Starting as far back as at least 2000, the Mexican wrestling promotion International Wrestling Revolution Group has held several annual events where the main event was a multi-man steel cage match where the last wrestler left in the cage would be forced to either remove their wrestling mask or have their hair shaved off under Lucha de Apuestas, or "bet match", rules. From 2005 IWRG has promoted a spring time show promoting the steel cage match concept under the name Guerra del Golfo, or "Gulf War", referring to the Gulf of Mexico, not the Gulf War in the middle east. The Gurerra del Golfo shows featured two "qualifying" steel cage matches where the loser would later be forced to face off against each other in the main event of the show, a final cage match where the loser would be forced to either unmask or have his/her hair shaved off. The use of the steel cage in three matches distinguishes the Guerra del Golfo event from other Steel cage matches held throughout the year such as the IWRG El Castillo del Terror, IWRG Guerra de Sexos or IWRG Prison Fatal shows. The Guerra del Golfo shows, as well as the majority of the IWRG shows in general, are held in "Arena Naucalpan", owned by the promoters of IWRG and their main arena. The 2013 Castillo del Terror show was the seventh year IWRG promoted a show under that name and the sixth year in a row since becoming an annual event from 2008 forward.
Storylines
The event featured five professional wrestling matches with different wrestlers involved in pre-existing scripted feuds, plots and storylines. Wrestlers were portrayed as either heels or faces as they followed a series of tension-building events, which culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches. The Main Event was a 12-ManSteel Cage Match. The last two wrestlers who remained in the ring fought one on one in a Lucha de Apuestas Match, wagering their mask on the outcome of the match. The event included wrestlers from International Wrestling Revolution Group as well as a number of Mexican freelance wrestlers. IWRG announced 16 participants for the annual Guerra del Golfo on April 14, 2018. IWRG regulars El Ángel, Carta Brava, Jr., Danny Casas, Chico Che, Dinamic Black, Apolo Estrada, Jr., Eterno, Factor, Mosco X-Fly, Oficial 911, Trauma I, Trauma II and Veneno were all included in the match. The Guerro del Golfo event would also include Dragon Gate trainees Eita and Tomahawk and lone AAA representative Toscano rounded out the match. In the annual Guerra del Golfo wrestlers face off in Steel cage matches with the loser of the first two steel cage matches being forced to fight each other in the final match of the night. The losing wrestler in the final would be forced to either unmask or have their hair shaved off under the Lucha libre rules of a Lucha de Apuesta, or "Bet match". Carta Brava, Jr., Dinamic Black, Trauma I and Trauma II were all masked going into the match while the other 12 competitors were putting their hair on the line. The first "loser advances" steel cage match would include Toscano, Mosco X-Fly, Oficial 911, El Ángel, Veneno, Apolo Estrada, Jr., Tomahawk and Trauma II, while the second "loser advances" match included Factor, Carta Brava, Jr., Chico Che, Eterno, Dinamic Black, Eita, Trauma I and Danny Casas. The first two cage matches would be contested under "escape" rules, which meant that a wrestler would be eliminated when that person was able to climb up the cage and put at least one leg over the top. The last person in the ring would be deemed the loser and would have to compete in a match where pinfalls and submissions would also win the match. In past IWRG steel cage matches under similar stipulations wrestlers not officially announced in the match have interfered, climbed in the cage to help someone or attack someone. This interference made the unannounced wrestlers eligible for the "loser advances" stipulation as well. The most blatant case of this scenario came at the 2012 Guerra del Golfo event where the final match turned from a one on one match to a three on three match involving all three members of Los Oficiales and all three members of Los Oficiales Elite who were involved in a long running storyline at the time.
Event
IWRG replaced Picudo, Jr. and Spartan with Eita and Tomahawk in the second match. Tomahawak was removed from the Steel Cage Match by Spartan while Eita worked two matches on the same show.
