Iron Man match
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An Iron Man match is a professional wrestling match that is forced to go a set time limit.
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[edit] Rules
Iron Man Matches generally operate under the same rules as any other professional wrestling match, but instead of the match having to be over before the time limit is up, the Iron Man Match goes the full length of the allotted time, with each wrestler attempting to score as many victories or 'falls' (by pinfall, submission, count out or disqualification) in that time as possible. The wrestler who has more 'falls' at the end of the match is declared the winner.
Should the match result in a tie, sudden death overtime may be requested by either wrestler as a plot device, and it is accepted or rejected by either an opponent or a higher (on-screen) wrestling authority.
Recently, Iron Man Matches have frequently been reduced to 30 minutes in length, rather than the established 60 minutes.
[edit] Reception
Because of the fixed time limit, Iron Man matches have a tendency to lose their audience in the middle of a match, with a quick flurry of action near the end. Often, an Iron Man match will have the wrestlers tied or holding a one-point advantage going into the final minutes, with one wrestler attempting to make a tying or winning pin.
The Iron Man match was done as a throwback to the days of classic wrestling in the 1940s and 1950s, where wrestlers would usually wrestle for an hour before an outcome would be determined. At the time of WWE's first Iron Man match, this type of wrestling was hardly seen in the United States due to strict television time limits. However, this type of wrestling has been a staple of the Japanese puroresu scene for years.
[edit] Famous Iron Man Matches
[edit] World Wrestling Entertainment
In WWE, there have been several Iron Man matches. WWE Iron Man matches typically run for 60 minutes, with a sudden death overtime if the two participants are tied when the time expires.
| No. | Match | Time | Score | Event, Date and Location | ||
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| I | Shawn Michaels defeated Bret Hart to win the WWF Championship | 60 min | 1-0 (OT) | WrestleMania XII March 31, 1996 Anaheim, California |
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| II | Triple H defeated The Rock to win the WWF Championship | 60 min | 6-5 | Judgment Day May 21, 2000 Louisville, Kentucky |
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| III | Chris Benoit defeated Kurt Angle (Ultimate Submission match) | 30 min | 4-3 (OT) | Backlash April 29, 2001 Chicago, Illinois |
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| IV | Brock Lesnar defeated Kurt Angle to win the WWE Championship | 60 min | 5-4 | SmackDown! September 16, 2003 Raleigh, North Carolina |
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| V | Chris Benoit defeated Triple H to retain the World Heavyweight Championship | 60 min | 4-3 | RAW July 26, 2004 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
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| VI | MNM (Joey Mercury and Johnny Nitro) defeated Hardcore Holly and Charlie Haas to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship | 15 min | 2-1 | SmackDown! June 2, 2005 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |
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| VII | Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle | 30 min | 2-2 (Draw) | RAW Homecoming October 3, 2005 Dallas, Texas |
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[edit] World Championship Wrestling
| No. | Match | Time | Score | Event, Date and Location | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Ricky Steamboat defeated Rick Rude | 30 min | 4-3 | Beach Blast June 20, 1992 Mobile, Alabama |
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| II | Dustin Rhodes vs. Rick Rude for the WCW United States Championship | 30 min | 1-1 (Draw) | Beach Blast July 18, 1993 Biloxi, Mississippi |
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[edit] Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
| No. | Match | Time | Score | Event, Date and Location | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | A.J. Styles vs. Jerry Lynn | 10 min | 3-3 (Draw) | NWA-TNA Weekly PPV #10 August 21, 2002 Nashville, Tennessee |
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| II | A.J. Styles defeated Christopher Daniels to retain the TNA X Division Championship | 30 min | 2-1 (OT) | Against All Odds 2005 February 13, 2005 Orlando, Florida |
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| III | A.J. Styles defeated Christopher Daniels to retain the TNA X Division Championship | 30 min | 1-0 | Bound for Glory 2005 October 23, 2005 Orlando, Florida |
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| IV | Kurt Angle defeated Samoa Joe to became the No.1 Contender of NWA World Heavyweight Championship | 30 min | 3-2 | Final Resolution 2007 January 14, 2007 Orlando, Florida |
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[edit] Ring of Honor
| No. | Match | Time | Score | Event, Date and Location | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Low Ki defeated Christopher Daniels, Spanky and Doug Williams to become the first ROH Champion | 60 minutes | L.K.= 3 C.D.= 2 S.= -1 D.W.=-1 |
Crowning a Champion July 27, 2002 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
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| II | Bryan Danielson defeated Doug Williams | 30 minutes | 1-0 | Scramble Madness November 16, 2002 Massachusetts |
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