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WRESTLING COLUMNS

MSG's Greatest Moments Part I
August 17, 2006 by Stephen P.


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There have been so many great moments in wrestling that have taken place in New York, mostly in Madison Square Garden. As time evolved so has the "World's Famous Arena." Four versions of MSG have been built and the very fist World Heavyweight Championship match took place in 1905. In this series of columns, I will attempt to describe some of the greatest moments that have taken place at the arena. For my first moment we travel back to March of 1985. WrestleMania was about to debut with a start studded card featuring the main event match pitting "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff with "Cowboy" Bob Orton against Hulk Hogan and Mr. T with "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka in their corner. However, the match that may have been the most intriguing had Big John Studd battling Andre The Giant in a Body Slam Match. While today a Body Slam Match may not be taken seriously, remember that Big John Studd was about 356 lbs. and was still outweighed by about 140 lbs. However, these two giants were battling long before WrestleMania hit the air.

From the late 1970s into the 1980s, there was no man more loved, more popular and more destructive than Andre The Giant. Andre easily destroyed every opponent in his tracks. However, a new star was also making heads turn in the 1980s. Big John Studd was becoming a powerful force and with Bobby Heenan behind him, it was a recipe for success. It was only a matter of time before Bobby Heenan took his giants, Big John Studd and Ken Patera right for the man from the French Alps. On December 15, 1984, Studd and Patera battled Andre and S.D. Jones in a tag team contest. The match didn't last long as Studd and Patera overwhelmed Andre, even delivering a double body slam to the near 500 pounder. Jones was out cold on the floor after hitting his head on the guard rail. Studd and Patera were disqualified and then, as Patera held up Andre, Studd began cutting his hair off. The fans were irate and hoping that someone would stop it. Andre was totally out and the fans showed their displeasure by throwing garbage at the three heels. Soon after, Andre destroyed Ken Patera and but a beating on Heenan as well. Then the match was set up for the first ever WrestleMania, Andre-Studd in the $15,000 Body Slam Match. Vince McMahon, on an episode of TNT asked Andre about his thoughts and told him what Studd and Heenan wanted. They wanted Andre to put his career on the line. Andre refused and McMahon kept going on and on about it. Finally, Andre manhandled McMahon and said that no matter what he was going to win.

About halfway through the show, Bobby Heenan and Big John Studd said in a pre-match interview that Andre's career would soon be over. Then both of the colossal men were in the ring. The rules again were the first man to body slam the other would win. Also, as an added bonus, if Andre won, he would receive $15,000 from Bobby Heenan but if Andre lost, he would have to retire from wrestling forever. Both giants hammered each other in the early going of the contest. Studd used some still forearms on Andre, but he refused to give in and used his tremendous strength to push Studd back into the corner. Andre then began to work on the legs of Studd. Massive kicks to the thighs that rocked Heenan's big man. Then, Andre hoisted Studd up like he weighed about as much as a feather and slammed him to the mat to win the match. Andre grabbed the bag of money and began to throw it to the fans in a sign of love and respect, before Heenan stole it back.

I'll be the first to say that the Body Slam Match wasn't the best that the two had. In fact, to see a great Andre-Studd contest, buy the 2004 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony DVD. What stands out though about the Body Slam Match was how amazing it was. It was a match built on hatred and jealously that lead to the first time ever that Big John Studd would be slammed in a WWF ring.

by Stephen P.


Cruz Barnard wrote:
Your column series has great potential if you would only make it longer. I also hope that you put something in their about Bruno Sammartino. After all he is the King of Madison Square Garden!
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