One of the most iconic venues to house WCW back in the company’s heyday is set to host wrestling once again for the first time in over two decades.
On September 4th, 1995, World Championship Wrestling led by Eric Bischoff lit the spark for the Monday Night Wars when they debuted their new Nitro show that would go head to head with WWE’s Raw.
Nitro famously became the number one wrestling show in the world for a spell, dominating their 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 unusual surroundings for a wrestling show as it took place in the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. The mall is the largest in the western hemisphere and in September 1995 saw Nitro’s first main event as WCW World Champion Hulk Hogan defeated Big Bubba Rogers.
Now independent promotion F1RST Wrestling took to social media to confirm that they will be running a show in the Mall of America entitled Saturday Night Nitro, 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”
The first episode of 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.