With WWE Hall of Famer Triple H now Head of Creative within WWE, something which many fans didn’t think would ever happen (as Vince McMahon apparently truly felt immortal and his reign over the Federation felt endless). Since Vinnie-Mac retired not long ago there have already been visible changes in the company’s weekly programming, with a new focus on in-ring work, less poor finishes, pushes for different individuals, and returns. These changes will likely continue and will become more drastic as the months go on. Something that should happen with The Game’s time in charge is the debut of WarGames on the main roster.
WarGames Became A Classic Gimmick Match In WCW
The modified steel cage match stipulation is a favourite of old school wrestling fans, being birthed in 1987 in the National Wrestling Alliance, it was typically used to settle the differences between the Horsemen and their rivals from the time. Whilst there were many WarGames matches at house show events, it would progress to become a yearly tradition in NWA and then in World Championship Wrestling when the company made that transition from being an affiliate, mostly taking place at the Fall Brawl event, featuring WCW legends such as WWE Hall of Famers Diamond Dallas Page, Sting, "American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, and many more.
In 2001 WWE purchased all WCW assets, and whilst they didn’t own the concept itself, they owned the WarGames name. With this being such a unique and popular gimmick, the Federation could have undoubtedly used this as a draw... but with Vince McMahon, it was clear that anything coming from World Championship Wrestling wasn’t seen as being as good as anything in WWE. McMahon wouldn’t have wanted to utilize something that was a success elsewhere when it was not a creation of his own.
Triple H Has Already Brought War Games To NXT
When it comes to The Cerebral Assassin, he is very much a fan of old school wrestling, and that was clear in how he booked NXT once it became WWE’s developmental brand. Storytelling was mostly done in the ring, and he would also begin to introduce old school concepts such as Halloween Havoc, In Your House, and most notably, WarGames. In 2017, the Gold & Black Brand held its own version, updating the classic modified steel cage match into something more modern, fast-paced, and not as gruesome, so it was more suitable for a younger audience.
WarGames became a staple of the Undisputed Era during their dominance over NXT, fighting an array of rivals over the years. Whilst there is more fondness towards the classic matches this new modern-day version was a hit, and it provided a lot of fun and entertaining action within the matches which have taken place on the WWE Network over the last five years. Now that the WWE Hall of Famer is in command of Raw and SmackDown, many believe he should undoubtedly bring it over to the main roster.
WarGames Would Need To Be Handled Carefully On WWE’s Main Roster
For the last decade or so, Monday Night Raw and Friday Night Smackdown have felt as though they've been on a decline (aside from a few fun periods here and there). It looks like it's in dire need of something new, especially with the Hell in a Cell and Money in the Bank stipulations becoming tiresome. WarGames would be something fresh for the main roster, and something never seen before on that scale. Whilst the Survivor Series tag team elimination concept is great, it is something which has also become less attractive over time, so using WarGames at the event could be a great way to give it some much needed life.
Triple H would need to be careful though, especially if it became a yearly spectacle. The issue with Hell in a Cell, TLC, and other gimmick events over the years is that they feel less special as time progresses, particularly when feuds are shoe-horned into these stipulations. With this specialized steel cage match on the main roster, it would be important to only utilize it when necessary, and when there are factions of competitors who are at odds, with both sides only able to settle their differences in a huge stipulation such as WarGames.
Big calls like this to make changes in WWE is exactly what should be done to entice new or lapsed viewers for the product - with new leadership making its stamp to try and bring back something reminiscent of more successful times (even with record profits each and every year). Although All Elite Wrestling has their own version, Blood & Guts, and Major League Wrestling has even done their own version... WarGames is something the Federation has been doing in NXT already, so it wouldn’t scream ‘copycat’, although some viewers will likely draw comparisons. However, seeing main roster stars such as Bayley, Bianca Belair, Seth Rollins, and Drew McIntyre competing inside the structure could make for some compelling matches.
Source: the Sportster -
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