5 Notable Empty Arena Matches From Wrestling's Past
From a time when empty arena matches were an option to the likes of WWE & AEW, rather than a necessity...
4. The AWA Team Challenge Series (1989-90)
While the Funk vs. Lawler match was invented from a spark of genius, the ill-fated Team Challenge Series came from desperation (as well as a spark of insanity).
As the eighties wound down, the once proud American Wrestling Association had dwindled into a shell of a shell of its former glory, as their top stars flocked to bigger promotions, and attendance fell dramatically.
To make use of the remaining wrestlers, AWA pooled the talents into three teams, instituting something of a primordial brand extension, as the gangs vied for supremacy. The Team Challenge Series played out in empty buildings, with the earlier run of events relying on cheap technology to simulate a crowd beyond the obvious darkness.
It wasn't exactly Gagne vs. Bockwinkel.
Written by Justin Henry
In addition to writing lists and commentaries for Cultaholic, Justin is also a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine, and is co-author of the WWE-related book Titan Screwed: Lost Smiles, Stunners, and Screwjobs.
