WowBB Forums > Sports And Wrestling > The Clawmaster's Archives > The History Of Barbed Wire Matches In The US |
WowBB Forums > Sports And Wrestling > The Clawmaster's Archives > The History Of Barbed Wire Matches In The US |
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beejmi The Big Kahuna 
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I am thinking that "Barbed Wire" matches were a creation from Japan that more or less got picked up by US Indy feds in the 90s. The earliest "big league" (WWF/AWA/NWA) "Barbed "Wire" match that I can think of was Clash #1 (1988) with Dusty & The Road Warriors vs Ivan Koloff & The Powers Of Pain. Famous of course because it was a "Barbed Wire" match .... without blood I remember ECW running the Funks vs The Public Enemy and a few years later Sabu vs Funk. Big Show and JBL in the WWE a couple years ago I guess. Were The Sheepherders pretty much the first to use the "gimmick" in the US (UWF - somewhere around 85 or 86) ?? Chances are these happened way before then and I just don't know about them. Don't even ask me about an AWA or WWWF Barbed Wire match because I can't think of any. |
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srossi
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I know this doesn't really count, but there were tons of "chicken wire" or "chicken coup" type matches in Florida and Texas over the years which basically used the same exact psychology and I guess the barbed wire match evolved from that. The thought being it's all used to keep farm animals in. And I can almost guarantee that the WWWF and especially the AWA never had anything remotely close. But really WWC in Puerto Rico popularized the barbed wire match as we know it today (as well as fire matches) and FMW stole most of those ideas with Mr. Pogo originally being in WWC and then having a huge feud with Atsushi Onita in FMW. In turn that was stolen by ECW through Terry Funk, who was involved with Pogo and Onita in FMW. And then every two-bit indy on the planet killed the concept. Pre-1990, I suppose Dusty Rhodes was easily the king of the barbed wire match among Americans and The Sheephearders-Fantastics series were probably the best actual matches. Last edited on Tue Jan 29th, 2008 05:43 am by srossi |
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clawmaster Hall Of Famer
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Rossi nailed it. |
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amerorig
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I personally hate death matches. They remind me of a worked game of Russian Roulette. They tend to be so absurd that they really push the limits of "Suspension of Disbelief". |
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sek69
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I remember reading wrestling mags as a kid and seeing pics of Dusty Rhodes all bloody as a result of barbed wire matches (in Florida I assume). I always found it kind of funny that a lot of fans today really do seem to think all the deathmatch stuff was invented by FMW. |
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bpickering Hall Of Famer 
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Great American Bash 1987- Dusty Rhodes vs Tully Blanchard Barded Wire Ladder match for $100,000 |
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Portalesman Hall Of Famer 
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They've done barbed wire matches in Amarillo since the 60s and maybe the 50s. |
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texasdeathmatch
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Portalesman wrote:They've done barbed wire matches in Amarillo since the 60s and maybe the 50s. Could have been a Doc Sarpolis created gimmick. Some other ones I can recall happening during the kayfabe era in the States that have not been mentioned were in Memphis (early '80s),Florida (Funk vs. Dusty for one IIRC), I remember a Brody promo where he said he was going to string barbed wire around the ring for a match vs. Abby at the Omni (early '83), Brody vs. Gordy WCCW Texas Stadium show ('86). Also I think Southwest did some when the Sheepherders were there. |
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The Ultimate Sin Hall Of Famer 
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I had (have) an Apter Mag with Dusty vs. Terry Funk barbed wire match from 83. I might have traded it to Packerfan. Inside Wrestling Feb 1983 Cover: Rhodes vs. T Funk Barbed Wire Cover Picture: Rhodes vs. Funk Barbed Wire, Hogan vs. Patera |
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BuddyPSHayes
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There was a series of barbed wire matches in Mid-South in '84, I think...JYD & Duggan vs. Reed and, I think, Steve Williams. And of course, the "barbed wire cage" matches with the Fantastics vs. Sheepherders in the UWF in '86. |
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carpetbeggar The Ayatollah Of Rock And Rolla 
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In any of these early American Barbed wire matches from the 70's and 80's did any of the workers take 'bumps' in the wire or was it all 'near misses' and the old 'rub the wire(or insert any other "foriegn object in here") on the other guys forhead pose for Apter and Napolitano & the Japanese cameramen' that the Sheik made famous? |
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srossi
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I occasionally saw them whipped into the wire but it was usually rubbing the wire against an arm and then blading it (thus most of Dusty's scars). |
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texasdeathmatch
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Rossi's right. The basic rule was "near miss" and "rub the forehead" (or arm in some cases) as you said. While there was the occasional bump into the wire, it was more to keep them in the ring with the added danger of bloodshed by (the heel) trying to get out or someone trying to get in. I do remember in the Sheepherders vs. Fantastics Barbed wire cage matches, there was some throwing into the wire like throwing a guy into the fence during a regular cage match. But the guy who really started the bumps and getting tangled in the wire, and gigging multiple parts of the body that would be the norm later on, was Onita in FMW. |
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Bix
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October 19, 1981 in Memphis, TN
Last edited on Mon Feb 4th, 2008 11:45 pm by Bix |
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The Ultimate Sin Hall Of Famer
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November 12, 1990 in Memphis, TN Mid-South Coliseum drawing ??? Jerry Lawler beat Eddie Gilbert (1:45) via DQ in a "barbed wire" match. How the balls do you get DQed less than 2 minutes into a BW match. If I paid to see that shit I'd be one pissed off motherfucker. Last edited on Tue Feb 5th, 2008 02:53 am by The Ultimate Sin |
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texasdeathmatch
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Must have been a scientific barbed wire match. That's the type shit that helped finally kill the whole area. Kind of like getting a stylish crewcut after losing a hair match. |
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