5 Ways in Which WWE Set Itself Apart From the Original WCW WarGames

The upcoming edition of Survivor Series will take place on November 25th at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. It will be the second edition of the Survivor Series where the WarGames match format replaced the traditional 5-on-5 match format.

WWE legend Dusty Rhodes introduced the format to the wrestling world in 1987 and, 36 years later, his son Cody Rhodes is leading his team towards another WarGames. But, what has WWE done differently while adopting the WarGames format?

How is WarGames different at WWE compared to WCW?

WarGames is a new concept to WWE fans with a limited history through NXT. We consider them while mentioning the differences between WarGames at WCW and WWE.

4-members vs. 5-members: Though the number of members at WarGames matches has been inconsistent, there has been a trend in both companies. WCW would often have matches consisting of 5 member teams.

On the other hand, the WarGames at NXT has had 4-member in each team format. WWE changed that rule to include a 5-members format when the match format was elevated to the main roster.

Three-minute interval: The original WarGames match starts with two superstars from each team starting the match. A new entrant from either team would then enter the cage after 5 minutes to give one team an advantage of 2-1 until a new entrant entered the cage after two minutes to even the game.

The rule remained the same throughout WCW and NXT till WWE changed the time limit to three minutes. The rule of no pin-fall, till all members are in the cage, has remained the same.

No women’s matches: WCW had no women’s matches in the WarGames format. One reason could be the fact that the women’s division was not as prominent back in the 90s as it is now.

Read more: WWE Survivor Series WarGames Outshines AEW With a Major Difference Despite Similar Arena Capacity

The first Women’s WarGames took place in 2019 NXT WarGames PLE when Team Ripley took on Team Baszler. To date, three Women’s WarGames matches have taken place in WWE.

Major differences in the steel cage structure of both teams

Multi-story cage: One of the most prominent differences between WCW and WWE’s WarGames matches is with the steel cage structure. The cage structure at WCW would at times be multi-storied. Usually, there would be two layers of steel cages on top of one another.

WWE has never used such a structure for their WarGames matches. Their ring consists of two rings joined together and surrounded by a steel cage.

No roof in the steel structure: The steel cages at WCW with rings combined would often have a ceiling made of steel. It would prohibit superstars from escaping the ring.

There was no such ceiling at WWE’s WarGames. Hence, WWE made a rule that prohibited superstars from escaping the ring as it would disqualify the team.

While WWE took the WarGames idea from WCW, it seems that they have succeeded in making it their own. Are you excited for the upcoming WarGames match at Survivor Series?

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