The conclusion of GCW Homecoming Part 2 saw “Smart” Mark Sterling, the representative of new GCW World Champion Matt Cardona, address the crowd in attendance at The Showboat. As he was making various claims, such as potentially renaming the world title the “GCW Universal Championship,” he was interrupted by Nick Gage. The former GCW World Champion stormed the ring before attacking Sterling. Just as Gage broke out his signature pizza cutter, he was interrupted by Rickey Shane Page and the rest of the 44OH. For a moment, it seemed that “The King” would fight alone. That was until he was joined by former GCW Ultraviolent Champion Alex Colon. Not long after, the Second Gear Crew – EFFY, AJ Gray, and the GCW Tag Team Champions Matthew Justice and Mance Warner – joined the fray. As Page and his group escaped, Gage laid down the challenge: the two teams would meet on September 4, at GCW The Art of War Games, previously known as GCW The Art of War, in the first GCW War Games Match.
.@thekingnickgage just announced his gang vs. 44OH on September 4th in Chicago will be WAR GAMES!#GCWHomecoming pic.twitter.com/wbmthuDJiE
— TrillerTV (@FiteTV) July 26, 2021
Established in 1978, the War Games Match concept stemmed from Dusty Rhodes, who was inspired by the film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. From that point on, the match concept would be used semiregularly from 1978 to 2000, not only under the National Wrestling Alliance umbrella but World Championship Wrestling as well. On a mainstream level, the match concept would make its return under the WWE NXT banner via the first NXT TakeOver: WarGames event in 2017. This would go on to become a yearly event for NXT.
Historically, the War Games Match consists of multiple teams – anywhere from 2 to 3 – with anywhere from 3 to 5 participants on each team. The two main feature of this match is the use of two wrestling rings surrounded by a steel cage. The match begins with one member of each team. After regular intervals, a member from an alternating team would join the fray. Once all participants are active, the War Games Match enters a stage known as “The Match Beyond.” This is when pinfalls, submissions, knockouts, or surrenders can occur. Whether GCW implements modifications to this match style remains to be seen.
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. Catch a replay of GCW Homecoming Part 2 on FITE.
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