“WWE® PRESENTS MADISON SQUARE GARDEN CLASSICS”

SET TO PREMIERE ON MSG JULY 12^TH AT 8 P.M.

WWE Hall of Famer “Mean Gene” Okerlund to Host

Program Which Revisits Some Classic MSG bouts

New York -  World Wrestling Entertainment®(WWE) and Madison Square Garden have had a long and storied history, with Madison Square Garden being home to many high profile WWE events, including the very first WrestleMania® as well as WrestleMania X and WrestleMania XX.  Now, it is time to re-live the history with “WWE Presents Madison Square Garden Classics.”   New episodes of the series will air on MSG eight times this summer and 30 times in the coming year in a two-hour block on Wednesday nights beginning at 8:00 p.m.  The series, to be hosted by legendary WWE announcer “Mean Gene” Okerlund, premieres this  Wednesday, July 12, and will look back at some of the WWE’s most memorable matches from Madison Square Garden from the 1970’s and beyond.  

Okerlund, who has over 30 years in sports-entertainment, will introduce the classic shows and lead viewers through some of WWE’s most famous events.  The series will feature matches that include WWE Legends such as  Hulk Hogan, The Iron Sheik, Andre the Giant, “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka, Mr. Fuji, Paul Orndorff, Tito Santana, Sgt. Slaughter, The Undertaker, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, The British Bulldog and the Wild Samoans.

The first episode airing at 8:00 p.m. dates back to January 23, 1989, and features the Rockers, which consisted of Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty, as they grappled with the Brain Busters (Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard) in a featured tag team match-up.  The debut show will also have Hercules taking on the “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase and the featured bout of the evening showcasing wrestling icon Hulk Hogan against Big Boss Man. 

The second hour features the August 30, 1982, card and is highlighted by then WWE Champion Bob Backlund as he tangles with “Playboy” Buddy Rose.  Additionally, Andre the Giant, Chief Jay Strongbow and Jules Strongbow take on Blackjack Mulligan, Mr. Fuji and Mr. Saito in a six-man tag-team two out of three falls match.  Furthermore, Pedro Morales defends his WWE Intercontinental Championship against Snuka.

MSG Networks (MSG and FSN New York), an industry leader in production and content, is the nation’s longest-running regional sports network broadcasting over 500 professional and collegiate sporting events a year with a full slate of Emmyâ Award-winning programs. The first regional sports network to produce games in HDTV and to offer its own VOD service, MSG is part of Madison Square Garden L.P. Cablevision Systems Corporation owns Madison Square Garden, L.P., which includes the New York Knicks (NBA); the New York Rangers (NHL); the New York Liberty (WNBA); MSG Entertainment; the Hartford Wolf Pack (American Hockey League), and the Madison Square Garden arena complex, located in the heart of the New York metropolitan area.

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