10 Wrestling Matches Inspired By The Original WarGames

NXT’s revival of the WarGames concept debuted last year and has seemingly become an annual TakeOver event. While the match’s concept and name are directly derived from Dusty Rhodes’ original vision, last year’s match did feature a few tweaks to the idea.

While the original match’s two side-by-side rings returned for the first time since WCW’s demise, NXT’s version of the cage did not feature a top -- as was tradition for the WarGames. Furthermore, NXT’s initial incarnation featured three separate teams with three members each. Nine participants in total competed in Houston, Texas with two men starting the match and staggered entrances following. This was not a wholly new idea, however, as Fall Brawl 1998’s WarGames also saw three teams of three do battle with WCW, the nWo, and the Wolfpac participating.

Meanwhile, the latest TakeOver: WarGames returns to the bout's original two team setup with The Undisputed Era facing Ricochet, Pete Dunne, and The War Raiders. Interestingly, Adam Cole's despised stable has now competed in both NXT versions of the legendary bout, perhaps becoming the modern equivalent of the Four Horsemen who were defeated in countless WarGames matches of old.