WWE History Vol. 13: The greatest matches held at Madison Square Garden
It's billed as the greatest arena in the world, and while it may not host quite as many musical acts as the O2 arena in London, Madison Square Garden is still far and away the gold standard for event venues.
Built in 1964, the venerable arena is the home to the New York Rangers and the New York Knicks. The arena was once destroyed by Godzilla during the 1998 film of the same name. It has also hosted the Ringling Brothers Circus, boxing matches, and of course pro wrestling events.
Modern WWE rose out of Vince McMahon Sr.'s World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) Since the WWWF's territory was the North East, the company could lay claim to Madison Square Garden for events.
Many of WWE's watershed moments happened at Madison Square Garden. It's the place where Hulkamania was born, the place where Kane was unmasked for the first time, and where 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin first delivered a Stunner to Vince McMahon.
The rich history of WWE and New York City's most famous arena has been intrinsically entwined. With such a rich tapestry of wrestling moments, it can be hard to whittle it down to a chosen few, but that's exactly what we have done for WWE History Vol. 13.
Here are the top ten greatest WWE matches ever to take place at Madison Square Garden which helps us justify why it is still called the 'Mecca of the WWE'.
#1. Bruno Sammartino (c) vs. Ivan Koloff, WWF World Championship, 1971
When one thinks of dominant WWE champions, one might think of men like John Cena, who has rivaled Ric Flair's numerous title reigns. Wrestling fans might also think of Hulk Hogan, who reigned as champion for most of the 1980s.
There is one name that stands above them all: Bruno Sammartino. Sammartino captured the then-WWWF title from 'Nature Boy' Buddy Rogers in a lightning quick squash match in 1963. He would then hold onto the belt for a mind-boggling eight years. Along the way he defeated a veritable who's who of wrestling legends, including Gorilla Monsoon and The Iron Sheik.
One of his most celebrated opponents was Ivan Koloff, the 'Russian Bear' who played on America's Cold War fears. Koloff could never quite unseat Bruno--until they faced each other at the Garden in 1971. Koloff defeated Bruno and ended the most legendary reign in WWE history.