Iron Man match
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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. Some of these matches have occurred on house shows, but here we will just list some of the major ones. WWE Iron Man matches typically run for 60 minutes, with a sudden death overtime if the two participants are tied when the time expires.
[edit] 60 Minute WWE Iron Man Matches
| No. | Match | Score | Event, Date and Location | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Shawn Michaels defeated Bret Hart to win the WWF Championship |
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 |
6-5 | Judgment Day May 21, 2000, Louisville, Kentucky |
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| III | Brock Lesnar defeated Kurt Angle to win the WWE Championship |
5-4 | WWE SmackDown! September 16, 2003, Raleigh, North Carolina |
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| IV | Chris Benoit defeated Triple H to retain the World Heavyweight Championship |
4-3 | WWE RAW July 26, 2004, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
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[edit] Other Iron Man-type Matches
| Match | Score | Event, Date and Location | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Benoit defeated Kurt Angle (30 Minute Ultimate Submission Match) |
4-3 (OT) | Backlash April 29, 2001, Chicago, Illinois |
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| MNM defeated Charlie Haas and Hardcore Holly to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship (15 Minute Iron Man Match) |
2-1 | WWE SmackDown! June 2, 2005, Edmonton, Alberta |
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| Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle (30 Minute Iron Man Match) |
2-2 (Draw) | WWE Homecoming October 3, 2005, Dallas, Texas |
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[edit] World Championship Wrestling
[edit] Beach Blast 1992
At WCW's Beach Blast pay-per-view in 1992 then United States champion, Rick Rude had a non-title 'Iron Man Challenge' match with Ricky Steamboat. This match is exactly the same as the modern WWE Iron Man matches but with a 30 minute time limit instead of 1 hour. Steamboat went on to win with a pin-fall in the last minute. (JW)
[edit] Beach Blast 1993
WCW's Beach Blast 1993 (see Wrestling Information Archive) on July 18, 1993 in Biloxi, Mississippi's Gulf Coast Coliseum also included a United States Heavyweight Title match using the Ironman Challenge format. Dustin Rhodes and Rick Rude scored one fall each and the United States title holder remained undecided.
[edit] Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
[edit] TNA Against All Odds 2005
At the Against All Odds pay-per-view on February 13, 2005, A.J. Styles defended his TNA X Division Championship against "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels in an Iron Man match. TNA uses the 30-minute time limit for Iron Man matches. It ended in a 1-1 draw (with Styles scoring a win with a roll-up and Daniels scoring a win following his Angel's Wings Finisher). Christopher Daniels demanded of then-TNA Director of Authority Dusty Rhodes that Sudden Death be granted. Only about 90 seconds later, Styles won with the Styles Clash to retain the title.
[edit] TNA Bound For Glory 2005
Christopher Daniels and AJ Styles met once again in a rematch of their match from Against All Odds at Bound For Glory that same year. AJ Styles once again successfully defended the X Division title, scoring the only pinfall of the match with only 2 seconds left on the clock.
[edit] Ring Of Honor
The first ever Ring Of Honor world heavyweight champion was crowned in a 4 way Iron Man match. Low Ki defeated Brian Kendrick, Christopher Daniels and Doug Williams in a four-way one hour match to be crowned champion on July 27, 2002 to win the belt.
