Ranking Every WWE NXT WarGames Match From Worst To Best
Two rings, one cage, eight superstars, and a ton of action.
Four years into the revival of WCW’s multi-ringed extravaganza of carnage, WarGames has already become something akin to NXT’s version of the Royal Rumble. The event is one of the highlights of the company’s calendar and guarantees a wild night for all involved.
Also not unlike the Rumble, there really are no bad WarGames matches.
What with the chaos, the star power, the danger and the opportunity for high spots, even the worst bouts will have at least a few moments of intrigue and irresistible chaos.
With that in mind, though, some WarGames matches are undeniably better than others. Whether it’s the storytelling, the personnel, the ingenuity, or the craft in the match’s layout, it’s the small details that separate a genuinely classic WarGames bout from just a very good clash in a big silly cage.
NXT 2.0 has rung in a lot of changes, but it’s a relief to see that the WarGames match seems to be here to stay. We can hopefully expect many more wild and crazy fights in years to come, but thus far, here’s how the developmental brand’s most enjoyable matches stack up...
8. The Undisputed Era vs Team McAfee (2020)
Though they’ve now been scattered across the wrestling landscape, Undisputed Era were the kings of WarGames, working four on the trot, and you’re pretty much guaranteed a fun match when they’re involved. 2020’s encounter has some fun moments: McAfee bringing out four tables marked with the names of each group member, the English boys bringing cricket bats to the ring, reDRagon running wild.
The men’s 2020 match finishes bottom, however, due to its sheer excess. It’s the match’s - and black and gold NXT’s - most consistent flaw, an unerring desire to throw absolutely everything at the wall. Plenty sticks, but plenty doesn’t, and when that results in a 45-minute match, it’s a bit of an issue.
There’s the Pat McAfee factor, too. The man has been nothing but a boon for WWE, particularly on commentary, but he’s been no slouch in the ring. Building much of the match around him, to the extent that he’s kicking out of Adam Cole’s Panama Sunrise, does seem daft star treatment for a man who’s not going to be a long time worker.
It means McAfee’s teammates - the mercenary gang of Pete Dunne, Danny Burch, and Oney Lorcan - are a little sidelined. The story’s sound, but the lack of focus lets it down.