WWE Reportedly Breaking From Tradition For Annual Madison Square Garden Event

After 15 years, WWE is officially ending its annual post-Christmas Madison Square Garden live event in New York City. 

According to Dave Meltzer in the "Wrestling Observer Newsletter," the traditional house show on December 26 in the iconic arena will not take place this year due to the promotion holding "WWE Raw" at the venue on November 17, which will feature John Cena's final appearance in the city as his farewell tour nears its end. Instead, the live event scheduled after Christmas this year will be held in Baltimore, Maryland. 

The cancellation of the Madison Square Garden show could possibly be part of WWE's recent live event strategy as of late, with the promotion significantly reducing the amount of domestic non-televised events scheduled throughout a calendar year, a decision that has been well received by talent who have been afforded with more time off. WWE altering its holiday tour and nixing its traditional event in New York City could be a strategy to give performers an extended break during the Christmas season.

WWE's holiday live event at Madison Square Garden was often viewed as the company's biggest house show of the year, with several events often featuring returning stars or title changes. Notable moments that have occurred during the yearly MSG live event include Roman Reigns vs. John Cena headlining the show in 2017, Andrade defeating Rey Mysterio for the United States Championship in 2019, and Edge wrestling his first WWE house show in 10 years in 2021.