The Tables match gimmick has been one of the most used and most celebrated in the history of pro wrestling, and rightfully so. Fans love the sight of a wrestler being put through the wood, and the visceral sound it produces makes it even better for those in attendance and watching at home.
Many wrestlers and teams, especially The Dudley Boyz, have been vital to this match type soaring in popularity over the years, and it is safe to assume tables matches are going nowhere as long as they remain this much fun. However, while there is no denying that these matches are all the rage in today's wrestling landscape, or the continued love it will receive for the foreseeable future, there are some aspects that grate against what should be followed.
5 Ambiguous Nature
So, a Tables match is won when an opponent is put through the table. Simple, effective, and something that helps move the story forward. However, we have seen so many times that promotions played hard and fast with this rule when it comes to how wrestlers can emerge victorious from such bouts.
We have seen that a wrestler falling onto a table or stepping on one means a win for the opponent. The most famous examples are John Cena vs. Sheamus at TLC 2009 and Big Show vs. Cody Rhodes at Extreme Rules 2012. While such surprise finishes work well when used sporadically, the manner of the 'win' does water down the whole concept. And the concept can backfire quite badly. Just ask participants from the matches mentioned for proof of the reception fans can give if such finishes are not to their liking.
4 Mirroring Each Other
While Tables matches are highly-popular among the masses, as already discussed, they are, in essence, no different from other matches with no disqualification stipulations. Be it No-Disqualification, Hardcore, No Holds Barred, Extreme Rules, Street Fight, or even TLC matches, they are all the same thing.
So what makes a Table match unique when compared to these other gimmick matches? While all these matches do see an increased fun quotient as there are no rules and weapons are allowed, following the same kind of template at the core of it all does feel counter-productive. While it is always a joyous sight watching someone being drilled through a table(s), such gimmick matches need things that help them stand out from each other.
3 Waiting For The End
It's a tried and tested trope that ails not only Tables matches but also other kinds of matches across pro wrestling. In regard to Tables matches, it involves a downed opponent being made to lie prone on a table that has been set up so that the wrestler can perform an aerial move on them to 'put them through the table' and earn the win.
But that begs the obvious question: why would the wrestler lie on the table waiting for their opponent to execute a move on them, sometimes going as far as to wait minutes before a move is done? While wrestling does involve a certain degree of suspension of disbelief, this exercise, again, seems more futile than anything else in keeping the audience hooked and the gimmick itself believable.
2 Multi-Table Spot
This is another instance where wrestlers seemingly lose their marbles while going through the rigors of a highly intense, physical, and draining experience like the Tables match. We often see wrestlers set up multiple tables, sometimes atop each other and at others times next to each other, in order to finish off their rivals and notch that big W in their win column.
However, it just leaves them open to a quirk of fate, where the very trap they set to take down their opponents could end up being their downfall. In an atmosphere as volatile as pro wrestling and a match as dangerous as the one with tables, it isn't worth adding more risks than there already are when it comes to your chances of winning a match. One misstep can lead to your downfall, instead of notching that all-important win.
1 The Corner Set-Up Spot
Here's another decision by wrestlers that makes less sense considering how pro wrestling matches go. When someone sets up a table vertically on the corner and over the turnbuckles, it comes across as foolish, considering how many times wrestlers throw and are thrown into the corner during a standard match. The turnbuckles are present, and called so, for a reason.
They are used as one of the most important and innovative aspects of the wrestling ring, from where various offensive and defensive moves can be made by the wrestlers. Considering this aspect, wrestlers setting up a table in the corner hoping to put their opponents through it, does not really make sense. They are as likely to go through the wood themselves as they are to put their enemies through it, considering how vital that portion of the ring is.