Is the Iron man match dead in modern wrestling?

[Stopspot]

The iron man match is a match type we are seeing less and less in modern wrestling. It doesn't really matter the company. TNA, WWE, ROH. Iron man matches are showing up less and less. You see one from time to time in Japan but the wrestling culture over there is still a fair bit different from western wrestling at large despite becoming more westernized.

Why do you think that is? Is there a particular reason that the iron man match has disappeared almost completely? It's not that violent a match so it hasn't disappeared because of WWE wrestlers working a more secure style. I would personally credit it to wrestling in itself having become more sped up. The crowds get anxious and bored more easily now it seems so it would be logical to do things that would seem long and tedious less.
They seem to have instead replaced it more and more with the 2 out of 3 falls match (at least in the WWE) which can provide similar aspects like multiple pinfalls but without the time limit.

Maybe I am completely off with my theory but then again I might not be. That's the beauty of discussions like this.

Why do you think the iron man match is not done as often anymore?

Would you like it to be used more?

would it have to be tweaked to fit with today's culture?

Discuss.

 

[Senhor Perfect]

The iron man match is pretty much done. Today's audience is filled with more people looking for instant gratification, than those who appreciate a long story driven match. I, for one, love the concept and would be giddy at the thought of a DB/DZ or DZ/Y2J iron man match for the WHC, but I doubt it'll happen. I don't believe there is any tweaking you could do to make it more marketable. It's just a different time in wrestling atm. Perhaps is a few years the cycle will come back around and more will be interested in the athleticism of the matches over the pageantry.

 

[Nano]

Sure, I think like the inferno match, that's over and that's something I don't really like, it had great matches imo

 

[Snowman1]

The OP put it perfectly, the iron man match is gone because the fans aren't interested nor want to sit through a hour-long match.

The last one in WWE was between Cena and Orton, right? It was quite lousy iirc. Couldn't keep the match entertaining for that long.

 

[Lockard 23]

I can't comment on TNA or Japan but there was never a whole lot of them to begin with in the WWE. I can only count four overall (Bret/HBK, Rock/HHH, Lesnar/Angle, Cena/Orton) and then the 30 minute iron man match between Benoit and Angle at Backlash 2001, which was a submission iron man match, I believe. Bret/HBK was Restholdmania (that's my way of saying most of it was boring as fuck) and Cena and Orton had to be made a no DQ match because it would have been boring otherwise with those two.

The only way it's gonna be used if for a world title feud, and the only guys I could see it being with these days is some combination of Punk, Bryan and Ziggler. Since Punk and Bryan were feuding last year over who was the true Best In The World, it would have fit there but they didn't go that route. Missed opportunity.

 

[Leo C]

Well, I think they've said it already, wrestling fans (not only them, society in general tbh) is much more immediate these days, they want things at the very moment. An Iron Man match does not give one that.

 

[Mustafar Reginald]

I can't comment on TNA or Japan but there was never a whole lot of them to begin with in the WWE. I can only count four overall (Bret/HBK, Rock/HHH, Lesnar/Angle, Cena/Orton) and then the 30 minute iron man match between Benoit and Angle at Backlash 2001, which was a submission iron man match, I believe. Bret/HBK was Restholdmania (that's my way of saying most of it was boring as fuck) and Cena and Orton had to be made a no DQ match because it would have been boring otherwise with those two.

The only way it's gonna be used if for a world title feud, and the only guys I could see it being with these days is some combination of Punk, Bryan and Ziggler. Since Punk and Bryan were feuding last year over who was the true Best In The World, it would have fit there but they didn't go that route. Missed opportunity.

There was another one between Angle/Shawn that was thirty minutes (I have to get around to watching that). And there were was a fifteen minute one (called fifteen minutes of fame back during Morrison & Miz's tag reign, they fought Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore [was a relatively big fan of both teams]. I remember it because it irritated me because initially the fifteen minutes of fame match [when Morrison did it during his WWECW title reign] was that if you beat him or lasted fifteen minutes you'd get a title shot. When they brought that name back for this one, they ignored those rules and changed it to a fifteen minute iron man match. Yes that really bothered me, I know it's insignificant but still, just call it an iron man match).

Anyway, I don't think it's really fair to call something dead that was never really alive. The reason why that it has already been stated, but at least in terms of WWE, it's not a new reason and has always been around. I don't even think this is the longest drought of one in WWE either, it's definitely up there though.

I only think it should be used sparingly, and only with wrestlers that can handle it. I don't really care for them though, it's the reason why I've put off watching Angle vs. Shawn. The only one I've seen that I've loved was Lesnar/Angle's. I even think the Benoit/Angle submission one is their worst match in their series. Two out of three falls matches are much better (and I still think Taker should have one for at Mania, where he loses the first fall, would be awesome).

 

[Lockard 23]

Undertaker could never last for an hour these days. And one reason I'd really hate a iron man match at WM with him is because losing that first fall (or any fall) is still getting his shoulders pinned, which will destroy that whole illusion that the streak is immortal, even if he did win the whole match.

 

[Mustafar Reginald]

Undertaker could never last for an hour these days. And one reason I'd really hate a iron man match at WM with him is because losing that first fall (or any fall) is still getting his shoulders pinned, which will destroy that whole illusion that the streak is immortal, even if he did win the whole match.

I said he should have a two out of three falls match, not an iron man match. And fair enough, but I can't say I care about that ( since it'd most likely be his last match anyway and it could be something like count out or DQ if you really don't want him to be pinned/tapped out), nor would it destroy the illusion to me (just like Brian Kendrick winning a fall during the Scramble doesn't actually portray him as a WWE Champion to me). I'm just thinking in terms of drama, it would be the best you could get for a Taker match nowadays.

 

[Tchman58]

I think it could be used properly at times. Like previous posters have mentioned, Daniel Bryan and DZ would be perfect for something like this. Prob would have to shorten to 30 minutes though to keep fans attention.

 

[Lockard 23]

I said he should have a two out of three falls match, not an iron man match. And fair enough, but I can't say I care about that ( since it'd most likely be his last match anyway and it could be something like count out or DQ if you really don't want him to be pinned/tapped out), nor would it destroy the illusion to me (just like Brian Kendrick winning a fall during the Scramble doesn't actually portray him as a WWE Champion to me). I'm just thinking in terms of drama, it would be the best you could get for a Taker match nowadays.

Undertaker's streak and Brian Kendrick as WWE Champion are obviously in two whole different universes. I'd hate for Taker to take any kind of loss (especially a pin fall loss, but even a count out or DQ would bug me) even if it wasn't the deciding fall. I don't want to see Undertaker taking any kind of loss unless it's absolute.

 

[Mustafar Reginald]

Undertaker's streak and Brian Kendrick as WWE Champion are obviously in two whole different universes. I'd hate for Taker to take any kind of loss (especially a pin fall loss, but even a count out or DQ would bug me) even if it wasn't the deciding fall. I don't want to see Undertaker taking any kind of loss unless it's absolute.

It's the same principle though, and the best example I can think of to explain why the illusion wouldn't be broken to me. And again, fair enough.

 

[Pop Tatari]

I am surprised ROH don't do this match type a lot, as you said 2 out of 3 falls matches are more popular now.I think maybe the 60 Minutes draws fans away from liking it for whatever reason.Maybe a lack of patience among causal wwe and tna fans. I suppose thats why you see 30 minutes versions which always seem stupid to me.