Who invented WWE WarGames match?

Let’s explore WarGames’ illustrious history ahead of Survivor Series 2025.

The WWE Survivor Series: WarGames 2025 is a few days away now. The 2025 edition of the PLE will be hosted on Saturday, November 29, 2025, at Petco Park in San Diego, California.

Let us look at the illustrious history of the match ahead of the upcoming PLE at Petco Park. The 39th edition of Survivor Series will be the fourth WarGames-themed event in the company’s history. 

It will also be the first of its kind to be held in an outdoor venue, the first to take place in a stadium, the first hosted at a Major League Baseball facility, and only the second Survivor Series to occur in California, following the 2018 event in Los Angeles.

In the men’s WarGames, the team of CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, The Usos (Jimmy & Jey Uso), and Roman Reigns will take on the team led by Paul Heyman, which consists of Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, Logan Paul, Drew McIntyre, and Brock Lesnar.

On the other hand, the team of Rhea Ripley, Iyo Sky, Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, and AJ Lee will battle the team of Nia Jax, Lash Legend, The Kabuki Warriors (Kairi Sane & Asuka), and Becky Lynch in the women’s WarGames match.

Also Read: List of 10 jaw dropping WarGames moments at WWE Survivor Series (via WWE)

The WarGames match was conceptualized in 1987

The match was conceived by the pro wrestling icon, Dusty Rhodes in 1987, Rhodes is regarded as one of the greatest wrestlers of his generation.

WarGames was inspired by the post-apocalyptic film ‘Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome’. Originally, it was part of Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP) in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).

This innovative match featured two teams of four or more battling within a steel-caged, double-ring structure. Depending upon the promotion, the cage may or may not have a roof.

Originally, these matches prohibited pinfalls, requiring teams to win solely through submissions. The concept started in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), was later adopted by World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and ultimately transitioned to WWE following its acquisition in 2001.

The Stamford-based promotion started hosting these matches as part of an experiment on their NXT brand. The NXT TakeOver: WarGames in 2017 was used to build up strong factions.

However, the concept was a hit among modern audiences, and the tradition then debuted on the main roster as part of the Survivor Series in 2022. As mentioned earlier, this edition of the PLE will be the third edition of the tradition.

Do you enjoy the concept of WarGames matches in WWE? How excited are you for the upcoming Survivor Series? Which faction do you think will come out on top in this showdown? Share your predictions and opinions with us in the comments section!

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