''WWF on MSG Network'' (also advertised as ''WWF from Madison Square Garden'') was a

professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...

television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

produced by the

World Wrestling Federation World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and var ...

(WWF). It was a monthly television special that aired live from Madison Square Garden on the

MSG Network The MSG Network (MSG) is an American regional cable and satellite television network, and radio service owned by MSG Entertainment, Inc.—a spin-off of the main Madison Square Garden Company operation (itself a spin-off of local cable provider ...

from August 7, 1976 to March 16, 1997. The program featured live wrestling matches and

interviews An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers.Merriam Webster DictionaryInterview Dictionary definition, Retrieved February 16, 2016 In common parlance, the word "interview" r ...

with WWF wrestlers. Updates of current feuds and several major title changes also took place on the show. As of May 2022, 44 of the 151 total episodes are currently on the

WWE Network WWE Network is a subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and digital television Digital television (DTV) is the transmission of television signals using digital encoding, in contrast to the earlier analog television t ...

, listed in the ''WWE Old School'' playlists.https://www.peacocktv.com/watch/asset/sports/wwe-old-school/7197796796765932112

History

World Wide Wrestling Federation Capitol Wrestling Corporation Ltd. was an American sports promotion company. It was run by Vincent J. McMahon from 1953 to 1982. Operating as the Capitol Wrestling Corporation (CWC), the company was originally a professional wrestling and boxing ...

(WWWF) began airing their monthly television special ''WWWF on MSG Network'' on August 7, 1976 after several years of airing their monthly Madison Square Garden shows on HBO. Several notable title changes took place on the show including Bob Backlund winning his first

WWWF World Heavyweight Championship The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDown ...

by defeating

Superstar Billy Graham Eldridge Wayne Coleman (born June 7, 1943), better known by his ring name "Superstar" Billy Graham, is an American former professional wrestler. He gained recognition for his tenure as the WWWF Heavyweight Champion in 1977–1978. He is a three- ...

on February 20, 1978. The show was renamed ''WWF on MSG Network'' after the promotion changed its name to "World Wrestling Federation" in March 1979. The show was an important event and equivalent to today's pay-per-view events. Many important matches and storyline developments took place on the show, for example, Hulk Hogan's rise to stardom began on the show when he defeated

The Iron Sheik Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri ( fa, حسین خسرو علی وزیری, romanized: Hossein Xosrô 'Ali Vaziri; born March 15, 1942), better known by his ring name the Iron Sheik, is an Iranian retired professional wrestler, amateur wrestler and ...

to capture his first WWF Championship on January 23, 1984. With the rise of Hogan's popularity and WWF's national expansion, the show lost its significance following the first pay-per-view event

WrestleMania WrestleMania is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event held annually between mid-March and mid-April by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Since premiering in 1985, 37 editions followed, mos ...

in 1985. With the addition of more pay-per-view events and the introduction of ''

Saturday Night's Main Event ''Saturday Night's Main Event'' is an American professional wrestling television program that is produced by WWE (known at the time of launch as the World Wrestling Federation). Premiering in 1985, it originally aired on NBC in the United Sta ...

'' as a nationally televised monthly special, the ''WWF on MSG Network'' discontinued after 1992. WWF aired one final event on the MSG Network on March 16, 1997.

Title changes

''WWF on MSG Network'' had many notable title changes. * Bob Backlund defeated

to win the

on February 20, 1978 *Bob Backlund defeated Bobby Duncum in a

Texas Deathmatch Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

to win the vacant WWF Championship on December 17, 1979 **Backlund had lost the title to Antonio Inoki on November 30 in Japan, but after a controversial rematch on December 6 in Japan, the title was vacated. Neither match was acknowledged on US television. The match against Duncum was referred to on US television as a title defense, even though Backlund was not introduced as champion, nor did he wear the belt during his entrance. *

Ken Patera Ken or KEN may refer to: Entertainment * ''Ken'' (album), a 2017 album by Canadian indie rock band Destroyer. * ''Ken'' (film), 1964 Japanese film. * ''Ken'' (magazine), a large-format political magazine. * Ken Masters, a main character in ...

defeated Pat Patterson to win the

WWF Intercontinental Championship The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, currently defended on the SmackDown brand division. It is one of two secondary championships for WWE's main roste ...

on April 21, 1980 *

Pedro Morales Pedro Antonio Morales (October 22, 1942 – February 12, 2019) was a Puerto Rican professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances in the United States with Worldwide Wrestling Associates (WWA) and the World Wide Wrestling Federatio ...

defeated

Don Muraco Don Muraco (born September 10, 1949) is an American retired professional wrestler and podcaster. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation from 1981 to 1988, where he held the WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Cha ...

to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship on November 23, 1981 *Bob Backlund defeated

Greg Valentine Jonathan Anthony Wisniski (born September 20, 1951) is a retired American professional wrestler, better known as Greg "The Hammer" Valentine. He is the son of wrestler Johnny Valentine. Over five decades, Valentine held more than 40 championship ...

to win the vacant WWF Championship on November 23, 1981 **The title was vacated on October 19 when Backlund had successfully defended the title against Valentine but the dazed referee awarded the title to Valentine. The title controversy was not recognized outside New York City and WWF continued to recognize Backlund as champion outside New York City. WWE officially does not recognize this title vacancy and Backlund's reign is recognized uninterrupted. *Don Muraco defeated Pedro Morales to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship on January 22, 1983 *

defeated Bob Backlund to win the WWF Championship on December 26, 1983 * Hulk Hogan defeated The Iron Sheik to win the WWF Championship on January 23, 1984 * Akira Maeda defeated

Pierre Lefebvre Pierre Lefebvre (February 24, 1955 – December 24, 1985) was a French-Canadian professional wrestler better known by his ring name Mad Dog Pierre Lefebvre. Professional Wrestling career He started his career at the age of 17 in 1972 in Montreal ...

to win the

WWF International Heavyweight Championship The WWF International Heavyweight Championship is a former championship recognized by Capitol Wrestling Corporation, the World Wrestling Federation, New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and the Universal Wrestling Federation. History The title existed from ...

on March 25, 1984 *

Wendi Richter Victoria "Wendi" Richter (born September 8, 1961) is an American retired professional wrestler. She began her professional wrestling career in companies such as the National Wrestling Alliance, where she teamed with Joyce Grable, with whom s ...

defeated

The Fabulous Moolah Mary Lillian Ellison (July 22, 1923 – November 2, 2007) was an American professional wrestler better known by her ring name The Fabulous Moolah. She began her career working with promoter Billy Wolfe and his wife, wrestler and trainer Mild ...

to win the

WWF Women's Championship WWF may refer to: Non-profit organizations *World Wide Fund for Nature or World Wildlife Fund, a nature conservation group *World Water Forum, an international forum for water issues *Working Women's Forum, a training, trade and credit union in In ...

on July 23, 1984 * The Cobra defeated

Black Tiger A black tiger is a rare colour variant of the tiger, and is not a distinct species or geographic subspecies. Description There are reports and one painting (now lost) of pure black non-striped tigers (true melanistic tigers). Most black mammal ...

to win the

WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship The WWWF/WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship is a former championship recognized by the World (Wide) Wrestling Federation and New Japan Pro-Wrestling for wrestlers of smaller size. The title existed from 1967 through 1985. History In April 1994, ...

on December 28, 1984 *

Leilani Kai Patty Seymour (born January 23, 1960) is a semi-retired professional wrestler, better known by her ring name Leilani Kai. She began training with The Fabulous Moolah right after finishing high school. In the 1980s, as part of the World Wrestling ...

defeated Wendi Richter to win the WWF Women's Championship on February 18, 1985 *Spider Lady (The Fabulous Moolah) defeated Wendi Richter to win the WWF Women's Championship on November 25, 1985

Legacy

Although WWF discontinued live wrestling shows on the MSG Network, WWE began airing a new television show in 2006 called the '' MSG Classics'' which featured clips and matches from WWF's house shows at the Madison Square Garden and the show aired on the

from 2006 to 2009.

References

External links

WWF on MSG Network results
{{Former WWE programs Television series by WWE MSG Network original programming 1980s American television series 1976 American television series debuts 1997 American television series endings