WWE has a deeply rooted history at Madison Square Garden. From Hulk Hogan tag-teaming with Mr. T at the first WrestleMania in 1985 to John Cena returning from an injury three months early to win the 2008 Royal Rumble, some of the most iconic moments in wrestling history took shape at the World’s Most Famous Arena. This week, WWE adds a new chapter to that storied legacy.
Not only will there be a highly anticipated steel cage match between CM Punk and Seth Rollins at the Mecca on Monday Night Raw, but there will also be a stacked NXT Roadblock card coming live from The Theater at MSG on Tuesday night.
NXT—a training ground for the next generation of WWE superstars—has soared to new heights under the creative leadership of WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels. The roster is currently brimming with elite talent, and many of its top draws will compete on Tuesday against stars from partner promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).
The card is headlined by a “Title vs. Title” match between NXT Women’s champ Guilia and NXT Women’s North American champ Stephanie Vaquer. The contest between the pair of best friends was billed by Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque as “arguably the biggest match in NXT history,” adding that it will “determine the future of the entire WWE women’s division.”
Vaquer, who has never competed at the Garden before, recognizes the weight of the historic moment and can’t wait to get out and shine on one of the grandest stages in sports.
“It’s my first time in Madison Square Garden,” she told Uncle Bully Ray (aka Bubba Ray Dudley) on the Busted Open Podcast last Wednesday. “I’m so excited and nervous, but I’m focused… sometimes I need to stop and say to myself, ‘you need to believe you’re here now, and you need to make history right now.’ It’s a big responsibility, but I’m ready.”
Meanwhile, Oba Femi will put his NXT championship on the line against the TNA Word champ Moose, and “All Ego” Ethan Page will take on his bitter rival, Je’Von Evans, in a street fight.
Vaquer, Femi, and Page all got together for the New York Rangers’ home game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday night. Speaking with MSG Network’s Michelle Gingras during the first-period intermission, Page emphasized that competing at the Garden is a dream come true.
“This is the Mecca,” he said. “To be able to finally wrestle in this historic building is huge for me personally, specifically because I’ve been wrestling for 18 years so this is one to check off the bucket list.”
That’s not all. Fresh off an appearance in the women’s Elimination Chamber match, Roxanne Perez will go toe-to-toe with Jordynne Grace. Plus, Jeff and Matt Hardy will compete in a WWE ring for the first time since 2019, putting their TNA tag titles on the line against NXT tag champs Axiom and Nathan Frazer.
NXT is on fire right now, and Roadblock at The Theater marks one of their most exciting shows yet. WWE Hall of Famer, The Undertaker, expressed his anticipation for the “stacked” event and announced on X that he’d be in attendance to watch it all go down.
