Tony Schiavone Discusses WWE & AEW's Best Gimmick Matches

Whether it's the Royal Rumble, Blood & Guts, Money in the Bank, or a Texas Death Match, gimmick matches have become an increasingly important and beloved part of wrestling in the modern era. All of the major wrestling companies have their own signature matches, and AEW's Tony Schiavone recently ran down some of his all-time favorites on his podcast, "What Happened When."

"I kind of think WarGames is number one," Schiavone said, explaining that opinion likely comes from his history in WCW. "I was on the first one, and that was old school. I think we've had some very good incarnations of it in Blood & Guts. ... I know NXT and WWE had some pretty good ones."

WarGames was created by Dusty Rhodes and introduced in the summer of 1987. The match requires two rings to be constructed next to one another, with a massive cage placed over both. Competitors are added at certain time intervals until it becomes five-on-five and the match officially begins.

Schiavone then listed WWE's annual Royal Rumble as his second favorite gimmick match. The Rumble dates back to 1988, with WWE altering the rules of the traditional battle royale to add more suspense and storytelling potential. After discussing the Royal Rumble and WarGames, the AEW commentator also gave a shout-out to a more recent match type added by the upstart company.

"I like freaking Stadium Stampedes," Schiavone continued. AEW first introduced the pre-taped Stadium Stampede match during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the promotion was running its shows out of Daily's Place in Jacksonville, Florida. Right next door to that arena is EverBank Stadium, previously known as TIAA Bank Field and home to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The first Stadium Stampede took place there during Double or Nothing 2020, pitting Kenny Omega, the Young Bucks, "Hangman" Adam Page, and Matt Hardy against The Inner Circle.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "What Happened When" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.