Inferno Match

“…and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Mt, 13:42)

It is indeed the flames of the “fiery furnace”, the flames of Hell, that dominate the Inferno Match. In this stipulation, the ring is completely surrounded by flames, which shoot out from a channel (positioned next to the apron) that runs around the entire perimeter of the ring.

The two wrestlers battle at the center of the ring, and the match ends when one of them catches fire (usually a part of their ring attire). The wrestler who remains unscathed is declared the winner.

The flames (which are controlled by a technician) intensify whenever a wrestler executes a more impactful move.

Naturally, this match does not involve pinfall or submission, nor is there a count-out (since the wrestlers cannot exit and re-enter due to the flames) or disqualification. This is a rare stipulation, typically contested only in a 1 vs 1 format.

The Inferno Match is closely associated with Kane, a wrestler who embodies fire as a defining characteristic. In fact, Kane has participated in every Inferno Match held in WWF/WWE and was part of the very first Inferno Match, where he lost to The Undertaker at Unforgiven 1998.

A modern variant of the Inferno Match is the Ring of Fire Match. This stipulation also takes place inside a ring surrounded by flames, but victory is achieved through pinfall or submission, not by setting the opponent on fire.