2025 is shaping up to be a huge year for WWE NXT, and now the promotion’s developmental brand could be heading to the World’s Most Famous Arena. According to PWInsider, WWE has proposed a March 11 taping of NXT at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. If this show happens, it’ll come one day after Raw takes over MSG’s main arena.

If the show happens, it’ll mark NXT’s return to The Garden, as the brand made its debut in the arena back in 2016. An exciting night of action saw stars including Liv Morgan, Asuka, DIY, and Shinsuke Nakamura compete, long before they made their homes on the main roster.

Now, fans can expect names like Oba Femi, Giulia, Trick Williams, Tony D’Angelo, and Roxanne Perez in New York, if WWE goes ahead with plans for a show inside Madison Square Garden. This news comes as WWE NXT prepares for Vengeance Day which will take place in Washington, D.C. on February 15.

Title Matches & Main Roster Stars Set For NXT Vengeance Day

Madison Square Garden is a venue steeped in WWE history with sine of the promotion’s most iconic moments and events taking place in the legendary arena. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on WWE NXT as the brand’s expanding efforts could see them return to New York City.

WWE Monday Night Raw will return to Madison Square Garden on March 10, 2025, as part of the Road to WrestleMania 41. This event marks the first Raw taping from the iconic “World’s Most Famous Arena” in three years with tickets for the highly anticipated show will go on sale next month.

WWE recently hosted its annual Boxing Day live event at Madison Square Garden, featuring top stars like CM Punk and Seth Rollins. While no matches have been announced yet for Raw, fans can expect an action-packed lineup as WWE builds momentum toward WrestleMania 41 in April.

WWE’s Road to WrestleMania 41

The return to Madison Square Garden is just one stop on WWE’s massive Road to WrestleMania 41. Following the Raw taping, WWE will embark on an international tour, bringing televised events to Spain, Belgium, Italy, Scotland, and England throughout March 2025. Additionally, live events are scheduled in Germany, Northern Ireland, Austria, and The Netherlands.

Find Out More On WWE’s Huge Road To WrestleMania 41 Tour

This international tour wraps up just weeks before WrestleMania 41, set to take place on April 19 and 20, 2025, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. WrestleMania season remains the most exciting time of the year for the WWE Universe, with plenty of surprises expected along the way. Stay tuned to SEScoops for updates on WWE’s plans leading up to their biggest event of the year.

CM Punk paid tribute to longtime rival and friend John Cena during the traditional post-Christmas WWE live event from the Madison Square Garden.

The Straight Edge Star faced Ludwig Kaiser in a singles match at the show. During a point in the bout, Punk did the whole sequence of Cena’s moveset, including the famous ‘You Can’t See Me’ taunt.

While the former AEW star failed to hit his finishing move at the end of this sequence, he eventually hit GTS on Kaiser to pick up the victory.

• CM Punk Never Wanted To Leave WWE: “Stuff Happens”

WWE Madison Square Garden Results

The traditional WWE Madison Square Garden Live Event featured names such as Seth Rollins, Liv Morgan, The Wyatt Sicks and more. Below are the quick results of the show:

Singles Match: LA Knight def. Santos Escobar: Knight won with BFT and cut a promo afterward.

Singles Match: Xavier Woods def. Otis: The New Day cut a promo about leaving their families to work the Holiday show and berated New York. Kingston hit an enziguri on Otis while the referee was distracted, allowing Woods to get the pin with a flying elbow.

Two Out Of Three Falls Match: Intercontinental Champion Bron Breakker def. Sami Zayn: Zayn got the first pin with the Helluva Kick then he scored several near falls. He went for another Helluva kick but got speared twice by Breakker who then got a pin himself. After another near fall, Zayn got speared again while running the ropes and Breakker got the decisive pin.

Singles Match: Seth Rollins def. Dominik Mysterio: A fan threw a chicken tender in the ring. Dom ate it and picked the mic mid match to complain that it was one of the worst tenders he has had in his life. Seth got the pin after countering the frog splash and hitting the curb stomp.

Singles Match: CM Punk vs. Ludwig Kaiser: Punk wins with GTS. He made snow angles with the referee in the ring afterward.

Six Men Tag Team Match: The Wyatt Sicks def. The Final Testament: ‘Hometown boy’ Karrion Kross cut a promo before the match demanding respect. He issued an open challenge and Wyatts answered. Nikki Cross got the pin in the end.

Singles Match: Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan def. IYO SKY: Raquel Rodriguez was in Morgan’s corner. Referee ejected Rodriguez when she distracted SKY during a top rope dive. Morgan got the pin with Oblivion.

Steel Cage Match: World Heavyweight Champion GUNTHER def. Damian Priest: Priest got a huge pop when he overpowered a choke from the world champion. Ludwig Kaiser then entered the ring and the two started beating Damian. Priest still managed to get some offense and looked to exit the cage, only for Dirty Dom to stop him. Dom slammed the door on his former friend, allowing GUNTHER to get the pin. CM Punk, wearing a towel made the save for Priest in the end.

Umaga’s son Zilla Fatu was in the crowd for tonight’s event. WWE announced that they’ll be returning to Madison Square Garden on 3/10 for a Raw taping.

• CM Punk Match Confirmed For WWE Raw Netflix Debut

WWE returned to the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden, in New York City on Thursday night for its annual Christmas week live events tour. The star-studded event featured thrilling matches and moments that kept fans on the edge of their seats. Here are the results and highlights:

LA Knight vs. Santos Escobar: LA Knight secured a hard-fought victory by countering Escobar with the BFT. (Winner: LA Knight)

Otis vs. Xavier Woods (w/Kofi Kingston): Despite Otis showcasing dominance early on, interference from Kofi Kingston allowed Woods to capitalize with a signature elbow drop for the win. (Winner: Xavier Woods)

Intercontinental Championship (2 out of 3 Falls): Bron Breakker (c) vs. Sami Zayn: Sami Zayn scored the first fall with a Helluva Kick. Bron Breakker responded with two devastating Spears to tie it up. In the third fall, Breakker retained his title with an incredible mid-air Spear. (Winner: Bron Breakker)

Seth Rollins vs. Dominik Mysterio: Rollins teased CM Punk’s iconic GTS move, electrifying the crowd before seizing control. After enduring an antagonizing promo from Mysterio, Rollins sealed the match with a decisive Curb Stomp. (Winner: Seth Rollins)

CM Punk vs. Ludwig Kaiser: CM Punk received a thunderous ovation as he took on Ludwig Kaiser. After some early control from Kaiser, Punk rallied and delivered a tribute to John Cena with a Five Knuckle Shuffle, followed by a GTS for the win. (Winner: CM Punk)

Post-match: Punk celebrated by making snow angels in the center of the ring:

The Wyatt Sicks vs. The Final Testament: The match saw intense back-and-forth action, with Erick Rowan dominating for The Wyatt Sicks at one point. Ultimately, Nikki Cross clinched the victory for her team by pinning Scarlett. (Winner: The Wyatt Sicks)

Women’s World Championship Match: Liv Morgan (c) vs. Iyo Sky: Iyo Sky displayed her signature athleticism with a Missile Drop Kick and cross-body press, controlling much of the match early on. However, interference from Raquel Rodriguez helped Liv Morgan turn the tide until Rodriguez was ejected by the referee. Morgan retained her title with an I’m Prettier finisher after Sky missed a Moonsault. (Winner: Liv Morgan)

Post-match: The crowd applauded Iyo Sky’s impressive performance.

Steel Caget Match Main Event: Damian Priest vs. World Heavyweight Champion Gunther: Gunther pinned Damian Priest with a powerbomb in a Steel Cage Match. (Winner: Gunther)

Post-match: CM Punk cut a promo in the ring with Damian Priest congratulating him for main eventing Madison Square Garden in his hometown.

WWE Holiday Tour 2024 Dates

The remaining dates on WWE’s holiday live events tour include:

• 12/27: RAW Live Show in Pittsburgh, PA
• 12/28: SmackDown Live Show in Orlando, FL
• 12/29: RAW Live Show in Chicago, IL
• 12/29: SmackDown Live Show in Miami, FL

Kayla Braxton received a special farewell after this week’s episode of SmackDown from Madison Square Garden went off air.

The WWE broadcaster worked her final show at the world’s most famous arena after announcing her departure from the company last week.

After the show went off air, Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes made an appearance to honor his dad, Dusty Rhodes, in the same arena where Dusty briefly held the WWWF title before it was taken away from him.

Before his promo, however, Cody mentioned how one member of the WWE family was leaving them after tonight, and brought her out for a final acknowledgment.

Kayla got emotional on receiving a huge applause from the audience. She cut a short promo, thanking the fans for accepting an outsider like her into the business 8 years ago when she first joined the promotion:

What’s Next For Kayla Braxton

Kayla Braxton posted a photo on her Twitter from the arena after the show. She said that she is overwhelmed with emotions and will miss everyone:

I love my WWE family. Thank you guys so much. I’m overwhelmed. I will miss you all but we will see eachother again. ?? pic.twitter.com/41gQipSLsi

— Kayla Becker (@kaylabecker_tv) June 29, 2024

It’s been reported that the company was in talks with the female star for a contract renewal but she ultimately chose not to renew her deal.

While Kayla has not revealed plans for her post-WWE career, she did confirm that she will be leaving the wrestling business altogether, instead of joining a rival promotion like AEW.

The experience of working in a live TV environment in a global brand like WWE would surely help Braxton in her next adventure. We wish that she will find success in whatever she chooses to do next.

Cody Rhodes honored his father Dusty Rhodes in a unique way after this week’s episode of SmackDown from Madison Square Garden went off air.

This was an emotional night for The American Nightmare. It was his first appearance as a World Champion, in the same arena where his father briefly held the WWWF Heavyweight Championship before it was taken away from him.

The SmackDown star addressed the crowd after the show went off the air. He mentioned how MSG is where it all began when Dusty Rhodes first traveled to New York from Texas.

The Undisputed WWE Champion went on to cut a short promo about his family’s history before he surprised the fans by bringing out the belt that his father had failed to capture all the decades prior:

Dusty Rhodes challenged Superstar Billy Graham for the WWWF Championship on September 27, 1977. He defeated Graham via a count out and celebrated with the title for a while. It was then announced, however, that the belt could only change hands via pinfall or submission, and the title was returned to Graham.

What Happened On SmackDown

Cody Rhodes was involved in the broadcast of the show. He along with Kevin Owens and Randy Orton attacked The Bloodline led by Solo Sikoa in the opening segment of the night. This came after Jacob Fatu made his debut and took out all three during last week’s SmackDown.

The babyface trio was escorted out of the arena by security and police so they could not interfere in the Bloodline Acknowledgement ceremony in the main event.

During the ceremony, Paul Heyman was brutally attacked by Solo and his cousins after the wiseman refused to acknowledge him as the new Tribal Chief. You can check out what happened with Paul Heyman after this segment here.

WWE ended 2023 on a high by hosting a record-breaking Holiday Tour, as touted by Head of Talent & Creative Triple H. 

The eight-night tour kicked off on December 26 with WWE’s annual event from Madison Square Garden in New York City. That same night, WWE would host an event in Baltimore, Maryland. WWE would also host events in Boston, Montreal, State College, Detroit, Houston, Toronto, and Las Vegas before ending the tour at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. 

WWE’s Record-Breaking Holiday Tour

As previously reported, WWE’s return to Madison Square Garden saw the largest gate for any non-televised event in the history of the promotion. That show saw CM Punk make his return to the ring in his first WWE match since the 2014 Royal Rumble. 

Taking to Twitter, Triple H shared more impressive news about the recent Holiday Tour. The 14-time WWE World Champion revealed that the eight-show tour had four sell-out events. Eight of the total ten events on the tour proved to be record-breaking gates for wrestling shows in their respective arenas. 

In addition to #WWEMSG becoming the highest-grossing domestic non-televised WWE live event of all time, @WWE’s Holiday Tour broke records in markets across North America.

What a way to cap off 2023. Grateful to each and every Superstar, crew member and the @WWEUniverse for… pic.twitter.com/DRTSrePEGO

— Triple H (@TripleH) January 1, 2024

What’s Next? 

With this highly successful tour in the history books, WWE’s attention turns to what will be a stacked week of programming. Tonight’s Raw will be a ‘Day 1’ special edition of the red brand, followed by NXT New Year’s Evil the following night. On Friday, WWE will host their ‘New Year’s Revolution’ edition of SmackDown. From there, WWE will host the Royal Rumble on January 27. The promotion will head to Perth, Australia for their Elimination Chamber event in February, before WrestleMania 40 in April. 

What resolutions do the WWE Superstars have for the New Year? Click here to find out. 

This year’s Boxing Day WWE live event was an extra special event for CM Punk, who left Madison Square Garden with more than just a win. 

At the December 26, WWE live event in MSG, Punk defeated Dominik Mysterio in his first match for WWE since January 2014. This match was Punk’s first bout of any promotion since AEW All In 2023 as he was fired just days after that show. Punk will face ‘Dirty Dom’ again at the upcoming WWE live event in Inglewood, California on December 30. 

CM Punk’s Special Gift

With the show taking place just one day after Christmas, the staff inside the World’s Most Famous Arena had a special gift for CM Punk. In a backstage video, Punk can be seen receiving a plaque commemorating his first WWE match in close to a decade. The plaque also highlights this year’s event being a sold-out show, and Punk was moved by the gesture. Punk joked that he was hoping for the key to a ‘secret bathroom’ in the Garden, but the plaque is even better. 

Last night @TheGarden gifted @CMPunk something very special for his first match back! 🤩✨#WWEMSG pic.twitter.com/PjwFGwSgYh

— WWE (@WWE) December 27, 2023

What’s Next for CM Punk? 

CM Punk will compete in the Men’s Royal Rumble match on January 27. The former WWE & AEW World Champion is already considered a favorite to win the match, as is this year’s winner Cody Rhodes. Punk’s next appearances have already been confirmed by WWE, as he will appear twice on Raw ahead of next month’s Premium Live Event. 

CM Punk recreated a spot from his AEW in-ring debut during the WWE MSG event. Click here to find out more. 

CM Punk’s successful return to the ring saw the WWE Raw Superstar recapture some of the magic from his in-ring debut for AEW. 

At last night’s WWE live event in Madison Square Gareden, Punk defeated Dominik Mysterio in his first match for WWE since January 2014. This match was Punk’s first bout of any promotion since AEW All In 2023 as he was fired just days after that show. Punk will face ‘Dirty Dom’ again at the upcoming WWE live event in Inglewood, California on December 30. 

CM Punk Recreates AEW Spot

Punk held nothing back during his match with the Judgment Day member, and even made reference to his AEW in-ring debut at All Out 2021. During one section of the match, Mysterio took to the turnbuckle and Punk sat up and laughed, replicating a spot from Punk’s match with Darby Allin three years ago. You can check out the spot in question below. 

CM Punk recreated the Darby Allin spot from his AEW in ring debut tonight at #WWEMSG pic.twitter.com/41mMUgnwxm

— Anutosh Bajpai || SEScoops || Wrestling News (@AuthorAnutosh) December 27, 2023

CM Punk’s Wardrobe Malfunction

While CM Punk made an impactful return to the ring at the WWE MSG event, his ring attire for the show was somewhat underwhelming. Rather than his typical Chicago-inspired trunks, Punk wore plain back trunks for the match. As Wrestle Purists noted before the show, the trunks Punk had planned to wear did not fit, meaning he had to don his back-up trunks which were the plain black ones fans saw at this show. 

Seth Rollins paid tribute to Brodie Lee and Windham ‘Bray Wyatt’ Rotunda in an emotional tribute in the closing moments of this week’s live event in Madison Square Garden. 

The December 26 event in the World’s Most Famous Arena has been a staple of WWE for years now and typically features a much bigger card compare to other untelevised shows. This year’s event proved to be no different, with CM Punk defeating Dominik Mysterio in his firstn WWE match since 2014. The show also saw Cody Rhodes defeat Shinsuke Nakamura in the first Bull Rope match in WWE since 2009. The match was Cody’s first Bull Rope match in WWE and the second of his entire career. 

Seth Rollins’ Touching Tribute

In the main event of the show, Rollins retained the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Drew McIntyre in a No-DQ, No Count Outs match. Adressing the fans after the match, Rollins reflected on the death of Brodie Lee, who died on Boxing Day in 2020. Rollins also spoke about Rotunda, who died in August of this year. 

“On the 26th of December, a few years back, my good friend, our good friend Brodie Lee passed away. I miss him [fans chant Brodie]. And just a few months ago we lost Windham Rotunda as well. But earlier tonight when the lights were down, that’s right, I saw some fireflies out there in the Garden. 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah man. So look, here’s the deal. They’re kicking me out of here. We’ve got a curfew but I’m not leaving this building until you guys light this place up with those fireflies and you sing my damn song so loud Brodie and Windham can hear you! Let’s go New York! [fans sing Rollins’ theme song] I love you forever, get home safe. 

Long Live Brodie Lee and Windham Rotunda 🕊️🤍 #WWEMSG pic.twitter.com/LWRmd5RnVv

— peach (@peach4peeps) December 27, 2023

Cody Rhodes will face Shinsuke Nakamura at the upcoming WWE live event in Madison Square Garden, in a match we’ve not seen in WWE in over a decade. 

 In recent years, it has become a tradition for WWE to host an event inside the World’s Most Famous Arena on Boxing Day. This year will prove to be no different, with a special match planned for Nakamura and Rhodes. As first reported by Michael Kay of ESPN, the pair will face off in a Bull Rope match at the December 26 show.

BREAKING: @CodyRhodes will face @ShinsukeN in a Bull Rope match at the @WWE Holiday Tour show at MSG on the 26th

— Don, Hahn & Rosenberg (@DHRonESPN) December 14, 2023

Rhodes had previously been scheduled to face ‘Dirty’ Dominik Mysterio at the end. Instead, Mysterio will face CM Punk in the latter’s first WWE match since January 2014. 

This match will mark Cody’s first bull rope match in WWE, and his second overall. He previously faced Jay Lethal in a bull rope match in ROH in 2017. This will mark Nakamura’s first bull rope match in his career. WWE’s most recent bull rope match took place in 2009 and saw Hornswoggle defeat Chavo Guerrero in under two minutes. A more competitive match took place in 2007 and saw Randy Orton face Cody’s father the ‘American Dream’ Dusty Rhodes. 

WWE in Madison Square Garden

Here is the card for the upcoming event inside Madison Square Garden: 

• Seth ‘Freakin’ Rollins (c) Vs. Drew McIntyre (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)

• Finn Balor & Damian Priest (c) Vs. Sami Zayn & Jey Uso (Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships)

• CM Punk Vs. ‘Dirty’ Dominik Mysterio

• Cody Rhodes Vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (Texas Bullrope Match)

Other names being advertised include WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley, Becky Lynch, The New Day, Ricochet, Raquel Rodriguez, and Omos. 

On last night’s edition of WWE RAW, Paul Heyman noted that Brock Lesnar will have to defend his WWE Championship on March 5th inside Madison Square Garden. WWE has been having difficulty selling tickets to the event, as they did for the show they held from the venue on December 26th.

As of this writing, WWE has sold 60 less tickets for the show on March 5th than they did for the show on December 26th. According to @WrestleTix, the show has sold 5,316 tickets thus far.

The final tally for the December 26th show from Madison Square Garden had 5,376 tickets sold.

According to attendance figures from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, up until 2019, WWE averaged 13,000 to 14,000 for its annual holiday show in Madison Square Garden. The 2019 show dipped to 10,795, however. Due to the pandemic, no show was held in 2020. The 2021 holiday show was hurt by the wave of the omicron variant and only sold a little over 5300 tickets.

WWE held an episode of Smackdown from Madison Square Garden on September 10th, 2021 that drew 13,323 paid fans, however.

WWE currently has Brock Lesnar, Bobby Lashley, Roman Reigns, Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey advertised for the March 5th show. On last night’s RAW, Paul Heyman noted that if Bobby Lashley is unable to compete at MSG, a suitable replacement will be found for Brock’s opponent.

The lineup to last night’s WWE live event in Madison Square Garden underwent several changes. The planned main event was Big E defending the WWE Championship against Bobby Lashley, Seth Rollins, and Kevin Owens. Becky Lynch was also supposed to defend the RAW Women’s Championship against Bianca Belair. Neither of those two matches ended up happening and of the above-mentioned names, only Kevin Owens appeared on the show.

An announcement was made before the show that several talent would not appear but it was not specified who. Edge then made an unadvertised appearance and started the show saying he got the call a couple of days ago to be apart of the card. This brought out Kevin Owens and they set the stage for them headlining the show.

1. Finn Balor defeated T-BAR
2. Alpha Academy defeated The Dirty Dawgs
3. NXT Championship: Tommaso Ciampa (c) defeated Pete Dunne
4. Natalya defeated Nikki ASH
5. Rhea Ripley defeated Natalya
6. RAW Tag Team Championships: RK-Bro (c) defeated The Mysterios and Street Profits in a triple threat match.
7. United States Championship: Damian Priest (c) defeated The Miz
8. AJ Styles defeated Omos via disqualification (Styles pretended as though Omos had hit him with a chair and the referee fell for it).
9. Steel Cage Match: Edge defeated Kevin Owens.

Miz came out during the match to attack Edge and further their rivalry. Damian Priest would come out and make the save, however and Edge hit a spear on Miz.

WWE chairman Vince McMahon was in attendance for the Super SmackDown from Madison Square Garden this Friday. He was running the show from the gorilla position, according to PWInsider.

President Nick Khan was in the arena as well. He was on the floor talking to fans all night. Both Khan and Stephanie McMahon also greeted fans before the show.

WWE officially announced a 14,425 sellout for the special SmackDown episode. Both Peter Rosenberg and author Keith Elliot Greenberg were in attendance for the show.

Edge was pretty emotional for his return to Madison Square Garden after many years. He got down on his knees and kissed the mat during the commercial break after his entrance and before the match with Seth Rollins.

Apart from the canceled women’s tag team match which got the company a lot of heat online, a Bianca Belair vs. Becky Lynch dark match was also advertised for SmackDown which didn’t take place.

There were three dark matches, however, that did take place during the night. The dark matches saw several Raw brand stars and John Cena competing in different matches before and after the show. You can check out a detailed report of the dark matches and watch videos of them here.

WWE has announced that they will be resuming the tradition of the post-Christmas live event from Madison Square Garden after their return to the arena this week.

The company made the announcement during the Super SmackDown this week. A graphic on the show confirmed that they will be holding a live event from the legendary arena on December 26:

WWE considers Madison Square Garden a home arena because they have been promoting shows there for more than four decades.

Madison Square Garden has held many televised and non televised events of the company over the dacades including PPVs such as SummerSlam and Survivor Series.

Most notably, MSG was the home of the first-ever WrestleMania event in March 1985. The PPV returned to The Garden for its 10th and 20th anniversary in 1994 and 2004 respectively as well.

The COVID-19 pandemic had forced WWE to cancel a show from the arena scheduled for March 2020. They also had to halt the tradition of holding a post-Christmas live event from MSG last year.

Though the company returned to the legendary arena with a special episode of SmackDown this week. Now they have confirmed that they will be resuming the tradition for their post-Christmas special as well.

As reported last week, WWE are returning to Madison Square Garden later this year for the first time in six years.

The arena has played home to countless WWE events over the years. Both house shows, live events, and big PPVs. Both Wrestlemania and SummerSlam debut events were held there. The announcement of a Smackdown return to Madison Square Garden was naturally excitedly received by the WWE universe.

In a new development, it has been announced that the event will be a ‘Super Smackdown’ with wrestlers from both brands making an appearance.

WWE Universal champion Roman Reigns took to social media to comment on the decision. Saying he was excited to see both brands lining up for the Tribal Chief.

Tickets for the event went on sale this morning. Madison Square Garden has stipulated that anybody over 16 needs to show proof of vaccination if they want to attend. As of the time of writing, there are still tickets available for the event.

WWE Draft Set One Week Before Madison Square Garden Return

The return to Madison Square Garden is scheduled 1 week after the 2021 edition of the WWE draft. The decision to include superstars from both rosters could be a way of ensuring names can appear regardless of the draft result.

Including members of both rosters is not common in the era of the brand split. However, if ever there was a reason to celebrate in such a way, a return to wrestling’s Mecca would certainly be a valid one.

Regardless of the brand, Madison Square Garden always brings with it a special atmosphere. The company are sure to go all out for the event. With WWE celebrating being back on the road, with fans in attendance, it is guaranteed to be a memorable occasion.

The end of the Pandemic Era of professional wrestling is fast approaching. More and more companies are announcing their return to live, fan attended events.

WWE has recently announced a long list of tour dates, including their highly anticipated return to Madison Square Garden.

Arguably one of the most famous and prestigious wrestling venues in the world, Madison Square Garden has seen its fair share of WWE events over the years. However, very few will carry with them the atmosphere of this return.

WWE will return to MSG for an episode of Smackdown on Friday, September 10th. Tickets for the event will be available through Ticketmaster and are scheduled to go on sale on Friday, July 9th at 10 am.

WWE Has a Long History with Madison Square Garden

The WWE has long used the Garden as a stop during their tours. However, this will mark the first time since October 3rd, 2015, that WWE has made a stop there. In the main event, John Cena defeated Seth Rollins for the United States Championship. With both Cena and the Garden returning to WWE programming, things are starting to get that normal feel once more.

Madison Square Garden has been home to many WWE firsts, including the debut Wrestlemania and Summerslam events. It was also the place where Mr McMahon tasted his first Stone Cold Stunner during the debut RAW taping in the arena.

While it will not be the first place WWE go with returning fans, the Garden will always be a memorable location for any WWE event.

Interestingly enough, the WWE title has changed hands sixteen times at Madison Square Garden, which is more than at any other wrestling venue.

WWE will be headed back to Madison Square Garden on Friday, September 10th, 2021. According to a report from PW Insider, their sources from MSG have confirmed WWE will run Smackdown from the world’s most famous arena on that date.

It will be the first time WWE has run the venue since December of 2019. WWE typically runs a show at MSG every December 26th but it was cancelled last year due to the pandemic.

WWE presented both a RAW and a Smackdown from Madison Square Garden in 2019. They had previously just been running house shows in the venue dating back to Survivor Series 2011.

AEW’s NYC Debut Just Days Later

WWE’s show in New York will come just weeks before AEW presents a show from Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday, September 22nd.

AEW President Tony Khan commented on AEW’s NYC debut in a press release sent in to SEScoops earlier this month.

“We wanted our first show in New York City to be extraordinary and epic in scale, and there’s no better venue to bring out the best in our talent and creativity than the iconic USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.”

Khan continued, “We love the concept of wrestling in a non-traditional venue and placing our AEW ring on center court in the awe-inspiring Arthur Ashe Stadium. I can’t wait for fans to experience our live AEW DYNAMITE: GRAND SLAM show in one of the coolest venues on the planet.”

New Japan Pro-Wrestling has announced that they will make their return to Madison Square Garden with an event titled “Wrestle Dynasty.” This event will take place on Saturday, August 22nd, 2020.

Following their “G1 Supercard” event, which was co-promoted with Ring of Honor and sold out with over 16,000 attendees, NJPW will aim to fill New York’s Madison Square Garden with an event that is all their own.

Information on ticket prices, ticket sale dates, or talent which will be booked for the event, has yet to be announced.

Madison Square Garden recently hosted both Monday Night RAW and SmackDown Live this past week. WWE brought in WWE Legends ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin and The Undertaker to appear on each show, with both returning to a heroes welcome.

Austin appeared during the opening and closing segments of RAW. ‘The Dead Man’ appeared during the opening segment of SmackDown Live, choke slamming Sami Zayn after cutting a promo about how he considers SmackDown his “home.”

To mark the occasion, Madison Square Garden gifted some special commemorative items to Steve Austin and ‘Taker. Both Superstars received custom jerseys with their name printed along the back. Austin’s was accompanied by a ‘3:16′ while Undertaker’s had ’33.’

In addition to the jerseys, The Undertaker had a photo of him hung up on The Garden’s wall. In the picture, he is delivering a leg drop his brother Kane during WrestleMania XX. This photo was placed under a photo of Elvis Presley.

‘The Rattlesnake’ received a custom frame with iconic Austin moments that took place in MSG flanking a ‘Welcome Home Stone Cold’ message along the middle.

Both men would share their gifts online via their social media accounts, with Austin writing:

“Thank you from the great people here @TheGarden!!! Special times in a special building. It’s good to be back home. @WWE #Raw”

The Undertaker, breaking character somewhat, admitted that MSG will always be his favorite venue.

“Thank you to @TheGarden The most iconic venue in the world! The two photos were hanging on the wall backstage. MSG will always be my favorite…#msg #WWE #theking”

“Stone Cold” Steve Austin enjoyed a homecoming to Madison Square Garden during last night’s episode of Monday Night RAW. In the run-up to his appearance, where he participated in a contract signing between WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman, Austin spoke with SI.com about coming back to MSG.

“Walking through those doors at the Garden is still special for me,” said Austin. “That’s the WWE’s backyard. Even though they’ve been away for a couple of years, that’s a very special building to Vince.”

Austin reflected on how some of the most iconic moments of his career took place at Madison Square garden, including delivering his first-ever Stone Cold Stunner on Vince McMahon in 1997. He shared that the MSG crowd is a “tough” audience, but “if you can win them over, you’ve really done something. It’s a crowd that you’ve got to work really hard for to earn their respect, and I love that about that building.”

Leaving The Garden

The passionate crowd had a very different reaction to you depending on whether you were a heel or babyface, as Austin recalled incidents with fans ripping mirrors in the heat of the moment.

“I remember when the business got so hot back in the day that when you would drive your rental car into the Garden, the fans would line up and wait for you on the way out,” Austin stated. “Depending on how over you were as a babyface or how much heat you had as a heel, they would tear off your side-view mirrors and rip off your antennas. People tearing up your automobile was almost like your reward for being over or having heat. We didn’t like it, but that was how it was. And eventually it started meaning something to us.”

He added how Vince McMahon would always be in attendance for WWE shows at MSG, even house shows. When he did, Austin added that everyone worked even harder than they already were because they knew Vince was watching them.

The recent rating drops for both Raw and SmackDown Live have been a major topic of discussion among wrestling fans in recent weeks. However, it’s not the only matter of concern for the WWE Officials.

Throughout the year we have seen the company pulling out some of its lowest live attendance scores in years. Despite their best efforts, this spree continued for their Madison Square Garden Live Event as well.

As we noted before, this year’s post-Christmas MSG Live Event featured some very appealing matches and segments such as the segment featuring John Cena and Vince McMahon.

However, despite the company’s best efforts, the Raw branded show only drew 11,900 fans which according to Wrestling Observer is the lowest turnout for the show in recent memory.

Things weren’t great on the blue side either and the SmackDown Brand Live Event on the same night which was held in Allstate Arena, just outside Chicago, also only managed to draw 6,000 people.

Similar to the MSG event, this number is also a lot less than expected and this post-Christmas special is usually able to fill in about 10,000 seats every year.

It’d be interesting to know how the officials react to these low attendance figures and what changes they make to attract more people to their shows in near future.

WWE will be heading back to Madison Square Garden on December 26th. MSG is one of WWE’s home bases for Holiday shows and this Boxing Day event will continue the trend. In terms of ‘house show’ events Madison Square Garden is one of WWE’s best buildings to draw in and traditionally Christmas week is extremely lucrative for live events.

It has been confirmed that WWE will taking the Smackdown Live crew to run the event. Several matches have already been announced including AJ Styles vs Samoa Joe for the WWE Championship in a Steel Cage. Daniel Bryan vs The Miz and Becky Lynch vs Charlotte Flair.

It is interesting that WWE has chosen to use Smackdown for this booking. Smackdown is generally regarded as the ‘lesser’ crew when it comes to live events. On previous occasions where WWE has run an MSG house show they add some RAW talent to help boost the draw of the event and generate more revenue.

MSG will also be the home for ROH/NJPW’s upcoming event on WrestleMania weekend 2019. There were several reports of WWE attempting to block the event from happening but now the show has sold out. The G1 Supercard is set to be New Japan’s biggest event outside of Japan and potentially their most important as they look to expand globally.

Madison Square Garden is no longer dominated by WWE. Earlier this year some big news broke for the professional wrestling community. New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) and Ring Of Honor (ROH) managed to sell out New York City’s Madison Square Garden. The two promotions will hold their G1 Supercard at MSG on April 6th.

The action goes down during WrestleMania 35 weekend. The Garden is a big deal to McMahon and the McMahon family, who have been promoting there for years. Recently, former WWE executive Bruce Prichard offered his thoughts on the matter during his podcast, Something To Wrestle.

Prichard said he thinks McMahon is probably “hurt pretty bad” about the ordeal. But also, he envisions McMahon perceiving this as an opportunity to grow as well:

“I think there is a big part of him that is probably hurt pretty bad, just thinking about the tradition of his grandfather and his father promoting in The Garden,” Prichard said.

“But at the same time, the Vince McMahon of today has grown a lot too, and sees it as, alright, it is a part of growing. It is a part of progression and we will have a new home and move on.”

How do you think McMahon feels about ROH selling out MSG?

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling have sold out Madison Square Garden. The G1 Supercard show is scheduled for April 6th, 2019 but you won’t be able to get tickets at Ticketmaster.

After going on sale to the general public at 10 AM, the remaining seats not sold to Honor Club subscribers sold-out almost instantly today. Fans were expressing their frustration at not being able to purchase tickets.

keep trying! some may pop up if someone lets their cart empty!

— ROH – Ring of Honor Wrestling (@ringofhonor) August 10, 2018

ROH/NJPW Madison Square Garden

Tickets for the event went on sale to Honor Club subscribers last week. Subscribers were given the option of purchasing up to 8 tickets at one time. Following the sale to Honor Club subscribers, ROH officials said the building was approximately 60% sold. The remaining 40% went up for grabs this morning and were gone pretty much as soon as they went on sale.

Confirmed for G1 Supercard:

Ring of Honor contracts typically finishes at the promotion’s final event of the year, Final Battle. As a result, many ROH stars aren’t under contract passed 2019. Some ROH talent has been signed to deals that long, however, and those stars are being featured in promo videos.

ROH stars confirmed for G1 Supercard:

• Flip Gordon
• Matt Taven
• Bully Ray
• the Briscoes
• Marty Scurll

NJPW stars confirmed for G1 Supercard:

• Hiroshi Tanahashi
• Kazuchika Okada
• Tetsuya Naito