10 Wrestling Matches Inspired By The Original WarGames
8. Smoky Mountain Wrestling: Rage In A Cage
SMW first conceived of their Rage In A Cage match-type in 1993 and used it a few times until the company folded in 1995. Like WarGames, SMW’s version saw two teams battle inside a cage, with members of each team entering individually at two minute intervals. However, the match utilized only one ring surrounded by a cage without a roof. Contested under elimination rules, competitors could pin their opponents or handcuff them to the cage in order to remove them from the match.
1993's Volunteer Slam II event saw the first-ever Rage In A Cage bout wherein Brian Lee, The Stud Stable, and the famed Rock 'n' Roll Express overcame Jim Cornette's squad which included The Heavenly Bodies, Kevin Sullivan, Killer Kyle, and the Tazmaniac. It was a wild bout with multiple men bleeding by its end, and despite losing, Cornette's crew continued to beatdown the victors following the match.
Two years later, the concept was revived for a Smoky Mountain vs. USWA match which featured twenty men in total and saw SMW overcome the Memphis group. The Rage In A Cage was a unique twist on the classic WarGames concept that made for some of the most exciting matches in SMW’s short history.