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To truly understand the existential importance of Madison Square Garden to present day WWE, you must go back to the era of the territories.
In 1948, the National Wrestling Alliance formed. It pretty much aligned all the major promotions within the United States together. While there were regional bookers who had their own clientele of talent, they all had to share one recognized World Champion.
This seemed dandy until two major federations broke away later on.
One of them would be Verne Gagne and the Minnesota-based AWA (American Wrestling Association).
The other would be Vincent J. McMahon and the WWWF (World Wide Wrestling Federation).
McMahon, the father of Vincent Kennedy McMahon, would run shop in the Northeast. For all the towns and all the venues, only one place would hold the major cards and feud-enders: Madison Square Garden.
Located in New York City on 34th & 6th, MSG held the trials and tribulations of many a superstar over the years.
It’s history is so vast that a singular count-down list of moments would do this invaluable establishment injustice.
In this piece, we’re gonna look at just a few of MSG’s greatest contributions to WWE’s history.
One of the reasons why MSG is so important is because it can link the lineage of WWE with mentions of Bruno Sammartino and John Cena in the same breath. The Garden has always been a hotbed for wrestling, and this is one small article to prove it.
So here we are, a sampling of what MSG so great. (Note: These are not in chronological order!)
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Hulk Hogan Defeats The Iron Sheik to Win the WWE Championship. January 23rd, 1984.
Consider this the moment that changed it all!
Hulk Hogan, once banished from the WWE for attempting to become a movie star, became the top man partially thanks to a change in management.
The elder McMahon stepped down from power, and his successor to the throne was son Vince Kennedy. Vince’s vision was succinctly different than his father’s, which would ultimately involve carving the business up for himself.
That’s another story for another day.
Instead, let’s go back to that cold January night.
The Sheik won the title only a month before due to the forfeit of Bob Backlund via that man’s manager Arnold Skaaland. This evil Iranian was the epitome of evil. His Camel Clutch was a death spell for all victims, including the once-superhuman Backlund. Bob’s five-year title run as champion was effectively ended by that hold.
Backlund was out for revenge, but he would need help.
Cue Hogan!
Hogan’s first WWWF stint a few years before was relatively fruitless. While the big guy was managed by Freddie Blassie, this heel monster was kind-of forgettable.
Hogan was approached about an offer for Rocky III. The elder McMahon told Hogan it’s either the movie or the business. Hulk chose Rocky, and Vince Sr. fired him on the spot.
After the movie was done shooting, Hogan showed up in the AWA. He was initially brought in as a heel, but the crowd could not get enough of him. Not only did he eventually turn face, but he was the most credible threat to Nick Bockwinkel’s kingpin status as AWA Champion.
Hogan was gaining credibility and experience every time he stepped into the ring. While the belt always eluded him, it was only a matter of time before he would get it.
Then the son called.
Vincent Kennedy offered Hogan a can’t miss opportunity. It was so grand that Hogan even skipped his remaining AWA commitments in order to jump ship. The ramifications of THAT will be discussed another day.
So Hogan came to the WWE. With a fire in his gut and an eye of the tiger, Hulk eyed Sheik and the title.
Alia iacta est. The die is cast. January the 23rd 1984 would be the date everyone circled on their calendar.
The match itself was pretty quick. Hogan primarily dominated his smaller opponent, but the evil-doer would turn momentum. Hogan was down in the despised Clutch, and the fans were rumbling for his comeback!
Hogan answered and in spades. He would drop the leg, and get the 1-2-3!
In a shade under seven minutes, Hulk Hogan became WWE Champion for the first time. It was an emotional affair backstage, capped off with Andre the Giant pouring champagne down the backside of the champion.
For the next four years, Hulkamania would indeed be running wild. This match was like Snow White with Disney: the one that started it all!
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AUSTIN STUNS MCMAHON! Monday Night RAW. September 22nd, 1997
WWE’s RAW had been on the air for over four years by this point. For all the accolades the show would have by now, the surprising fact here is that it was RAW’s first trip to MSG.
Do not get confused between this and with the original home of RAW, the Manhattan Center. They are very close to one another, but the arenas could not be any more different.
Back to MSG. The Monday Night Wars are in full swing, and WCW was in full kick-assery mode. The new World order was running strong, and the Cruiserweights were supplementing that with great matches in the undercard.
WWE was just beginning to inject some ‘Attitude’ into the formula in desperation.
Steve Austin was really starting to come up through the ranks of the WWE. A neck injury stalled his wrestling momentum, but not the brash personality.
In the month prior to this, Austin laid out every announcer and authority figure with the Stone Cold Stunner.
But one.
You see, Austin didn’t have many friends on the roster (kayfabe), and his biggest enemies were that of the Hart Foundation. At this point in time, specifically Owen.
Owen’s botched piledriver sent Austin to the hospital with a neck injury that would keep Austin out of the ring for a while, and ultimately would lead to surgery.
In the events leading up to the show, Owen had a restraining order filed against Austin. Essentially, Austin would be arrested if he tried to touch Owen.
So after Owen’s victory over Brian Pillman in the Intercontinental Championship tournament, he dedicated the match to loving brother Bret.
Then he got jumped.
Austin pounced, but NYPD’s finest were right in line to arrest him. Vince McMahon got off the announce table to cool the proceedings.
Vince scolded Austin, but not in the way he would later on in future. He understood Austin was hurt and upset, but he shouldn’t break the law and hurt himself further.
Austin acknowledges the care he has received, but he tells McMahon to go kiss his ASS.
STUNNER!
It was a very poorly executed Stunner, and it can be attributed to Vince’s goofy selling. Austin was arrested, and hauled off to jail. I wonder if perhaps it was the same jail the Mountie got anally raped in during Summerslam 1991?
Whatever the case was, it was effective, and it might have been a turning point in the Wars.
Not only was it a great MSG moment, but it will rank up there in WWE moments as well.
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John Cena Returns! Royal Rumble. January 27th, 2008
Transforming into something more current.
John Cena’s Superman-like WWE Championship run in 2007 came to an abrupt end. While attempting to give a basic hip toss to Mr. Kennedy on RAW, Cena tore his right pectoral muscle. Like a soldier he finished the match, and was even subject to a beat-down from Randy Orton. Orton and Cena should have clashed at No Mercy that month for the title in a Last Man Standing affair.
Cena’s recovery time was slated to be six to twelve months. From that point, WrestleMania may not have even been an option.
However, he shocked the world…
More on that in a minute.
The 2008 edition of the Royal Rumble was an entertaining one indeed.
Michael Buffer introduced the first two combatants. First was The Undertaker, the defending winner of the Rumble. Second was the HEARTBREAKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK KIDDDDDDDDDDD! Shawn Michaels literally had his name exaggerated like that, and sought revenge on the man who eliminated him from the Rumble last year. Essentially, the last two men to enter the Rumble the year previous are the first two men to enter this year.
Michaels and ‘Taker dominated the first half of the Rumble. Eventually both would be eliminated as Michaels would eliminate Undertaker, and Mr. Kennedy would nearly simultaneously throw Shawn over.
Roddy Piper and Jimmy Snuka would go nose to nose and brawl. This would stop everything DEAD COLD in the ring!
When Triple H came out, he started to whoop some ass. He was the odds on favorite seeing as how he had to overcome the odds to even enter this match.
#30 was coming out. While there was no one announced for it, the general consensus is that it would be some sort of mid-card filler.
3…
2…
1…
HOLY FUCKING DOG SHIT IT’S JOHN CENA!
The response to this was epic. He came back more than two months earlier than projected! Cena started mowing down the competition to a mixture of appreciation and depreciation.
H and Cena were the last two eligible. Cena was able to hurl The Game over the top, and claim his prize: a trip to WrestleMania!
For an era where the internet is the greatest tool in spoilers, this surprise was guarded better than almost any in that time frame. Cena legitimately surprised the Madison Square Garden crowd, who in themselves are no spring chickens.
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Shawn Michaels Flies! WrestleMania X. March 20th, 1994
The setup for the match was perfect. Shawn Michaels, then Intercontinental Champion, was suspended by the WWE for testing positive on a drug test. On television, this was covered up by saying Michaels failed to appear for company duty.
In the wake of it all, a new champion was crowned via a one-two punch, a battle royal in which the last two men standing would compete one-on-one. Razor Ramon was the baddest guy with the baddest gold by the time it was all said and done.
Shawn appears a short time later… WITH AN INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE BELT?
In real life, Shawn kept the belt after he was suspended. Vince turned this into a positive by saying the WWE never asked for it back.
Fans were confused yet interested. The battle to determine it all was WrestleMania X, the ladder match!
While it was a ladder contest, the match didn’t really go deep into the ladders immediately. Some nice wrestling kicked it off, with Diesel (Shawn’s bodyguard at the time) earned an ejection after cold-cocking Ramon with a right hand! “YOU SEE SOMETHIN’?” Apparently John Cena did in his sleep!
Both men eventually would taste the steel.
Shawn would eventually climb that ladder, and in a single moment, cemented his status as amongst the elite in the WWE.
The splash made the people gasp in awe, and it made Shawn Michaels a major power broker for life afterwards.
Ramon would win the match, but as noted, Shawn was the real winner. The next three matches Shawn would have at ‘Mania would all be WWE Championship matches for the Heartbreak Kid.
Not bad for a guy who literally made an ass of himself.
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This concludes part one! What moments will I pick for next time? You’ll find out in a New York City minute!
If you like what you see, please support these two organizations: MARKS, and the newly fledgling The Johnson Transcript. Both are awesome reads by writers who have been wrestling fans for the majority of their lives!
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