WWE WarGames: History, Most Wins, Appearances Revealed For Gimmick Match

Touted to offer one of the most brutal environments for wrestling, WarGames Matches is famous for its dual-ring steel cage setup and the chaos it had created over the years between two or more teams.

To quench the thirst of the old-school fans, WarGames is returning in two weeks from now as part of the 2024 edition of Survivor Series premium live event that marks its third straight occasion on the main roster scene.

As we expect a massive brawl between the two Bloodline sides at Survivor Series 2024, we will now take a look at the rich history of the WarGames Matches including its inaugural days, most appearances and wins, and more.

Original format of WarGames Matches

Brainstormed by the legendary Dusty Rhodes in 1987 under Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP) in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), WarGames borrowed the concept of the Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. Two or more teams could have performed inside a double-ring structure surrounded by a steel cage.

In the initial days, pin-falls were banned in a WarGames match, allowing only submissions for winning the bout. World Championship Wrestling (WCW) got the consecutive rights to host the match which was later passed over to the WWE.

WWE's history with WarGames

WWE started hosting the WarGames matches as part of an experiment on NXT to build up strong factions. As the modern audience started liking the concept, the tradition debuted on the main roster as part of Survivor Series in 2022.

The annual Big-Four PLE stakes were thus raised by creating team-based rivalries from The Bloodline to Damage CTRL. As such, even All Elite Wrestling started hosting their version of WarGames in the form of Blood & Guts.

In 2019, WWE also hosted its first-ever women's WarGames match where Team Rhea Ripley secured a win over Team Shayna Baszler. This historic match took WWE women's evolution forward and paved the way for future WarGames showdowns on the female roster.

Most WarGames Appearances/Wins in NWA/WCW days

Road Warrior Animal and Road Warrior Hawk made 13 appearances in WarGames matches to solidify their legacies. Dusty Rhodes and Lex Luger also had 11 and 13 respective appearances in the NWA/WCW era.

The Road Warriors possess the record of having 13 wins collectively, with Dusty Rhodes having 11 wins by his name at WarGames. WCW's franchise player, Sting, also achieved 8 WarGames victories on his way to greatness.

Most WarGames Appearances/Wins in WWE history

Starting in 2017, Adam Cole holds the record for having the most appearances in WarGames Matches, with four. His Undisputed Era cohorts Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish also have four appearances each, following his lead.

Expectedly, Cole and The Undisputed Era's Kyle O'Reilly, and Bobby Fish also share 2 victories each in their four appearances. From the women's side, the likes of Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair, and Dakota Kai have made multiple appearances in WarGames Matches.