WWE is as big as it has ever been, but it is staying true to its roots in New York City.
The pro wrestling juggernaut made its triumphant return to the Big Apple on March 10 with Monday Night Raw at Madison Square Garden. Over 17,000 people sat on the edge of their seats while CM Punk and Seth Rollins ruthlessly battered each other in a steel cage match. The crowd then erupted into a frenzy when Roman Reigns ran in, wrecked everyone, and left.
WWE kept the party going on Tuesday in front of a sold-out crowd for NXT Roadblock at The Theater at MSG. The Hardy Boyz made their long-awaited return to WWE while Stephanie Vaquer became a double-champion in “arguably the biggest match in NXT history,” according to Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque.
Professional wrestling has reached never-before-seen heights over the past few years. The product is slowly defecting from its strictly PG rating, ripe with blood, brutality, and profanity that’s reminiscent of the lauded Attitude Era.
But more than that, the roster is better than it’s ever been; the company boasts elite talent across both the men’s and women’s divisions, from promising up-and-comers to Hall of Fame-bound industry legends. Storylines are consistently compelling, meticulously crafted for satisfying, long-term payoffs. Meanwhile, the company has exponentially expanded their reach through international tours, a monumental merger with the UFC, and streaming rights deals with Peacock and Netflix.
WWE is on top of the world. They could find success in taking their product anywhere across the globe. But even so, the company and its performers know that there’s just something different about pro wrestling in New York City.
“I’m here because it’s a cathedral of entertainment history,” WWE Champion Cody Rhodes said at Monday Night Raw. “It’s the home base for WWE. It’s the center of the pro wrestling universe. It’s the Garden.”
Professional wrestling, as we know it today, began in the Garden. It all started 40 years ago, when New Yorkers watched in awe as Hulk Hogan teamed up with Mr. T to take down Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff at the inaugural WrestleMania.
The Showcase of the Immortals returned to the Garden for both its 10th and 20th anniversaries. And throughout the years, the World’s Most Famous Arena has set the stage for some of the promotion’s most iconic moments.
It’s where newcomer Rocky Maivia made his in-ring debut at Survivor Series in 1996, shortly before he became the most electrifying man in sports entertainment – The Rock. It’s where Shawn Michaels survived the first-ever Elimination Chamber match at the same event six years later. It’s where John Cena shockingly returned from injury three months early to win the 2008 Royal Rumble.
New York City remains an annual stop on the promotion’s road to WrestleMania each year. Last April, Brooklyn’s Barclays Center hosted the final Monday Night Raw before WrestleMania 40, adding the finishing touches to a red-hot storyline between Rhodes and The Bloodline. That following Sunday, Rhodes defeated Reigns in Philadelphia to become the first WWE champion in his family’s history.
With Monday Night Raw and NXT Roadblock, WWE added two new exciting chapters to its rich history in New York. Both cards were loaded with instant-classic matches and heavy implications for WrestleMania 41 in April. And better yet, there’s still more to come.
Given the unprecedented growth of the company, WWE has had to move its marquee events out of arenas and into football stadiums to accommodate a much larger audience. In 2013, WWE brought the Showcase of the Immortals back to the tri-state area, this time at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey – home of the New York Jets and Giants.
With over 80,000 people rallying behind him, Cena redeemed himself from the previous year and defeated The Rock at Mania 29 for the WWE Championship.
And after twelve long years, WWE will finally return to Metlife Stadium for SummerSlam from Saturday, Aug. 2 to Sunday, Aug. 3. The flagship premium live event will make history as the first-ever SummerSlam to be held over two nights, following a format adopted by WrestleMania back in 2020.
