Massive Damage scores the pinfall on Sydeny Steele after a superplex from the top of the steel cage. After his win, Damage used the top rope to celebrate his victory.
The steel cage, encasing the wrestling ring and usually standing 15 feet high and 20 feet wide is only used as a last resort to wrestlers who can’t settle a feud.
Since 1937 the steel cage has been a staple in the wrestling world, either to keep competitors in or interference out.
A year of feuding between Massive Damage and Sydney Steele accumulated in the first ever steel cage match for local wrestling promotion, Pure Power Wrestling.
On Oct. 24 PPW held Knightmare Before Halloween at the Boys and Girls club, which featured the steel cage as their main event.
Principle owner Gothic Knight, says PPW intends to engage more specialty matches but will take wrestling’s old-school approach of getting them for special occasions.
“There’s plans to do ladder matches, the key is to engaged these unique types of events Lethbridge has never seen,” Knight said. “You got to do things that are rare and you can’t over do it, you have to be very moderate.”
When Pure Power Wrestling began in 2009, they had a small number of fans attending each event but over the years that average has increased exponentially.
Sydney Steele, marketing director and part owner says having the steel cage match drew an even larger amount of fans.
“Our first show was attended by about 75 people. That has grown to an average of 200-250 per show,” Steele said. “We were up 15 to 20 per cent from the previous month’s event.”
Partner sponsorship could see PPW in a bigger venue but part owner Bulldog Macbain, says even though they’ve seen over 300 fans at some events they can’t get ahead of themselves.
“We need to control our growth and make sure everything we do is at the right pace, because if you try to get into a big venue too soon you run into a bit of trouble,” Macbain said. “It’s better to pack a small venue than to put the same amount of fans into a large venue, there’s a different feel.”
Pure Power Wrestling performs at the Boys and Girls club to a packed gymnasium, and will return when they host a Night to Remember on Nov. 21.
Fans will only see stipulation matches when a rivalry warrants it, but Sydney Steele has no doubt PPW will have another steel cage match in the future.
