With the 25th anniversary of Survivor Series coming on Sunday, I am quite excited to be a fan again. Not because The Rock will be wrestling after seven years, not because I will be in attendance for the silver anniversary, but because it is taking place in my favorite arena, Madison Square Garden.
MSG has always held a special place in my heart as a fan, and I try not to miss a show there. I remember my first ever WWF show took place on February 7th, 1999 and featured the greats from the Attitude era. I still keep the stub safe from the event, as it is a memory I hold very close.
[adinserter block=”2″]I remember being in awe just waiting to cheer for Stone Cold Steve Austin, DX, and Steve Blackman. (I was a huge fan of Steve Blackman and I still get made fun of to this day about it ha!) I just remember the crowd was very rowdy but friendly at the same time, leaving my mother in fear, when I spoke with fellow fans about the matches and the storylines.
These people weren’t strangers, these were wrestling fans and we were all sharing the experience of being at a Madison Square Garden show. It was like going to a Woodstock or going to church, we were all there together as one, standing together to chant, to cheer, and to boo, as a unit.
When I left the Garden that night, I knew that I wanted to be a part of the Madison Square Garden wrestling experience whenever the WWF came to town. It was exhilarating. I was only 8 years old but I knew I wanted to be involved anyway I could. I fell in love with the crowd and the atmosphere that night and from then on I made sure I attended every show I could. Watching WWF on television just wasn’t the same after going to Madison Square Garden.
Fast forward to this Sunday and now I am an adult, a 22 year old journalist, hoping to go back to where it all began. Everything has changed though over the past decade. Attitude has died off for PG, Hardcore wrestling is nonexistent, and there are not even any tag teams anymore!
I may be fairly young but with all these changes I feel quite old. After a four year absence due to college commitments and the switch to the Hammerstein Ballroom I am hoping to relive my youth and experience that type of crowd again. I predict that the show will deliver even though the card looks quite light and we will see the NY fans be rowdy and in full effect.
It’ll be 1999 again and I will be hoping to channel my Steve Blackman like cheers for hometown favorite Zack Ryder in his quest to become US champion. It’s also crazy to me that the only remnants of the Attitude era are in the form of Mark Henry and The Rock and they are both in high profile matches.
I can’t wait for this Sunday as I know it will be amazing to go back to MSG for the first time in years. So much history is in that building and the crowd just wants to have a good time. As a special gift to you guys for getting through my first column.
I will present to you 10 gems from Madison Square Garden, that you may not have seen. These matches are stellar and have all taken place at MSG. I am going to try to open up your minds and post some matches that have not been seen. Some you may recognize these matches, some of you may not but this is my gift to you so you can see how important the Garden is to these fans. I hope you enjoy these MSG classics and thanks for reading.
Steve Urena’s Top Ten MSG Classics for the week ( in no particular order)
[adinserter block=”1″]1. Shawn Michaels vs Goldust- Ladder Match
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x648yr_shawn-michaels-vs-goldust-ladder-ma_sport
2. Shawn Michaels vs. The Brooklyn Brawler
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xdiw28_shawn-michaels-vs-brooklyn-brawler_sport
3. Bret Hart vs Yokozuna Cage Match
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6e78a_bret-hart-vs-yokozuna-steel-cage-pt_sport
4. Rob Van Dam vs Tommy Dreamer – Last Hardcore Title Match
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sxm0TJWK8-0
5. Hulk Hogan vs Ric Flair
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MftAzjRElq4
6. Greg Valentine vs Tito Santana
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28As0coY90A
7. Bob Backlund vs Stan Hansen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRVvIsktZAA
8. Los Guerrero’s vs Angle and Benoit vs Rey Misterio and Edge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnL6rlC6ZK4
9. Steve Austin vs Bret Hart
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czVmYuBnbMI
10. Dudleyz vs Hardyz – Tables Match
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xd_ZdqfiV8
– Surena6189@gmail.com. Enjoy!
[adinserter block=”1″]WWE Greatest Rivalries: Shawn Michaels Vs Bret Hart DVD
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As I recall, Brooklyn Brawler won a battle royal to get his title shot with Michaels. I didn't see Bret fight Yokozuna in the cage at MSG, but saw the same match at the Springfield (MA) Civic Center, and it was damn good considering blood was not allowed at the time. Back in the early 1980s and before, MSG was one of the few places that WWF title changes occurred. To those of us who grew up on the WWF in the '70s and '80s, MSG was, as Gorilla Monsoon used to say, "the mecca of professional wrestling."
Just want you to know that there are people out in this world that have a soul… People who are also fans of Steve Blackman.