News

Wrestling To Return To Iconic WCW Venue

By TJR Staff • Published 20th June 2022
WCW at Mall of America

One of the most iconic and unique venues ever used by WCW is set to host a wrestling show for the first time in over two decades.

On September 4th, 1995, World Championship Wrestling, led by Eric Bischoff, hosted the first episode of Nitro and, by going head-to-head with WWE Raw, kicked off the infamous Monday Night Wars.

Nitro was able to overtake Raw to become the number one wrestling show in the world and proceeded to dominate its rival in the ratings for 83 straight weeks before the tide began to turn in Vince McMahon’s company’s favour.

That first edition of Nitro had unique surroundings for a wrestling show as it took place in the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. The mall has the distinction of being the largest in the western hemisphere and on that September night saw Nitro’s first main event with WCW World Champion Hulk Hogan defeating Big Bubba Rogers.

Now, independent promotion F1RST Wrestling has confirmed on social media that they will be running a show in the historic venue called Saturday Night Nitro in homage to its WCW namesake, bringing wrestling back to the mall for the first time in 27 years.

“BREAKING NEWS Professional Wrestling returns to the Mall of America! Saturday September 10th 2022 F1RST Wrestling presents; SATURDAY NIGHT NITRO”

As well as Hogan and Rogers, the inaugural Nitro also saw Ric Flair take on Sting, Flyin’ Brian Pillman defeat Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger, and most famously the surprise WCW return of Lex Luger.