Tag: Madison Square Garden

Logan Paul says wrestling for WWE at Madison Square Garden is a dream come true

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Tonight’s WWE SmackDown is going to be a memorable moment for Logan Paul.

Paul will make his Madison Square Garden debut when he competes on tonight’s SmackDown from New York City. He’s facing off against LA Knight and Santos Escobar in a triple threat Money in the Bank qualifying match.

On social media, Paul posted a photo from Madison Square Garden and wrote that wrestling at the World’s Most Famous Arena is a dream come true.

Paul also shared a post from 2019 where he promised that he would fight at Madison Square Garden soon.

“I posted this five years ago, Madison Square Garden, in 2019. I said I will fight right there soon,” Paul said. “Five years later your boy is wrestling front and center at Madison Square Garden tonight.”

Prior to tonight, Paul has only ever wrestled on SmackDown once, winning an Elimination Chamber qualifying match this February. All of his other matches have taken place at WWE PPVs/PLEs. If Paul qualifies for Money in the Bank, it will be his second straight year competing in the men’s ladder match.

Paul is the current United States Champion and is expected to defend the title against Knight at SummerSlam this August.

Here’s everything that’s been announced for tonight’s SmackDown:

  • Bloodline Acknowledgement Ceremony for Jacob Fatu
  • Men’s Money in the Bank qualifying match: Logan Paul vs. LA Knight vs. Santos Escobar
  • Women’s Money in the Bank qualifying match: Jade Cargill vs. Tiffany Stratton vs. Candice LeRae
  • Women’s Money in the Bank qualifying match: Naomi vs. Blair Davenport vs. Indi Hartwell

DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: MSG history, Bruno Sammartino

Posted on by Karl Stern

On this episode of the DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show, host Karl Stern continues his look at wrestling history at Madison Square Garden in New York in the year 1931. 

He also continues his look back at Dave Meltzer’s epic biography on the life and times of Bruno Sammartino from the pages of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, plus tons of news and notes. More pro wrestling history than you can shake a preverbal stick at!

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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Podcast: History of wrestling at MSG

Posted on by Karl Stern

Pro Wrestling historian Karl Stern continues his look at the history of professional wrestling in a rotating series of classic pro wrestling podcasts. Today’s theme returns to the history of wrestling at Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY, one of the most famous arenas in the world. 

We are up to 1928 in the series and the New York State Athletic Commission is fed up with all this fakery and orders matches in New York to stop billing themselves as contests despite the fact that the President of the NYSAC is a former pro wrestler who worked a share of matches himself.

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VIDEO: CM Punk cuts promo after WWE Madison Square Garden return

Posted on by Ian Carey

CM Punk addressed the live crowd in Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.

Punk wrestled his first WWE match in nearly 10 years last night. He defeated Dominik Mysterio at WWE’s annual December 26 show in the world’s most famous arena.

Punk cut a promo after, saying: 

I’ll be honest, there’s a little bit, a little part of me that came here for me but you guys are the high tide that raises all ships. You have carried me throughout my career to my greatest moments and this is one of them.

So all you, look to your left and I want you to look to your right, I want you to look at the people behind you, I want you to say hello to your neighbors, I want you to shake hands. We are all in this together.

When I wake up in the morning and somebody asks me how my day is, I say, ‘Hey I woke up this morning, everything else after that I’m fortunate for. Everyday I’m in this ring in front of all of you, I am fortunate for.

I came back here to finish what I started. It starts tonight in the world’s most famous arena in front of you, the greatest fans on Earth. And I know I got stiff competition but I’m here to finish what I started and when I win the Royal Rumble and go on to main event WrestleMania, ladies and gentlemen I’m here to let you know, that isn’t me finishing my story, that’s just me getting started. 

His promo was posted to social media via The Public Enemies podcast: 

Fightful is reporting that internal WWE reports state the December 26 show in Madison Square Garden was WWE’s highest-grossing domestic non-televised event of all time. WrestleTix has 15,569 tickets having been distributed to the show.

Punk wore plain black trunks for his match against Mysterio. HausofWrestling is reporting that this was due to special gear Punk had ordered for the MSG show not fitting him correctly. 

DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: The end of Madison Square Garden II

Posted on by Karl Stern

All good things must end and in this edition of the my history of pro wrestling at Madison Square Garden series, the second version of MSG meets its fate and pro wrestling almost does as well.

The battle between Jack Curley and Tex Rickard fizzles to an anti-climactic end, but with Rickard still in control of MSG and now building a new gigantic 20,000-seat third Garden, he is still the man to deal with.

Enter Jess McMahon who shakes up boxing and his son Vince McMahon who will shake up pro wrestling.

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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: The Zbyszkos at MSG

Posted on by Karl Stern

On this week’s DragongKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show, I continue my chronological exploration into the history of pro wrestling at MSG in New York City.

We continue into the 1920s and discuss the saga of Tex Rickard and how he had taken over the pro wrestling scene. However, he ran into legal trouble and it threatens not only pro wrestling but boxing as well. 

Also, the Zbyszko brothers continue their run as top stars and the NYSAC continues to be a problem.

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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: John Pesek & the history of wrestling at MSG

Posted on by Karl Stern

In this 14th installment of my history of pro wrestling at Madison Square Garden series, I look at one of the toughest and scariest shooters ever in wrestling history who you seldom hear about but should: John Pesek.

I discuss how a pioneer era wrestler shockingly and bafflingly helped change the rules of wrestling in a way that had a serious negative impact on the industry in that era.

Plus, there’s a new promoter in town as the war between Tex Rickard and Jack Curley ends in a whimper.

There’s lots of history in this episode that will affect wrestling for years to come.

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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: The original Trust Busters at MSG

Posted on by Karl Stern

A very interesting era greets us on this edition of my history of wrestling at MSG series on the DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show.

We are moving away from Earl Caddock into the Ed “Strangler” Lewis era and there are those out there who are not pleased with the wrestling trust. Marin Plestina is giving the trust trouble, but ran up against John Pesek. Joe Stecher began to show signs of future problems that would plague him for the rest of his life. Tex Rickard and Al Haft bumped heads…and more.

Enjoy this packed edition of the history of pro wrestling at Madison Square Garden series and be sure to check out the archives for past shows.

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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: Joe Stecher at MSG

Posted on by Karl Stern

A very famous era for pro wrestling at Madison Square Garden is the focus of this week’s DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show.

The Nineteens would see the death of the unbeaten World heavyweight champion Frank Gotch and the split of the title into various factions. Among those competing for the title include Joe Stecher who had his match with the famous Masked Marvel at MSG.

Ed “Strangler” Lewis also becomes more prominent in our story while also includes John Olin, the Zbyszkos, and more.

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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: The Zbyszko brothers at MSG

Posted on by Karl Stern

I continue my series looking at the history of pro wrestling at Madison Square Garden in New York City. 

At this point, we are up to the 1910s where both Stanislaus and Wladek Zbyszko are having a run. Both were world champion wrestlers in the early 1900s and even have a eventual wrestling connection through Harley Race. (Larry Zbyszko, though not related, took his name from them.)

Also on this episode, I talk about Mort Henderson, who made quite a sensation as the Masked Marvel and his match with Joe Stecher.

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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: MSG’s first Italian pro wrestling superstar

Posted on by Karl Stern

We continue our roll through the early 1900s in my deep dive look into the history of pro wrestling at Madison Square Garden.

From 1910 to around 1912, MSG found its first Italian superstar which drew heavily from the large Italian fanbase in the New York area: a phenomena that would greatly benefit Bruno Sammartino and others in the future.

Meet Giovanni Raicevich. Never heard of him? Few have, but in the 1910s he was the big draw at MSG until Stanislaus Zbyszko finally shut him down.

Also, I have more on Frank Gotch and his final match at MSG, an arena he never won a match in.

If you’ve missed any of the past shows, check them out in the archives.

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WWE MSG house show results: Bray Wyatt returns to in-ring action

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Here are results from Monday night’s WWE house show results from Madison Square Garden.

  • Sheamus and Ridge Holland defeated Imperium. Sheamus pinned Ludwig Kaiser with a Brogue Kick.
  • Hit Row (B-Fab, Top Dolla, and Ashante Thee Adonis) defeated Legado del Fantasma (Jouaqin Wilde, Cruz del Toro, and and Zelina Vega). Adonis pinned Wilde.
  • Jinder Mahal came out and cut a promo, upset he wasn’t in the ladder match for the Intercontinental title. He challenged anyone to face him. Wyatt came out, which led to…
  • Bray Wyatt defeated Jinder Mahal. Wyatt pinned Mahal with the Sister Abigail.
  • Gunther defeated Kofi Kingston, Madcap Moss, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Santos Escobar in a five-way ladder match to retain the Intercontinental title. Towards the end of the match, Kingston went for a stomp on Escobar off a ladder. Escobar landed badly and was walked out after the match by WWE staff. Gunther won the match, grabbing the title after chopping Moss off the ladder. Ricochet was originally advertised for the match, with Moss replacing Ricochet.
  • Karrion Kross defeated Drew Gulak
  • Liv Morgan defeated Shayna Baszler in a New York Street Fight. Morgan won after landing a top rope leg drop on top of the table, which did not break.
  • Braun Strowman came out and said that he was going to teach The Bloodline and Sami Zayn a lesson. Zayn came out and said he was not medically cleared to compete, so the match ended up being…
  • Braun Strowman defeated Solo Sioka by DQ. The Bloodline ran in once Strowman attempted a powerslam on Sikoa. Kevin Owens made the save, which led to…
  • Braun Strowman and Kevin Owens defeated The Usos in a non-title match. Sikoa was ejected from ringside. Strowman & Owens won after Strowman hit the powerslam on Jimmy Uso as Owens gave the stunner to Jey.

DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: 1908-1911 Madison Square Garden history

Posted on by Karl Stern

This episode of the DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Audio Show continues my long series detailing pro wrestling at Madison Square Garden in New York City with this week’s focus on 1908 through 1911.

In this episode, George Hackenschmidt defeats the American champion Tom Jenkins to become recognized as the first true pro wrestling World heavyweight champion with a surprising lack of coverage.

Plus, Frank Gotch loses again at the Garden and much more.

All shows are available in the archive in case you missed them.

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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: The history of wrestling at Madison Square Garden continues

Posted on by Karl Stern

One of the biggest matches so far in my series looking at pro wrestling history at Madison Square Garden takes place this episode as Tom Jenkins faces Frank Gotch.

Did you know the legendary Gotch never won a match at MSG? I talk about that and more plus yet another giant Turk shows up squashing people. 

My popular history of pro wrestling at Madison Square Garden series continues. Just click below and check out the other shows in the archives.

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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: The continued history of wrestling at MSG

Posted on by Karl Stern

We close out the 1800s in my continued look at pro wrestling at Madison Square Garden by looking at the only pro wrestling show held there in 1898 before it resumed in 1900.

Ernest Rober has returned and we find out that he is the hand-picked champion for William Muldoon. We also discover clues as to why the original Strangler, Evan Lewis, never wrestled at MSG. We then discuss one of the best early heavyweights, Tom Jenkins.

Enjoy this latest episode of DragonKing Karl.

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