AEW wrestlers will take their fight to Warhammer by battling live in new Age of Sigmar mode Spearhead

Warhammer fans and AEW wrestling fans will soon be doing the Predator hand-shaking meme thanks to an upcoming exhibition match where Claudio Castagnoli and Kip Sabian will compete using Age of Sigmar’s new Spearhead mode.

The bout is one part of the miniature wargame’s big preview of Age of Sigmar’s upcoming 4th Edition - Mortal Realms Reforged during the Dallas Open at the Arlington eSports Stadium on May 16th and 17th. Castagnoli and Sabian will take control of a Skaven and Stormcast Eternals army and battle it out using the recently announced Spearhead game mode.

Sitting somewhere between lightning-quick skirmishes and complex full army battles, Spearhead advertises a gateway to large-scale Warhammer played on a battlefield that’s only a quarter of the core game’s recommendation - and not coincidentally perfect for the kitchen table. Warhammer will be releasing Spearhead boxes for many of its existing factions, and existing Vanguard boxes will be rebranded going forward. Other changes include simplified Warscrolls, a Reinforcements keyword that brings certain defeated units back to the board and several other changes meant to streamline the four-round matches.

Castagnoli and Sabian are both signed to All Elite Wrestling, one of the most successful promotion companies outside of the dominant World Wrestling Entertainment. Sabian is a British wrestler who first entered the scene in 2019, while Castagnoli joined the AEW in 2022 after decades within WWE’s program. Castagnoli currently performs with the Blackpool Combat Club, and both have made appearances in AEW’s sibling promotion Ring of Honor promotion. Both have used their non-American (and specifically European, in Castagnoli’s case) nationality as part of their in-ring personas.

Both wrestlers will showcase the first live game of Spearhead since Games Workshop announced the upcoming mode earlier this year. I’m not entirely sure if either wrestler have a personal history with Warhammer, but we can add it to the growing melding of ‘nerd culture’ and professional wrestling - they’ve appeared in Dungeons & Dragons actual plays, as well as defending their title while cosplaying as Karlach from Baldur’s Gate 3. You could argue wrestling fandom has always existed comfortably within this sphere, itself a special interest with a devoted audience, deep and convoluted lore and a distinct aesthetic.

The Spearhead exhibition match is part of a larger preview event and competition playing out across the entire weekend, most of which will be streamed to Warhammer’s Twitch channel. Castagnoli and Sabian will face off at 8 p.m Central Standard Time (a brisk 2 a.m. BST) on May 16th. More information on other shows and previews can be found on the Warhammer Community blog.