Road Dogg was a big fan of the cage match that divided opinions.
Debuting at the 2006 Great American Bash, the double cage match has made 3 appearances in WWE. Although the structure looked impressive, fans in the arena found it difficult to see inside and fans at home criticised the rules as being overly complicated. However, according to “Road Dogg” Brian James, the stipulation was not as bad as people made it out to be.
Speaking on the Oh… You Didn’t Know podcast, James was asked what in wrestling should not come back. Despite disagreeing with his answer, the Hall of Famer admitted that there does not need to be any more matches involving the bamboo structure:
I’m gonna say what people would say but I disagree with this, The Punjabi Prison match. I liked the Punjabi Prison match. I understand the issue is with optics, the viewing, the people viewing it need to see. So it kind of sucks for the live event, but they have enough gimmick holes to put cameras in to get good footage of the match. But it kind of sucks for the live event
The first-ever match should have seen The Great Khali face The Undertaker at The Great American Bash, but Big Show was replaced due to Khali having elevated liver enzymes. The match was won by Undertaker. Returning at No Mercy 2007, Khali challenged Batista for the World Heavyweight Championship inside the prison, with The Animal picking up the victory.
Following a 10-year hiatus, the double cage made its return at Battleground 2007 as WWE Champion Jinder Mahal was challenged by Randy Orton. Mahal would win the match after interference from The Great Khali.
In an interview with a former writer years later, it was revealed that the Punjabi Prison was meant to have an exploding ring when first discussed.
What Were The Rules Of The WWE Punjabi Prison Match?
The match starts with two Superstars in the ring and surrounded by the two bamboo cages. The first cage has 4 doors which can be signalled to be opened. After one minute, the door is shut and locked for good. Once out of the first cage, the competitor will find themselves at the ringside area where they have to climb over the second cage to win the match.
Speaking on an earlier episode of his podcast, Road Dogg revealed how he was terrified of a prominent Attitude Era star.
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