was the true ‘Lunatic’ who emerged triumphant from the Asylum.

9

Barbed Wire Steel Cage Match

The final cage match on our list, on this occasion, it was a lengthy stretch of barbed wire which set the match type apart from others of a similar nature. The main event at No Way Out in 2005 saw JBL defend the WWE Championship against The Big Show. The pair found themselves locked inside a steel cage, the top of which was covered in razor-sharp barbed wire. In the end, as much had little impact on the match itself, with neither superstar having come into contact with the wiring in question. Instead, JBL miraculously emerged with his champion status intact, after being Choke Slammed through the ring, only to crawl his way out from underneath before Show had time to make his way down the steps.

10

Biker Chain Match

Last on our list comes a bout from 2003, involving two of the most recognisable names in the history of professional wrestling. In the main event at the No Mercy PPV, The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar went toe-to-toe for the WWE Championship, held at the time by the latter, in what was labelled a ‘Biker Chain Match’. In an unusual scene, the match made use of The Undertaker’s ‘American Badass’ persona by way of utilising pieces of equipment from his motorbike. A chain was hung from a pole above the ring, which, upon being retrieved, could then be used as a weapon. In the end, ‘Taker’s home-court advantage did him little good, however, as interference on the part of Vince McMahon allowed Lesnar to take hold of the chain, flooring his biker opponent to retain the title.

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