- 3 Stages of Hell
At number 18 on our list is a gimmick match on steroids, where two men try to just survive.
If one of these gimmick matches isn’t enough, take a 2 out of 3 Falls Match (which was considered for the list) and add to each fall a gimmick that makes it even more dangerous.
The first of its kind took place in 2001 when Triple H and Stone Cold squared off. The most famous of these type of matches was between Triple H and Shawn Michaels, with them taking part in a street fight, then a steel cage match, then finishing with a ladder.
The only drawback to this match is the predictability factor. In terms of storytelling and money-making, it made no sense for a competitor to win the first two falls and have the match be over. That meant that every match would get to the third fall, and the only purpose of the first two was for spots.
Recently the WWE dabbled in a 3 Stages of Hell match with John Cena taking on Ryback, but as mentioned so many times on this list, the PG era makes these matches lose just a little bit of excitement.
Notable Match: Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels at Armageddon 2002
Next: No. 17