Over the years, wrestling has changed the way it entertains the fans. In the old days, wrestling entertained fans through its characters and matches rather than storylines. Wrestling fans sat in small arenas with no Titontrons, no pyros, no videos and no captivating music. Instead, wrestling fans saw interesting stipulations like scaffold matches, three-tier cage matches, barbwire matches, leather strap matches and even the classic "Wargames" matches in the old NWA. Fans also saw wrestlers who told stories with their matches instead of through soap opera storylines shown on the big Titontron.

So, I make this statement to the world of wrestling: Bring back the interesting match styles of the past.

As a wrestling fan, I have become accustom to wrestling in its current form. I get my kicks from the interesting storylines, the pyros and the videos.

But I miss the great match styles of the past. Wrestling should mix the old with the new. Take the new age style of "sports entertainment" and blend it with the old school style matches.

Some of you may not be familiar with the matches I have mentioned. Here is a brief description of each match and what kind of entertainment it could bring the fans:

Scaffold Match

The Scaffold match was particularly famous during the '80s in the NWA. Amazed fans saw tag teams such as The Road Warriors and The Midnight Express slug it out over 25 feet above the ring.

Wrestlers climbed each side of the scaffold until they reached the top. The wrestlers fought on the catwalk that stretched from one scaffold to the other over the ring. The first wrestler to fall off the scaffold was the loser of the match.

I could see a very entertaining scaffold match between the Hardy Boyz and the Dudley Boyz for the WWF tag team championship. If you mix Jeff Hardy's risky moves with the Dudley's aggressive style, we could see some tremendous excitement and possible injuries.

Three-Tier Cage Match

This match was brought back to life in the "Ready to Rumble" movie a few years back. WCW then featured the match a few months later.

The three-tier cage match consists of a base cage that surrounds the ring. The top of the cage has an opening that you can access by using a latter set up in ring. The wrestlers can then go from the second tier to the top level via another latter.

Hanging above the third tier is the Championship belt. As the wrestlers make their journey to the top, they fight each step of the way until one lucky wrestler captures the gold. A great scenario for this match would be to create a situation where the world title is stripped from someone and put up for grabs in the three-tier cage. Put the top five-to-seven contenders in the cage and let them battle it out for the ultimate prize, the WWF Championship.

Barbwire Match

The barbwire match consists of wrapping barbwire around the ring ropes until all level of ropes are fully covered. Once that is competed, turn the wrestlers lose and expect screams of pain and possibly a great deal of blood.

This match makes getting in and out of the ring seem like a difficult task. Fans can watch in anticipation as they await a wrestler to perform an Irish whip on his opponent into the sharp and painful barbwire. The barbwire match turns simple moves into exciting events. Picture the Hardcore title on the line with barbwire wrapped around the ring ropes and every weapon you can imagine lying in the ring. This type of match would have fans on the edge of their seats begging for more.

Wargames

The Wargames match was performed by the NWA and WCW during the 80's and some of the 90's. This match has two side-by-side rings enclosed by a steel cage.

The Wargames match is similar to a "Hell in the Cell" match, except with a bigger wrestling area. The match pits four good guys (faces) against four bad guys (heels).

Two different sets of rules can be applied to this match. The loser of the match will be the team to have one of its members submit to the opponent or it can also be setup so that the losing team being the first with all four members handcuffed to the cage and beaten senseless.

Imagine a Wargames match that involves Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H, and Kane squaring off against Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and The Undertaker. This could result in an all-out war that would be far from just a game.

Leather Strap match

This match consists of connecting two wrestlers together with a long leather strap. Once the strap binds the two wrestlers, ring the bell and witness the brawl.

The object of the match is to beat your opponent down to the point where you can drag them around to all four corners of the ring. The first wrestler to touch all four turnbuckles by dragging his opponent with him wins the match.

In a leather strap match, expect to see wrestlers use the strap for more than just bondage. Wrestlers whip and choke their opponent with it.

Stone Cold and William Regal brought this match back to life a few weeks ago on RAW. The leather strap match gives fans something different along with complete brutality.

Today's "sports entertainment" mixed with the old school style matches will give the fans the best of both worlds. Fans can relive the matches of the past with a new generation of stars.

The matches I mentioned, along with many other match stips helped bring in new fans to this great sport. Let's not forget what used to make wrestling great. Bring back old match styles and make wrestling even greater than it is now. I’d love to hear your opinion. Please feel free to send your feedback to Chairshots2head@yahoo.com.