Match #26 Nov. 24, 1983, Starrcade, Harley Race vs. Ric Flair, NWA World Heavyweight Championship (Steel Cage)

I'm probably going to ruffle some feathers here, but even though this is a historical match, in terms of history, I just cannot get into this match. I mean, it's not a bad match, but every time I watch it, I just can't find a way to really enjoy it. I really do not even know why.

You've probably seen numerous highlights of this match, but in case you have not, here is the low down. Race takes the title in controversial fashion, Race then puts a $25,000 bounty on Flair so he will not have to face him again. None of that works and we get this rematch inside a steel cage at Starrcade '83, with Gene Kininski as the special referee.

The match is more of a fight than a wrestling match. They just lay into one another, with both wrestlers getting bloodied. Of course if you've seen this before, you know the finish comes with a crossbody off the top rope by Flair to get the pinfall.

My Grade: C
Just something about this match is off for me.

Match #23 Oct. 17, 1983, Don Muraco vs. Jimmy Snuka, WWF Intercontinental Championship (Steel Cage)

This is the steel cage match I am sure every wrestling fan has seen a clip of. The Intercontinental title is on the line here as Don Muraco defends against 'Superfly' Jimmy Snuka. This is a very short match compared to past cage matches on the list thus far. Both men get busted open before ten minutes have even elapsed in the match. They both brawl throughout the contest until Snuka starts to gain the upper hand.

Snuka hits a cross body that knocks Muraco backwards into the cage and he manages to fall out of the door to retain the title. That doesn't end things in the ring as Snuka comes out and pulls Muraco back into the ring. Snuka hits a suplex on Muraco and then climbs the cage, all the way to the top, and hits the infamous dive off the cage.

My Grade: C-
A mediocre cage match, but the spot at the end is always going to be something shown for years to come.

Match #15 Apr. 6, 1981, Bob Backland vs. Stan Hansen, WWF Championship (Steel Cage)

WWF Champion Bob Backland is back with another cage match for the WWF Title, but this time against a legend in Japan, Stan 'The Man' Hansen. Not as good, in my opinion, as the Backland and Patterson steel cage match, but this one is more of a brawl then that one was. Hansen gets bloodied early on and they continue to duke it out. No lariat from Hansen which was kind of disappointing, but still a good match from these two which sees Backland retain the title.

My Grade: B
A good match, but not as good as Backland/Patterson.

Match #7 Dec. 15, 1975, Bruno Sammartino vs. Ivan Koloff, WWWF Title, (Steel Cage)

We have our first Steel Cage match here on the list, coming courtesy of the WWWF. I always thought it weird that WWE and the then NWA always had differing rules on Steel Cage matches. WWE has always used the 'escape the cage or go through the door' aspect while the NWA used just pinfalls and submissions.

Anyways, back to the match, the WWWF Champion Bruno Sammartino is taking on former champ, Ivan Koloff. This match is just pure domination by Sammartino as he beats Koloff from pillar to post and into the steel cage as well. Koloff gets bloodied after repeatedly hitting the cage. Sammartino beats him down enough that Koloff is pretty much out on his feet to escape by going out the door of the cage. One noticeable thing here about this cage was how small it looked compared to today's cages. Also, how flimsy it was, but that probably helped with the give so the wrestlers weren't knocked out upon hitting it.

My Grade: B-
A real solid brawl here, though somewhat one sided.