The Wrestling Collector Store

Saturday September 26th I was in Parsippany, New Jersey for the 2026 Atlantic APCO Conference, which runs from the 27th to 30th, however my team and I drove won to the conference from Maine, and with the approaching Nor'easter we headed down on Friday to avoid the storm.

That left me with all day Saturday to do some exploring, and that I did.  My team member Jessica and I first went to New Jersey Horror Con because Betsy Baker and Theresa Tilly, two of the 3 ladies of the Evil Dead movie were supposed to be there, however after paying admission, found out one was sick so they both cancelled.  As we already paid we spent some time taking in the vendors and I picked up a couple small things.  There were a lot of celebrities there, but no one I wanted the meet that I hadn't met before.

We then headed north to Stockholm, New Jersey and The Wrestling Collector!  I had first learned about it on Facebook, and a couple months back Matt Cardona and Brian Meyers of the Major Figures Podcast filmed a vlog at the store for their YouTube page.

It's not a huge store but it is jammed with wrestling collectibles and memorabilia.  The owner of the store, Tommy Ferrero, is also the promoter for the ISPW: Independent Superstars of Pro Wrestling promotion, which has been running shows in 1998.  He was not there as his mother was running the shop.

There is stuff stacked all over the place, when you walk in on the right side he has a small museum display of ring worm memorabilia.  This is also where everything that is signed if located.  Figures, posters, 8 x 10's and anything else with a signature.

To the left of the entrance is a side room with magazine, programs, VHS, DVD's, wrestling figures, books and more.  I would say 75% of what was in the shop was WWF / WWE, which makes sense as we are right in the heart of the WWF's territory. 

I was in there for almost an hour and a half looking through everything.  I did picked out a few things that I bought, I tried to be reasonable because there was so much stuff I would have liked to pick up, but it would be just buying stuff to buy stuff.  

I felt some of the prices were reasonable and others not so much, but that's just my opinion.  All VHS were $15, all DVD's were $10, Magazines and Programs were $10 or as marked, all books were $20, and loose figures were anything from $5 to $20 depending on the figure.  In package were as marked, and then there was a bunch of stuff not marked and she had to call him to ask what he wanted.

This right here I was extremely tempted to buy, it was The Wrestling Album, and when I was 6 years old my Dad got me this exact thing for Christmas.  It was unique because the packaging was record album size but for a cassette tape.  They were asking $60, and I almost pulled the trigger on it.

What I think is unique about the program was the paper insert inside.  WWF used to print a generic program to use at multiple venues and shows, and they would include a paper insert with the date, location, and card for the night.  This particular insert was for Madison Square Garden the night Bob Backlund lost the WWF Championship to Diesel.

I had this video game for the original Nintendo, this copy was original sealed.  I have no idea what they were asking for it.

There was so many programs and posters for Madison Square Garden and the New York and New Jersey area.  I looked as all the MSG programs and I decided if they had one with someone on the cover that I could get signed I would pick it up, sadly everyone featured had passed away.

After much deliberation this is what I decided to pick up:

My favorite wrestling to go back and watch is Jim Crockett Promotions 1983 - 1988, to me it's just the best!  This VHS is the 1988 Great American Bash PPV from July 10, 1988 in Baltimore.  This would be the last PPV under the Jim Crockett Promotions banner and the next PPV Starrcade was after the sale to Ted Turner.  I also have the program to this event signed by Ric Flair and Lex Luger.

First is a WWF program from featuring Barry Windham and Mike Rotunda that I feel confident that I can get signed.  The second is a special look at "Mr. USA" Tony Atlas, as he lives in Maine and I see him several times a year I know I will get this signed.  The Tony Atlas program had the paper insert for September 21, 1981 at Madison Square Garden.

Along with the Tony Atlas program was this Poster, which is in rough shape, but is pretty cool.  I'll get Tony to sign this as well.  The last photo is for size reference on the poster.

I had a pretty awesome time at The Wrestling Collector store.  I coupe things I do which I had picked up, and I just might have time to scoot back up before I head home on Wednesday.

You can read all about my trip to New Jersey for the 2026 Atlantic APCO Conference here.

Here is the video from Major Figures Podcast of their tour of the shop.

Thank you for reading, please leave a comment, check out my other posts, and if you want like my blogs Facebook page.  You can also head over to Amazon and pick up a copy of my book the 2024 Limitless Wrestling Almanac, or any of my other books.

Until next time! 

Other Promotions Running Madison Square Garden

When I was a kid I watched all the wrestling that I could, I still do we just have way more access today than in the 1980's.  Growing up in the Maine my primary promotion was the WWF and watching the TV shows or the Coliseum Home Video releases the commentators always drilled home that Madison Square Garden was the greatest sports arena in the world where all the biggest matches and moments happened.  I always wanted to got to MSG for a show, my buddy Jay and I talked about it for years and finally we did it in 2018.  You can read about that trip here.

As a kid only the WWF ran shows at Madison Square Garden and as I got older I learned of the exclusive deal the WWF and The McMahon family had as the wrestling promoters of MSG.  It apparently when back decades through different version of Madison Square Garden.

There have been 4 versions of Madison Square Garden, the first operated from 1879 to 1890, the second 1890 to 1925, the third 1925 to 1968 and the current version opened February 11, 1968.  The first wrestling card promoted at a Madison Square Garden was on November 24, 1875.  

Roderick "Jess" McMahon had been promoting wrestling since 1915 and became the first McMahon to promote wrestling at the Garden in 1925 at the 3rd incarnation.  He would later partner with Toots Mondt running shows at MSG, and his son Vince J. McMahon would take over for his father in 1957 partnering with Mondt to promote shows.

Other promoters ran the Garden the McMahon and Mondt's Capital Wrestling Corporation would become the sole promoters in 1961.

Jack Pfefer & Pedro Martinez promoted at MSG and their show on November 14, 1960 would be the final show promoted at the venue until 2019 that did not have the name McMahon attached to the promotion. 

Tony Marino defeated Miguel Torres 

Red Grupe defeated Swede Hanson

Dixie Rebels: #1 & #2 (Mario Galento & Jerry Miller) defeated Luther Lindsay & Mr. Puerto Rico 

Haystack Muldoon pinned Pampero Firpo

Bavarian Boys: Rudy Jacobs & Harry Wenzel defeated P.Y. Chong & Larry Simon

Karl Gotch defeated Jerry Graham by disqualification

Ricki Starr & Miguel Perez defeated The Fargo's: Jackie Fargo & Sonny Fargo

Bruno Sammartino wrestled Antonino Rocca to a 34:00 curfew draw

 

This was the last non-McMahon Family, WWWF / WWF / WWE show to be promoted at Madison Square Garden.  From 1963 through 1988 the WWE ran monthly shows at the Garden  until national expansion took their tour across the world.  1989 - 1991 averaged 8 shows a year and over the next several years the numbers would continue to decline to 2 shows in 2005.  Citing the rising costs and fees of running the Garden WWE would run just 1 show a year, typically the annual post Christmas house show which began in 2011.  

This is why MSG management ended their exclusivity deal with the WWE, as WWE was still running upwards of a dozen shows a year in New York City, just not at the Garden.  This opened the door for other promotions to run The World's Most Famous Arena.  In June 2018 New Japan Pro Wrestling and Ring of Honor announced the G1 Supercard to be held April 6, 2019.

This date coincided with WrestleMania weekend with Mania being held at the Meadowlands and other WWE shows in the surrounding area with nothing booked at MSG.  My friends and I bought tickets in July 2018 when they went on sale and were Garden bound for the first non WWE show to be held at the venue in 59 years.  The show sold out within 16 minutes of the general on sale time.

It was a stacked card, however we all felt that the ROH portion was not as good as the New Japan portion of the show. 

Dark Match

Oedo Tai: Kagetsu and Hazuki, & Jenny Rose defeated Hana Kimura, Sumie Sakai, & Stella Grey

Pre-Show

Honor Rumble: Kenny King won outlasting: Minoru Suzuki, Cheeseburger, Beer City Bruiser, Sho, Shingo Takagi, Bushi, Yoh, Shaheem Ali, Rhett Titus, LSG, Ryusuke Taguchi, Will Ferrara, Chase Owens, Rocky Romero, Brian Milonas, Bad Luck Fale, Jonathan Gresham, Tracy Williams, Yoshi Hashi, PJ Black, Jushin Thunder Liger, TK O’Ryan, Vinny Marseglia, Delirious, Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano, Colt Cabana, Hirooki Goto, King Haku, The Great Muta.

Main Card

ROH World Television Champion: Jeff Cobb defeated NEVER Openweight Champion: Will Ospreay to win both championships

Rush defeated Dalton Castle with The Boys in 15 seconds, post match Castle beat up The Boys

Kelly Klein defeated Woman of Honor World Champion: Mayu Iwatani to win the title

New York City Street Fight: Flip Gordon and Lifeblood: Juice Robinson & Mark Haskins defeated Bully Ray, Shane Taylor, & Silas Young

Dragon Lee defeated Bandido & IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion: Taiji Ishimori to win the championship

IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions: Guerrillas of Destiny: Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa with Jado defeated ROH World Tag Team Champions: Villain Enterprises: PCO & Brody King and Los Ingobernables de Japon: Evil & Sanada and The Briscoe Brothers: Mark & Jay to win both championships

British Heavyweight Champion: Zack Sabre Jr with Taka Michinoku defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi by submission

Kota Ibushi pinned IWGP Intercontinental Champion: Tetsuya Naito to win the championship

Ladder Match: Matt Taven defeated Jay Lethal & Marty Scurll to win the championship

Kazuchika Okada defeated IWGP Heavyweight Champion: “Switchblade” Jay White with Gedo to win the championship

While we were in New York City for Mania weekend Lucha Libre AAA held a press conference at Madison Square Garden that we attended announcing a show to take place September 15, 2019 on the main floor of MSG. However after poor ticket sales the show was moved the smaller Theatre at Madison Square Garden and it became a joint show with IMPACT Wrestling.  During the press conference AAA CEO Dorian Pena talked about the July 24, 1994 show that AAA ran at the then called Paramount theatre and how excited they were to run the main floor.  

Although located inside the MSG complex this is not The Garden.  Originally called Felt Forum when it opened in 1968 when the Garden was sold out the overflow would watch the show via closed circuit in the Felt Forum.  The name of the venue changed names many times over the years to what is is called now.  

AAA was not the first wrestling promotion to run a show in smaller venue under the main floor of MSG.  WCW: World Championship Wrestling held two shows there, the first April 13, 1993 and the second on June 30, 1996.  NXT held one event in the venue on November 16, 2016.  

On October 27, 2009 Hulk Hogan held a press conference at Madison Square Garden to announce the release of his new book, and representatives from TNA Wrestling were on hand to sign Hogan to a full time contract with the promotion.

After the G1 Supercard, WWE increased their presence at the Garden running both Raw & Smackdown live TV from MSG, the same week as the AAA card, and post pandemic have run TV and House Shows at the Garden.

Speaking of the Pandemic, prior to the world shutting down in 2020 at Wrestle Kingdom 14 January 4, 2020 NJPW announced their return to MSG with Wrestle Dynasty!  The show was cancelled and has not been rescheduled. 

Here are some other blog posts I wrote about Madison Square Garden

March 19, 2018 My Madison Square Garden Adventure

June 17, 2018 Will Other Wrestling Promotions Run Madison Square Garden

April 2019 IndyMania: My Wrestling Vacation Part 1, Part 2, & Part 3

Thanks for reading, please leave a comment, read my other posts, and like my blogs Facebook page and while you're at it check out my weekly podcast The Wrestling Insomniac on the Nerdy Legion Podcast Network. 

Later Readers!

April 14, 1993 WCW: World Championship Wrestling

Johnny B. Badd pinned Tex Slazenger

Maxx Payne defeated Steve Regal

Chris Benoit fought Ron Simmons to a no contest; Simmons was scheduled to win the match but the bout was stopped per order of the New York State Athletic Commission after Benoit hit a dive to the floor

Van Hammer pinned Vinnie Vegas

WCW/NWA Tag Team Champions: The Hollywood Blondes: Steve Austin & Brian Pillman defeated 2 Cold Scorpio & Marcus Alexander Bagwell

Rick Rude pinned Cactus Jack

WCW US Champion: Dustin Rhodes defeated WCW TV Champion: Paul Orndorff via disqualification 

NWA World Champion: Barry Windham pinned Ricky Steamboat

Sting defeated WCW World Champion: Big Van Vader via disqualification when Harley Race interfered

July 24, 1994 AAA Lucha Libre Worldwide

Every match was contested in Best Two Out Of Three Falls format

Diamond Dallas Page & Louie Spicolli defeated El Bandido & Indio Valiente

2 Cold Scorpio, Heavy Metal & Tito Santana defeated Los Payasos (Coco Amarillo, Coco Azul & Coco Rojo) by DQ

Mascarita Sagrada & Octagoncito defeated Espectrito & Jerrito Estrada

El Hijo del Santo & Octagon defeated La Parka & Psicosis

Cien Caras, Konnan & Perro Aguayo wrestled Los Gringos Locos: Eddy Guerrero, Jake Roberts & Love Machine to a No Contest

June 30, 1996 WCW: World Championship Wrestling

Chris Benoit pinned Eddie Guerrero with a roll over and grabbing the ropes for leverage

WCW Cruiserweight: Champion Dean Malenko pinned Lord Steven Regal

Jim Duggan pinned VK Wallstreet

WCW US Champion: Konnan  with Pedro Morales pinned Kevin Sullivan with a sunset flip after Morales hit an interfering Jimmy Hart with a headbutt

Rick & Scott Steiner defeated WCW Tag Team Champions: Harlem Heat: Booker T & Stevie Ray via disqualification

WCW TV Champion: Lex Luger defeated Arn Anderson via submission with the Torture Rack

The Nasty Boys defeated Public Enemy in a streetfight when Jerry Saggs pinned Johnny Grunge after Grunge fell into a table

Randy Savage pinned Ric Flair with a roll up and grabbing the tights for leverage; Bruno Sammartino was the guest referee for the bout; Flair initially won the match via pinfall after hitting Savage with a weapon but Sammartino spotted the weapon and had the match continue

WCW World Champion: The Giant defeated Sting via disqualification

November 16, 2016 NXT Live

 No Way Jose defeated Roderick Strong

The Iconics: Billie Kay & Peyton Royce defeated Daria Berenato & Liv Morgan

Oney Lorcan defeats Elias Samson

TM-61: Nick Miller & Shane Thorne defeated SAnitY: Alexander Wolfe & Sawyer Fulton with Eric Young

Tye Dillinger defeate Eric Young

Bobby Roode defeated Cedric Alexander

NXT Women's Champion: Asuka defeated Ember Moon and Nikki Cross

#DIY: Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa and Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Samoa Joe and The Revival: Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson

September 15, 2019 AAA Lucha Libre Worldwide

Chris Dickinson & Mascarita Dorada defeated Dave The Clown & Demus

Josh Alexander, Michael Elgin & Sami Callihan defeated Drago, Faby Apache & Murder Clown

AAA World Cruiserweight Title #1 Contendership Four Way Match: Daga defeated Aero Star and Flamita and Puma King

Taya Valkyrie defeats AAA Reina de Reinas Champion: Tessa Blanchard to win the title

AAA World Tag Team Champions: The Lucha Brothers: Fenix & Pentagon Jr. defeated The Latin American Exchange: Ortiz & Santana

Brian Cage, Cain Velasquez & Psycho Clown defeated Los Mercenarios: El Texano Jr., Rey Escorpion & Taurus

Dr. Wagner Jr. defeated Blue Demon Jr.

Ivan Koloff's WWWF Championship Matches

Fifty one years ago today the "Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff ended the near 8 year reign of the legendary Bruno Sammartino in a stunned Madison Square Garden.  Koloff, one of the all time greats in wrestling, was just 29 years old and had been wrestling for 10 years at the time he won the championship.  He wrestled regularly for the next 21 years and then sporadically having his last match in 2013.  

He would hold numerous singles and tag team championships in his career, but these 21 days in 1971 would be his only recognized singles World Championship.  I knew about his match where he defeated Sammartino and when he lost the title to Pedro Morales, however until I researched it I never knew if had any other title defenses.  

Koloff would wrestle several matches in the territories loop in singles and tag matches before dropping the title to Morales.  Sammartino did not get a rematch with Koloff after losing the title.  He did defeated Koloff on February 12, 1971 in Pittsburgh by disqualification, after Koloff had dropped the title to Morales.    

January 18, 1971 Madison Square Garden
Ivan Koloff pinned WWWF World Champion Bruno Sammartino to win the championship

January 20, 1971 Hammonton, New Jersey 
WWWF World Champion: Ivan Koloff defeated Tony Marino

January 22, 1971 Cherry Hill, New Jersey 
WWWF World Champion: Ivan Koloff defeated Manuel Soto

January 27, 1971 Hammonton, New Jersey 
WWWF World Champion: Ivan Koloff & the Black Demon defeated Gorilla Monsoon & Manuel Soto via count-out

January 28, 1971 Washington DC
WWWF World Champion: Ivan Koloff defeated Jean DuBois

January 29, 1971 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
WWWF World Champion: Ivan Koloff & WWWF International Tag Team Champions: The Mongols: Geeto & Bolo Mongol fought Gorilla Monsoon, Pedro Morales, & Chief Jay Strongbow to a no contest in a Best 3 out of 5 falls Match

January 30, 1971 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

WWWF World Champion: Ivan Koloff defeated Gorilla Monsoon via count-out

February 1, 1971 Allentown, Pennsylvania

WWWF World Champion: Ivan Koloff defeated Chief Jay Strongbow via count-out

February 2, 1971 Scranton, Pennsylvania
WWWF World Champion: Ivan Koloff defeated Chief Jay Strongbow via count-out 

February 3, 1971 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
WWWF World Champion: Ivan Koloff defeated Lee Wong

February 5, 1971 North Attleboro, Massachusetts
WWWF World Champion: Ivan Koloff fought Chief Jay Strongbow to a double disqualification

February 6, 1971 Boston, Massachusetts - Boston Garden
WWWF World Champion: Ivan Koloff defeated Jean Dubois

February 8, 1971 Madison Square Garden
US Champion: Pedro Morales pinned WWWF World Champion: Ivan Koloff to win the title at 23:18 to win the championship

The only footage I'm aware of that shows Koloff as Champion is the match where he defeated Sammartino and the match when he lost the title to Morales.  

Thank you for reading, please leave a comment, check out my other posts, and if you want like my blogs Facebook page.  You can also head over to Amazon and pick up a copy of my new book Limitless Wrestling: The First Five Years, or any of my other books as well.  

Until next time!

Pedro Morales: One The Greatest Champions in WWE History

Pedro Morales is one of the greatest champions in the history of the WWE and I'm going to tell you why.  I didn't always think so when I was a kid whenever Pedro was on TV I remember him losing or getting wins over jobbers who I called bums.  I would hear the commentators state that he was a former champion, but I just didn't see it.  Now looking back and seeing his old matches I see it and you should too.

Born in 1942 be debuted at the age of 17 in 1959 in New York after training with Barba Roja.  Although primarily known by me for being in the now WWE he has stints all over the United States and in Japan.

He held titles in NWA Hawaii, Championship Wrestling from Florida, NWA San Francisco, Puerto Rico's WWC and was a two time WWA World Heavyweight Champion.  He also wrestled for the American Wrestling Association, Crockett's Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling, as well as other promotions.

On January 24, 1963 the Capitol Wrestling Corporation officially became the WWWF holding their first ever television taping in Bridgeport, Connecticut on January 29th.  Morales made his WWE debut at that taping teaming with Dory Dixon and defeated Johnny Barend & The Magnificent Maurice.   He stayed with the WWE for two years then moved onto the WWA. 

On February 8, 1971 at Madison Square Garden Morales defeated Ivan Koloff for the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship ending the Russian Bears three week reign as champion. He would go onto hold the championship for 1,027 days dropping it to Stan "The Man" Stasiak in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on December 1, 1973.

As champion he headlined Madison Square Garden 30 times defending his title against the likes of Larry Hennig, BlackJack Mulligan, Freddie Blassie, Ray Stevens, and George "The Animal" Steele just to name a few.  On September 30, 1972 Morales defended the Championship against Bruno Sammartino in front of more than 22,000 fans at Shea Stadium wrestling to a 75 minute time limit draw.

Morales left the WWE in 1975 returning in 1980.  On August 9, 1980 he and then WWE Champion Bob Backlund defeated the Wild Samoans in two straight falls to win the World Tag Team Championships.  They were stripped of the titles the next day because of Backlund being the WWE Champion.
 

On December 8, 1980 he defeated Ken Patera at Madison Square Garden to capture the Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship becoming the first ever Triple Crown Champion.  He would hold the championship for 194 daus dropping it to Don Muraco in Philadelphia on June 20, 1981, but would regain it from Muraco on November 23rd at MSG.

His second reign would last over a year until January 22, 1983 when Muraco defeated him again at the Garden ending Morales 425 day run. 

To summarize:

Morales is the first ever Triple Crown Champion

He is one of only two people to ever hold the World and Intercontinental Championships for over a year on single reign, the other is "Macho Man" Randy Savage.

His 1,027 days as World Champion is the fifth longest single reign behind Bruno's two reigns, Bob Backlund, & Hulk Hogan.  The title has traded hands 134 times to 49 different title holders.

As Intercontinental Champion he held the title twice for a combined 619 days, the longest reigning champion of all time.  His second reign at 425 days is the second longest single reign behind the Honky Tonk Man.

Some will argue that I'm wrong, for instance Chris Jericho has held every championship in the promotion.  WWE Champion, World Champion, World Heavyweight Champion, Hardcore Champion, European Champion, Intercontinental Champion, United States Champion, WWE Tag Team Champion, and World Tag Team Champion.

In total Jericho had 26 championship reigns whereas Morales only had four.  However, Morales' four reigns lasted for 1,647 days and Jericho's twenty six lasted 1,059 days.  I firmly believe that this proves that Pedro Morales, without question, is one of the greatest champions in the history of the WWE. 

Thanks for reading, please leave a comment, read my other posts, and like my blogs Facebook page and while you're at it check out my weekly podcast The Wrestling Insomniac on the Nerdy Legion Podcast Network. 

Later Readers!