The Punjabi Prison

Before this coming weekend, there have only be two previous Punjabi Prison matches. The match was designed by The Great Khali and named after his home state. Involving two cages, an inner one 16 feet tall with spikes on the top, and an outer, six sided cage, which is 20 feet tall.

The inner cell has four doors with a referee attending each. A door will be opened at the request of a competitor and will be opened once only, for 60 seconds, before being locked shut.

The inner cage has straps which can be reached and used as weapons, and between the cages there lies an assortment of other weaponry. The winner of the match is the first competitor to escape the outer cage.

The match, on paper, is an interesting twist on the standard cage match. In practice, both previous matches have failed to set the world on fire.

One issue is that, as Undertaker and Batista have both shown, it isn't too difficult to get from the top of the inner cage to the top of the outer cage. The most efficient way to escape, is to climb the 16 feet of the inner cage and then jump to the outer cage and climb down.

Another issue is perhaps that in both the previous matches, the winner seemed obvious. Undertaker is always the favourite in any match he competes in, and Batista seemed unlikely to drop the belt he had recently gained from Khali.

Neither of the matches seemed really innovative. What I've heard about Randy Orton suggests that his studiousness will lead to a really well planned out match, and I'm hopeful that this will give us the best punjabi prison match yet at Battleground this Sunday.

Undertaker v Big Show
Great American Bash 2006
Duration: 21:35
Winner: Undertaker
Rating: 6/10

The match's inventor, The Great Khali, was due to compete in this match but was removed as elevated liver enzymes left him medically unable to compete. In storyline, this left Teddy Long to make a decision to replace Khali with the Big Show for no other reason than they'd been bullying the Undertaker together.

The Big Show plays his part really well at looking upset and distraught about the situation he is placed in. It's difficult for a 7 foot man to look convincingly worried or intimidated but he does a good job of it.

The Show is also currently the ECW champion; I'm not sure what his persona was at this time other than that he was somehow teamed with Khali and Divari to beat up the dead man. Whilst I've always liked the Big Show and I appreciate how hard a worker he is, sometimes his size makes him look a bit messy, especially when selling moves.

The match starts in the inner cell, with 'Taker deciding to attempt to climb out. It looked like he was trying to get a strap from the top of the cage to use as a weapon but that didn't materialise. Show later manages to get a strap which he uses as weapon just as one door was locked on the Undertaker.

Shortly after this, a second door was shut on the Big Show and he insults the referee for doing his job. Show starts to take out his anger by cutting the Phenom open on an exposed turnbuckle and headbutting him to inflict further damage.

Despite there being two doors left to open, the Big Show starts to climb out of the inner cell. He his stopped by Undertaker with a low blow and then a superplex which shakes the ring slightly and elicits half-hearted "holy shit" chants from the crowd. This allows 'Taker to get out of the third door. The dead man tries to kick through the cage and realising it's impossible, he starts to climb. This all allows Show to easily make his way out of the fourth and final door,  where he stops 'Taker climbing and starts to use the weaponry before throwing him back inside the inner structure.

At this point, Show just needs to escape the outer structure; not easy for a man of his size. Both men are climbing their respective structure at the same time. Taker managers to reach the top first, and bridge from the inner to the outer to prevent Show's escape. Despite 'Taker selling like hell, he manages to perform a leg drop on a standing Show to put him through a table which busts him open.

Undertaker seems to have control of the match at this point and he starts to climb the inner cage as Khali and Divari start making their way to the ring and climbing the exterior structure. The dead man performs a cross body on the Big Show which knocks them both through the outer structure, with 'Taker's whole getting outside first, giving him the victory. Show is left on his knees bloody and crying, perhaps overacting a bit too much at this stage, though.

World Championship: Great Khali v Batista (c)
No Mercy 2007
Duration: 14:47
Winner: Batista
Rating: 6/10

Khali is finally able to compete in the match that he designed. He quickly requests a door to be opened, but is struggling to get underneath it due to his height which means Batista is easily able to get up and prevent him escaping the inner cage.

Batista requests a second door to be opened shortly after but Khali overpowers him and forces him up against the edge of the cage until the time the door is open before using a rope to choke out Batista, and then getting a thick leather strap to whip the champion. Whilst doing so, he requests the third door to be opened but the Animal is on him straight away and hits a spinebuster to prevent Khali getting out. He attempts to crawl out past Khali who holds onto him to prevent him exciting.

Batista with the strap starts to whip Khali and decides to attempt to climb over the inner structure rather than using the door.  Khali stoops him and manages to get the vice grip on Batista. The commentators talk up how it has taken down a large number of top wrestlers and that no-one has ever escaped from it. As Khali asks for the last door to be opened, Batista somehow manages a low blow and starts to crawl over of the door. Khali closes the door, using it as a weapon to attack the champion as he's escaping. Khali was disappointed that the final door was locked shut and takes it out on a referee, but realises that he needs to start climbing.

After pulling Batista from the cage, making him suffer a 10-foot fall, Khali manages to get out of the first structure. As he's scaling the outer structure, Batista quickly scales the inner structure and he leaps to the outer cage. The two men race to climb down the outer cage with Batista narrowly gaining the victory.