The Steel Cage

I can't recall exactly when the WWF changed the style of the Cage from metal squares to the one we have now, I think it might have been around 1999/2000 anyway, I was wondering if anyone knew why it was changed, it has completely downgraded the value of the match in my opinion and helped lose its appeal, back in the day with the old cage so much more could be done with it, you saw a lot more escapes via over the cage and you could hook yourself/an opponent up on it as well

It was unique, particularly when they introduced the Hell in a Cell, that looked equally different, now a cage match looks like a cheap version of Hell in a Cell and the quality in Cage matches have also went downhill due to the fact those cages are nowhere near as easy to climb

This isn't a thread on what type of cage is better though, just wondering if anyone had any idea why the old cage was replaced by a very lame version?

Maybe to make it more 'prison' like with the shite wire fence look

But they already had the Hell in a Cell for that

The reason the big blue cage came about was because Kign Kong Bundy couldn't have climbed the wired cage (the one they use now) so they invented this new cage for Mania 2, it was far better looking and better for climbing and hooking guys on as well

Yep, it was down to a general dislike of it really.

The big blue beast was stiff as fuck and loads or wrestlers have said it hurt like fuck, I know Shawn Michaels hated it but I can't say for sure it was him who got rid of it

The Taker/HBK feud is what spawned the HIAC because they didn't want to do the same old thing and use the cage as the next step in a feud and a mesh structure would be far easier to work with/around. I think wrestlers on a whole wanted to see the back of it and this was the perfect sub.

I also reckon everyone being generally more athletic would have also contributed as the likes of King Kong Bundy and Yokozuna would have a tough time scaling the meshy one.

I have heard Shawn Michaels wasn't a fan of the big blue cage, I remember they made it black and it looked even more badass, the old cage was the best by far though, you had many a good Cage match with the old cage, not so with the mesh cage

From a production standpoint, the wire mesh one is easier to see through as you don't get huge blue bars blocking the view.

Cage match has been whored out to death, same as HIAC really.

You get throw-away Raw matches in the cage, such a waste.

I found the other cage much easier as their was plenty of cameras around the ring that could get their lenses through the space so nothing was actually blocked, whens the last time we saw a really good cage match with the mesh structure compared to the quality in matches you saw in the old cage?

Bret and Owen would never have managed to have the match they had at Summerslam with the mesh cage in my opinion

AMW Vs XXX TNA Turning Point 2004 one of the greatest cage matches of all time IMO.

i loved the old cages.recently i was watching a triple h v the rock cage match from 99 and the cage was much better than todays shite

I think I heard somewhere they got rid of the old style cage's because Foley took a good bashing off the door once. I remember reading that years ago somewhere but don't quote me on it.