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An Inferno Match is probably the only kind of WWE gimmick match that requires the Superstars to have a defensive approach for most parts of the contest, rather than an attacking one. The match layout has the ring surrounded by fire on all four sides, of course, with safety measures in place, with the Superstars required to set their opponents on fire to win the contest. When executed rightly, an Inferno Match can be the most visually-striking of all WWE presentations.
The brainchild of the late Paul Bearer, the first-ever Inferno Match was between the kayfabe brothers Kane and The Undertaker at WWE Unforgiven 1998. Since then, only four other matches of this gimmick have happened, the most recent one being the Randy Orton vs. The Fiend at TLC 2020.
Though there have been some encounters with some minor variations to the gimmick, like the Rings of Fire Match between Bray Wyatt and Kane at SummerSlam 2013, it would not feature in the list. WCW had themselves attempted an Inferno Match, called the Human Torch Match, back in 2000 at The Great American Bash event between Sting and Vampiro, though we are sticking to contests that took place in WWF/WWE only.
So without any delays, let's dive in and rank all the five Inferno matches in WWF/WWE history.
#5 Kane vs. Triple H (WWE SmackDown)
Taking place on September 23, 1999, on an episode of SmackDown, at the height of the Attitude Era in WWE, this Inferno Match between Triple H vs. Kane was a pretty forgettable affair. With only four minutes of runtime, during which the action was quite bland, there isn't a lot to say about this bout.
Triple H came up victorious in this encounter that ended with The Ministry of Darkness, headed by The Undertaker, interfering. Dragging a bloodied X-Pac onto the entrance ramp, Kane's kayfabe brother successfully distracted him. Mideon and Viscera faced the wrath of Kane when he dropped them down with a dive from the top rope. However, Viscera pushed The Big Red Machine towards the ringside, which led to his hand catching fire.
This bout was the only Inferno Match Triple H was involved in, in his WWE career, while Kane had a total of four match-ups, rightfully making him the godfather of Inferno matches.
#4 Kane vs. The Undertaker (WWE RAW)
The first Inferno Match to take place on free TV, this contest between Kane and The Undertaker from the 22nd February 1999 episode of WWE RAW, was mostly about Vince McMahon and the box containing his teddy bear. While the action itself was quite rudimentary, it was wrestled competently by the veterans, who understandably didn't want to have a banger on free TV.
Most of the match's runtime was dedicated to Vince McMahon struggling to comprehend the meaning behind the gift, with the camera hardly focussing on the action inside the ring.
The last couple of minutes saw the action take place on the ringside with the two men brawling. Having taken the advantage of Kane's ill-timed jump from the top rope onto the commentary table, Undertaker came up victorious in the bout on WWE RAW by setting The Big Red Machine's foot on fire.
#3 Randy Orton vs. The Fiend (WWE TLC 2020)
The most recent iteration of this gimmick match was held at the recently concluded WWE TLC 2020 between Randy Orton and The Fiend. Considering the fire in this match was set on the barricades and not on four corners of the ring, the danger level had drastically reduced.
However, the match itself was pretty entertaining, thanks to that literally 'explosive' ending. The Fiend and Orton started the proceedings by keeping the pace decidedly slow before unleashing that memorable final stretch.
Setting Wyatt on fire, delivering an RKO, and then eventually setting him completely ablaze, it was a kind of shock ending that is rarely seen in WWE these days. The closing visual of The Viper in his iconic pose, all while The Fiend was burning, was an incredibly cool one.
While the route WWE takes with this story from hereon is still up in the air, the match successfully reintroduced this gimmick to the newer WWE audience who hadn't been able to witness a spectacle like this live.
#2 Kane vs. MVP (WWE Armageddon 2006)
An unlikely pick for the second spot, this encounter between the current mouthpiece of WWE RAW's The Hurt Business, MVP, and an unmasked Kane, was driven by proper stakes in place and the athletic ability of MVP, which made the match quite interesting.
Built as the semi-main event of WWE Armageddon 2006, the bout had the two Superstars use the always entertaining dynamic of a big man vs. a small man fight. Another aspect that makes the match so good is the fact that the two wrestled close to fire for long periods. It increased the danger level infinitely and used the stipulation to its best. A spot where Kane removes a turnbuckle only to light it up to set MVP on fire was quite innovative and unlike what we had seen in previous Inferno matches.
The ending, too, was quite a memorable one with Kane choking MVP into the fire, which allowed the latter's back to catch fire, giving The Big Red Machine a win. MVP was on fire a good 15 seconds before it was extinguished, and he deserves props for taking such a risk.
#1 The Undertaker vs. Kane (WWE Unforgiven: In Your House 1998)
The first-ever Inferno Match at WWE Unforgiven 1998 is still the best one for obvious reasons. The viewers were understandably in shock and awe while witnessing something as unprecedented as this. Kane and The Undertaker went on to have a banger even while wrestling in such dangerous territory. Never for a moment, it felt like the two were fearing what if something wrong happens.
Flames going up just when The Undertaker executed The Old School was a sight to behold. Even though these two have wrestled countless matches over the years, this still stands apart as one of their greatest bouts. Even though Vader made some unnecessary interferences during the contest, it did not affect the quality of the match but rather served the story quite well.
A few dives from the top rope were fantastic, though the best moment was when The Undertaker dived over the top rope to take down Kane and Vader at the same time. Ultimately, The Deadman came on top after a chair shot he delivered to Kane pushed the latter to the back, thus setting his arm on fire. The two would go on to have another Inferno match on WWE RAW, as mentioned in the second slide.
