WWE News: Citi Field Teases Upcoming Wrestling Event, Does It Involve WWE?
The home of the New York Mets, Citi Field, recently posted a tease on their official Twitter account hyping an upcoming announcement regarding a wrestling event to be held at the stadium. It would be the first time that a wrestling show has been held at Citi Field since the venue opened in 2009.
Hey #Wrestling fans! We have good news & bad news. Which one would you like first?? ?
— Citi Field (@CitiField) February 20, 2015
The bad news is that you have to wait until early next week to find out what's coming. #Wrestling
— Citi Field (@CitiField) February 20, 2015
The good news? #Wrestling is coming to #CitiField in 2015!
— Citi Field (@CitiField) February 20, 2015
The Citi Field account was immediately bombarded by fans guessing that the upcoming wrestling event to be held at the venue is WWE’s SummerSlam. As reported early this year, SummerSlam is currently looking for a home following the closure of the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. WWE had booked the Izod Center many months in advance for their biggest show of the summer, so the closure of the arena by the state of New Jersey put WWE’s plans into a tailspin. However, it doesn’t look like SummerSlam is the show that will be held at the Izod Center.
Not quite RT @AustDBZ: @CitiField SUMMERSLAM??? Oh man, I hope so.
— Citi Field (@CitiField) February 20, 2015
The response of “not quite” has lead many fans to believe that the Citi Field event is related to SummerSlam, even if its not the show itself. Could Citi Field be hosting some kind of fan-fest prior to the show? In recent years, WWE has been hosting a SummerSlam Axxess event, similar to Axxess that is held prior to WrestleMania. These events often feature a ring with matches being held for the benefit of the fans who attend the event.
Other guesses for the upcoming Citi Field event would involve either Ring Of Honor Wrestling (perhaps a joint show with New Japan Pro Wrestling) or TNA Impact Wrestling. It would seem that both of these organizations would have a hard time affording the rent that Citi Field would likely charge for such an event.
Wrestling events near the site of Citi Field are nothing new. Shea Stadium, which was the home of the New York Mets prior to the opening of Citi Field, hosted several big wrestling shows throughout its history. Possibly the most famous match held at Shea Stadium was the only encounter between Bruno Sammartino and Pedro Morales. Another big time match at the old stadium was an August, 1980, match pitting Hulk Hogan against Andre The Giant, many years before their WrestleMania III (1987) contest. At the time of WrestleMania III, WWE pretended that the famous 1980 match had never occurred, even though thousands (if not millions) of fans had seen it. Later on, the company again acknowledged it, even releasing the match on a home video (Hulk Still Rules).
It should be noted that the New York Mets are on the road during the week that SummerSlam is to be held in New York City, so Citi Field would be available for booking at that time.
[Photo via Wikipedia]
