WarGames (2018)

WarGames (2018) was a professional wrestling supercard event produced by Major League Wrestling (MLW), which took place on September 6, 2018 at the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The event was taped and aired as a special episode of MLW's television program, Fusion, on September 14 on beIN Sports.[1] It was the second and final MLW WarGames event; the event would be succeeded by MLW War Chamber in 2019.

Not to be confused with NXT TakeOver: WarGames (2018).
WarGames (2018)
PromotionMajor League Wrestling
DateSeptember 6, 2018
(aired September 14, 2018)
CityFort Lauderdale, Florida
VenueWar Memorial Auditorium
Event chronology
← Previous
Battle Riot I		 Next →
Fury Road
WarGames chronology
← Previous
2003		 Next →
Final
MLW Fusion special episodes chronology
← Previous
Battle Riot I		 Next →
Fusion Halloween Special

Fifteen matches were contested at the event with one match airing at the WarGames special, the namesake WarGames match, in which Team Strickland (Barrington Hughes, John Hennigan, Kotto Brazil, Shane Strickland and Tommy Dreamer) defeated The Ravagers (Abyss, Jimmy Havoc, Sami Callihan and The Death Machines (Leon Scott and Sawyer Fulton)).[2] Twelve matches were taped for future episodes of Fusion and two non-televised matches took place.[3]

Production

Background

In July 2017, Major League Wrestling resumed promoting events for the first time since the promotion's original closure in 2004. The success of these events lead MLW to secure a television deal with beIN Sports for a new program, MLW Fusion, which debuted on April 20, 2018.[4][5]

On June 20, MLW.com announced that it would be holding an event titled Fury Road on September 6.[6] However, on July 10, MLW owner Court Bauer tweeted that he would bring back the WarGames match on September 6 at the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the same venue where MLW had previously held the WarGames match in 2003.[7][8] Fury Road was postponed to take place on October 4, while WarGames was finalized as the September 6 event.[9]

Storylines

The card consisted of matches that resulted from scripted storylines, where wrestlers portrayed villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches, with results predetermined by MLW's writers. Storylines were played out on MLW's television program Fusion.[10]

On the June 22 episode of Fusion, Barrington Hughes ensured that the World Heavyweight Champion Shane Strickland would not get attacked by Sami Callihan and his Death Machines (Leon Scott and Sawyer Fulton). This led to Hughes being attacked by the Death Machines.[11][12] On the July 13 episode of Fusion, Shane Strickland was mysteriously attacked, which led to him losing the World Heavyweight Championship to Low Ki.[13][14] The attacker was revealed to be Strickland's former ally Sami Callihan, who said that he perpetrated the attack due to greed of money being paid to him by Ki and Salina de la Renta. Callihan would go on to defeat Strickland on the August 3 episode of Fusion.[15] On August 7, it was announced that Strickland and Callihan would be captains for opposing teams in the WarGames match at WarGames, with Strickland's team consisting of John Hennigan, Tommy Dreamer, Barrington Hughes and Kotto Brazil and Callihan's team called the Ravagers, which would be consisting of Jimmy Havoc and the Death Machines.[16] On August 20, Abyss was revealed as the fifth member of Ravagers.[17]

Event

The event featured the namesake WarGames match, in which Barrington Hughes, John Hennigan, Kotto Brazil, Shane Strickland and Tommy Dreamer took on The Ravagers (Abyss, Jimmy Havoc, Sami Callihan and The Death Machines (Leon Scott and Sawyer Fulton)). Near the end of the match, Havoc was about to nail an Acid Rainmaker to Dreamer but Dreamer tossed him into Callihan. An enraged Callihan hit a cutter on Havoc. Brazil then wrapped barbed wire on Hughes, who hit a big splash on Fulton and then Brazil and Hughes wrapped the barbed wire around Fulton's head, forcing him to tap out. After the match, the entire losing team attacked Havoc blaming him for the loss.[18]

Aftermath

Sami Callihan and Jimmy Havoc's brawling led to both men demanding several stipulations for a match against each other, which led MLW management to make a Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal match between the two at Fury Road.[19]

Shane Strickland moved on to a feud with Tom Lawlor, which led to the two competing in a match to determine the ace of MLW at Fury Road.[20]

Results
No.Results[21]Stipulations
1FTRicky Martinez (with Salina de la Renta) defeated Jake St. PatrickSingles match
2FTThe Hart Foundation (Brian Pillman Jr., Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Teddy Hart) defeated The Stud Stable (Leo Brien, Michael Patrick and Parrow) (with Col. Robert Parker)Six-man hurricane tag team match
3FTJimmy Yuta defeated El Hijo de L.A. Park (with Salina de la Renta)Singles match
4FTJason Cade (with Rhett Giddins) defeated Myron ReedSingles match
5FTBrody King versus PCO ended in a double disqualificationSingles match
6FTAria Blake and Maxwell Jacob Friedman defeated Joey Ryan and Taya ValkyrieMixed tag team match
7FTBrian Pillman Jr. (with Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Teddy Hart) defeated Vandal OrtagunSingles match
8FTLA Park defeated Pentagon Jr.Mexican Massacre
9FTSimon Gotch (with Tom Lawlor) defeated Gangrel via disqualificationSingles match
Simon Gotch Prize Fight Challenge
10FTDavey Boy Smith Jr. defeated A. C. H.Singles match
11DTom Lawlor defeated Joey Janela via disqualificationSingles match
12FTTeddy Hart (with Brian Pillman Jr. and Davey Boy Smith Jr.) defeated Rich SwannSingles match
13DJames Storm defeated Alan OceanSingles match
14FTLow Ki (with Salina de la Renta) (c) defeated Rey FenixSingles match for the MLW World Heavyweight Championship
15Team Strickland (Barrington Hughes, John Hennigan, Kotto Brazil, Shane Strickland and Tommy Dreamer) defeated The Ravagers (Abyss, Jimmy Havoc, Sami Callihan and The Death Machines (Leon Scott and Sawyer Fulton))WarGames match
(c) – the champion(s) heading into the match
FT – the match was taped for a future broadcast of Fusion
D – this was a dark match

References
  1. Eric Ames (September 10, 2018). "MLW News: Catch MLW's War Games This Friday On beIN Sports". The Chair Shot. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  2. "WAR GAMES/FUSION RECAP – SEPT. 14, 2018". Major League Wrestling. September 14, 2018. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  3. JJ Williams (September 7, 2018). "MLW TV TAPING RESULTS: WAR GAMES, LA PARK VS. PENTAGON JR". F4W Online.
  4. "EVENTS". 17 April 2017.
  5. "How to watch MLW Fusion on beIN SPORTS starting this Friday". 18 April 2018.
  6. "MLW Fury Road". Major League Wrestling. June 20, 2018. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  7. "WAR GAMES COMING THIS SEPTEMBER". Major League Wrestling. July 10, 2019. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  8. "MLW TIME MACHINE: WAR GAMES 2003". Major League Wrestling. August 6, 2018. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  9. Corey Collins (September 21, 2018). "MLW Has Bright Future With Big Shows In New York and Chicago". Daily DDT. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  10. Grabianowski, Ed. "How Pro Wrestling Works". HowStuffWorks. Discovery Communications. Archived from the original on November 29, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  11. "FUSION RECAP FOR JUNE 22, 2018". Major League Wrestling. June 22, 2018. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  12. "FUSION RECAP FOR JUNE 29, 2018". Major League Wrestling. June 29, 2018. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  13. "FUSION RECAP FOR JULY 13 2018". Major League Wrestling. July 13, 2018. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  14. "FUSION RECAP FOR JULY 20, 2018". Major League Wrestling. July 21, 2018. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  15. "FUSION RECAP – AUGUST 3, 2018". Major League Wrestling. August 4, 2018. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  16. "WAR GAMES TEAMS REVEALED FOR SEPTEMBER 6 CLASH". Major League Wrestling. August 7, 2018. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  17. "ABYSS REVEALED AS THE MYSTERY 5TH MAN FOR CALLIHAN'S WAR GAMES TEAM". Major League Wrestling. August 20, 2018. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  18. Joseph James (September 14, 2018). "MLW Fusion Recap (9/14): Team Strickland Vs. Team Callihan War Games Match". Wrestling Inc. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  19. "HAVOC AND CALLIHAN TO SPIN THE WHEEL AND MAKE THE DEAL OCT. 4 IN NYC". Major League Wrestling. September 19, 2018. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  20. Brad Davis (October 4, 2018). "MLW Fury Road: Final Card For Tonight's Tapings". SE Scoops. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  21. "MLW War Games". Cagematch.
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