There is no shortage of historic WWE matches and moments that have taken place in the state of New York.
New York hosted the first ever WrestleMania event, as well as the milestone 10th and 20th editions of the event. Without a doubt, no single arena has enjoyed more historic WWE moments than Madison Square Garden in Manhattan.
Professional wrestling is one of the many sports that fans can bet on. The odds and money lines for WWE pay-per-view match winners are released several weeks before the event takes places.
The Empire State launched mobile sports betting in January, and several New York sports sportsbooks are offering special risk-free bets to new customers. You can place risk-free bets of up to $1,000 at BetMGM and FanDuel, and Caesars is offering up to $1,100 in first bet insurance.
With that all said, let’s dive into the five best and most unforgettable WWE moments that took place right here in New York.
- Triple H’s 2002 Return
Triple H suffered a gruesome quadriceps tear during a tag team match on the May 21, 2001 episode of Raw Is War. The injury happened when The Game ran over to break up Chris Jericho’s “Walls of Jericho” submission hold on Steve Austin (Triple H’s tag team partner).
One of WWE’s top stars was sidelined for the remainder of the year, and there were concerns if he’d ever be able to get back in the ring again.
Any concerns were eased, however, when Triple H made an electrifying return at Madison Square Garden on the Jan. 7, 2002 episode of Raw.
His return made for one of the most unforgettable crowd pops in WWE history. This would set the stage for a thrilling WrestleMania X8 weekend in Toronto, Ontario. Triple H defeated Jericho in the main event that night to become the new WWE Champion.
- Razor Ramon & HBK Steal The Show At WrestleMania X
They didn’t call Shawn Michaels “The Showstopper” for nothing.
It didn’t matter if he was in the first match, the last match or in the middle of the card. Michaels always found a way to steal the show on the grandest of stages. Case in point: WrestleMania X against Razor Ramon.
WrestleMania X was held at Madison Square Garden on March 20, 1994. The main event featured Bret Hart vs. Yokuzuna in a WWE Championship match, with Roddy Piper serving as the special guest referee.
But the top showdown that night was undoubtedly Ramon vs. HBK: A Ladder match for the Undisputed Intercontinental Championship.
Two of the industry’s all-time great in-ring workers and performers traded blow for blow in a match that lasted just under 19 minutes.
Just when Michaels was about to climb the ladder to snag the titles, Ramon came over and pushed him off in the nick of time. Ramon then made his move to the top of the ladder and grabbed both belts to become the new Intercontinental Champion.
- Steve Austin & The Undertaker Headline SummerSlam 1998
Arguably the two greatest WWE superstars of all-time closed out SummerSlam 1998 at MSG on Aug. 30, 1998.
‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, in the peak of his run as WWE’s top star, defended his WWE Championship against The Undertaker in a No Disqualification bout.
Both legends put on clinical performances in the ring, having displayed remarkable pace and execution from start to finish. When all was said and done, The Texas Rattlesnake defeated The Phenom via pinfall to retain his title.
- John Cena’s Surprise Return At 2008 Royal Rumble
Cena suffered a torn pectoral muscle during his Oct. 1, 2007 match with Mr. Kennedy on Raw.
Cena, then 30 years of age, was in the midst of his run as the top superstar in WWE. The company announced that he was expected to miss six to 12 months of action, and Cena ultimately had to vacate his WWE Championship.
But Cena defied the odds and was back in the game in less than four months. The crowd at Madison Square Garden erupted when Cena was revealed to be the surprise No. 30 entry in the 2008 Royal Rumble match, much to the chagrin of Triple H.
Cena took a few moments to soak up the moment before making his way to the ring. “The Face That Runs the Place” last eliminated Triple H to pick up the first Royal Rumble win of his career.
So much for that “six to 12 months” recovery timeline.
- MSG Hosts First Ever WrestleMania Event
WWE’s flagship program all started right here in the Empire State, nearly four decades ago.
WrestleMania I was held inside New York’s world-famous Madison Square Garden on Mar. 31, 1985. Mr. T. Liberace was brought in as the special guest timekeeper for WrestleMania. Over one million viewers wound up watching the event via CCTV.
The star-studded event featured nine matches on the card. The main event was a tag team match, with Hulk Hogan — the company’s biggest star at the time — and Mr. T going up against Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff.
Boxing legend Muhammad Ali and longtime WWE official Pat Patterson served as the special guest referees for the match that was won by Hogan and Mr. T.
Vince McMahon went above and beyond to make his first WrestleMania event a memorable one. Here we are 37 years later, and WrestleMania stands as the golden standard for sports entertainment pay-per-views.
