It was historic in its own right when Ring of Honor landed the first wrestling show in Madison Square Garden not promoted by a Vince McMahon since 1960. What the promotion has done now, in partnership with New Japan Pro Wrestling, is downright astonishing.
ROH announced in a press release on Friday that it has officially sold out MSG for its G1 Supercard on April 6, 2019.
“We are absolutely thrilled and equally humbled by the fan response to this show. We thank everyone for their support and let’s enjoy this together,” said ROH General Manager Greg Gilleland.
NJPW President Harold Meij added, “[Madison Square Garden] is one of the holy grails of pro wrestling. It’s the place to be. It’s not only a great honor for us, but it shows how far we’ve come after 46 years of being in wrestling.”
Behind Cody Rhodes, the Young Bucks, Kenny Omega and the rest of the talented rosters, ROH and NJPW have seen immense success in recent years. After drawing a then-record 3,200 fans in 2016 at its Supercard show, last year’s grand event drew a whopping 6,100 fans. MSG is expected to hold around 15,000 fans for a live event.
“The AWA never ran Madison Square Garden. ECW never ran Madison Square Garden. And WCW never ran Madison Square Garden,” Bully Ray said, per the report. “This show will become a part of wrestling history. In 50 years, people will still be talking about the Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro-Wrestling [G1 Supercard]. … If you’re a wrestling fan, this is the place you want to be. This is the show you want to see. This is the memory that you want for the rest of your life.”
According to the report, all major titles are expected to be defended at the premier event.
“This is a joint venture that both companies are investing in,” Gilleland said, “and both companies share the same goal of delivering the absolute best possible show to the fans.”
The announcement comes after ROH flaunted running a show at MSG, WWE allegedly tried to block it and ROH eventually was able to win out in obtaining its booking of the venue.
