LionDen
01-15-2015, 12:36 AM
The IZOD Center in East Rutherford, NJ, which was set to house the 2015 WWE Summerslam PPV, will most likely be closing by March. So, the first Summerslam on the East Coast since 2008 will require a new venue.
According to an article on NorthJersey.com, a vote by the The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority board tomorrow could result in the venue being shut down and the nearby Prudential Center in Newark, NJ taking over some of the events currently slated for February and March. The IZOD Center would then completely shutter operations by late March.
The Arena is being shut down due to ongoing losses from the loss of several sports franchises, including the New Jersey Devils and the New Jersey (now Brooklyn) Nets and increased competition from The Prudential Center, The Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY and a renovated Madison Square Garden. The 20,049 seat facility was expected to run heavily in the red in 2015.
Since it opened in 1981, the venue has hosted events promoted by WWE, Jim Crockett Promotions, The AWA and WCW and featured a number of historic professional wrestling moments.
Bruno Sammartino's final appearance as a full-time wrestler in a win over George Steele took place at the first ever WWF event in the facility, Ricky Steamboat vs. Ric Flair headlined the legendary NWA Night of Champions in 1984. Stan Hansen captured the AWA World title from Rick Martel in 1985. Lou Thesz won a Legends Battle Royal in 1987. Ric Flair won the WCW World title from Sting in January 1991 and more.
WWF/WWE has promoted a number of TV tapings and PPVs in the facility, including a number of Summerslams. The second-ever episode of Saturday Night's Main Event, featuring Hulk Hogan vs. Nikolai Volkoff, was taped in the Arena. Former WWF Tag Team champions made their official WWF debut during a January 1987 TV taping. The Ultimate Warrior won his second and final WWF Intercontinental championship there at Summerslam 1989, the first ever PPV held in the venue.
In 2009, Tommy Dreamer "left" WWE with an emotional speech after losing a match to Zack Ryder that featured the stipulation that Dreamer would never wrestle for ECW ever again. In 1997, The Undertaker defeated Bret Hart for the WWF championship. In 2001, Booker T, as the WCW World champion, debuted for WWF, attacking Steve Austin during a King of the Ring PPV.
WWE is slated to run the IZOD Center on Saturday 1/24, in what appears to be the final wrestling event ever held at the facility. The final PPV in the facility will have been the 2014 Extreme Rules, featuring Daniel Bryan vs. Kane.
In 2007, The IZOD Center raised a banner commemorating that one million fans had attended WWE events since the facility had first opened.
UPDATE:
WWE responds to queries about the next Summerslam location:
"WWE is currently looking at alternatives and we are confident that we will come up with an equivalent, if not better, option for Summerslam."
According to an article on NorthJersey.com, a vote by the The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority board tomorrow could result in the venue being shut down and the nearby Prudential Center in Newark, NJ taking over some of the events currently slated for February and March. The IZOD Center would then completely shutter operations by late March.
The Arena is being shut down due to ongoing losses from the loss of several sports franchises, including the New Jersey Devils and the New Jersey (now Brooklyn) Nets and increased competition from The Prudential Center, The Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY and a renovated Madison Square Garden. The 20,049 seat facility was expected to run heavily in the red in 2015.
Since it opened in 1981, the venue has hosted events promoted by WWE, Jim Crockett Promotions, The AWA and WCW and featured a number of historic professional wrestling moments.
Bruno Sammartino's final appearance as a full-time wrestler in a win over George Steele took place at the first ever WWF event in the facility, Ricky Steamboat vs. Ric Flair headlined the legendary NWA Night of Champions in 1984. Stan Hansen captured the AWA World title from Rick Martel in 1985. Lou Thesz won a Legends Battle Royal in 1987. Ric Flair won the WCW World title from Sting in January 1991 and more.
WWF/WWE has promoted a number of TV tapings and PPVs in the facility, including a number of Summerslams. The second-ever episode of Saturday Night's Main Event, featuring Hulk Hogan vs. Nikolai Volkoff, was taped in the Arena. Former WWF Tag Team champions made their official WWF debut during a January 1987 TV taping. The Ultimate Warrior won his second and final WWF Intercontinental championship there at Summerslam 1989, the first ever PPV held in the venue.
In 2009, Tommy Dreamer "left" WWE with an emotional speech after losing a match to Zack Ryder that featured the stipulation that Dreamer would never wrestle for ECW ever again. In 1997, The Undertaker defeated Bret Hart for the WWF championship. In 2001, Booker T, as the WCW World champion, debuted for WWF, attacking Steve Austin during a King of the Ring PPV.
WWE is slated to run the IZOD Center on Saturday 1/24, in what appears to be the final wrestling event ever held at the facility. The final PPV in the facility will have been the 2014 Extreme Rules, featuring Daniel Bryan vs. Kane.
In 2007, The IZOD Center raised a banner commemorating that one million fans had attended WWE events since the facility had first opened.
UPDATE:
WWE responds to queries about the next Summerslam location:
"WWE is currently looking at alternatives and we are confident that we will come up with an equivalent, if not better, option for Summerslam."