The
Ring Of Honor G1 Supercard has sold out Madison Square Garden, which has been
WWE's spiritual home dating back to its origins as the Capitol Wrestling Corporation,
going to to become World Wide Wrestling Federation, then World Wrestling Federation,
and now known as WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment).
After
WWE's attempts to wrestler the promotion out of New York failed, the Sinclair
Broadcasting-backed company is on the road towards WrestleMania weekend, and the
sports and entertainment world seem well aware of it.
In
a recent media statement ROH COO Joe Koff noted "we are currently 60% sold
with general public for sale on Friday!"
Selling
60% of tickets for a pro wrestling event in the near-20,000 seat building roughly
translates to 9,000 tickets sold for the ROH G1 Supercard.
Wrestling
and MMA journalist Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted that
WWE has not sold out MSG in three years. WWE's most recent event at the legendary
arena on July 7 featured Ronda Rousey's MSG debut and a special appearance by
The Undertaker, and it didn't quite sell out, drawing an impressive 13,000 fans.
Things
are on the upswing in the world of professional wrestling, with WWE financials
at amazing levels, which you can look up for yourself on the WWE
Corporate website, helped in part by the 40 million or so deal they did with
the Greatest Royal Rumble which took place at the King Abdullah International
Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
WWE's
would be or partial competition, New Japan Pro Wrestling, including with their
ALL IN and ROH tie in, is on fire, selling out arena, Impact Wrestling is gaining
credibility and buzz (but needs the financial bottom line to follow), and intentional
markets such as Australia, the UK, South Africa and China are doing good business
with WWE shows.
Wrestling
streamed services, many powered by BAMTech, such as the WWE Network, NJPW World
and the ROH and Impact Wrestling offering have enabled the world to see the best
that pro wrestling has to offer on basically a 24 / 7 / 365 basis.
For
the record that WWE is still Media Man's favorite brand of sports entertainment,
largely in part become we grew up with it and have many friends and associates
who either work for, or used to work for, the sports entertainment giant. Watching
WWE, WWF, was some of the entertainment highlights of our formative years when
we discovered this unique form of entertainment.
It's
a great thing for the wrestling industry that the other promotions are going so
well and are loaded with talent - many of which have caught the eye of the WWE...
we're talking about you Kenny Omega, and how can we forget The Young Bucks.
Our
list of wrestling business greats for the year of 2018 are starting from the top:
Chris
Jericho (WWE, Fozzy frontman and New Japan Pro Wrestling + + +)
Harold
Meij (President of New Japan Pro-Wrestling)
Cody
Rhodes and Kenny Omega, New Japan, ROH, All IN collaborations. A tie for these
two pro wrestling and entertainment innovators
Chris
Jericho, WWE Superstar (at time of publication), New Japan Pro-Wrestling special
attraction. Pop culture cross over megastar
Dana
White (President of UFC)
Jimmy
Hart (Hulk Hogan's manager)
Paul
Dainty (President and CEO of TEG - Dainty)
Rich
Claffey Executive Vice President, Venue Management - Madison Square Garden and
David Dibble Chief Executive Officer, MSG Ventures. Tie for Madison Square Garden
management
Eric
Shanks, president and COO at Fox Sports
Roman
Reigns, The Guy in the WWE as far as being a top performer and heat seeking missile.
Reigns is resilient and a top performer, as well as generates network subs and
sells tickets and merchandise.
Hulk
Hogan. He's back in the WWE Hall of Fame and Hogan has been redeeming himself
and promises to be a better man. Hogan is understand to be working on something
very big regarding a reformation of the NWO (New World Order). The WWE doesn't
need Hogan, but he does create a buzz. Surely WWE talent can learn from him as
far as promo skills and also from avoiding the pitfalls of public life.
Shawn
Michaels, WWE Performance Centre Trainer. Should be tied with Matt Bloom, WWE
PC Head Trainer.
On
the subject of lists, our greatest pro wrestling of all time? Terry
Funk.
WWE
MVP for 2018: Ronda Rousey. It's her first year of pro wrestling and she continues
to make history in a positive fashion. Rowdy!
Cody
Rhodes. What he has achieved since being released from him WWE contract is all
impressive. The sports entertainment world is abuzz on ALL IN and the MSG G1 SuperCard.
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Billy Graham once ruled Madison Square Garden. 3 consecutive sell outs vs Bruno
Sammartino
