The Phoenix Madison Square Garden

The Phoenix Madison Square Garden was an adobe and brick building at 7th Avenue, Grand and Van Buren in downtown Phoenix. Wrestling, boxing, crusades, concerts and other events were held there from 1929 to 1979. Afterward, for the next 25 years, the old arena was a warehouse which became Arizona Jobber Supply. The business housed there would strike anyone with some "smarts" as ironic.

The arena was eventually torn down in spite of protests from wrestling fans and history buffs, to build an office complex, though there is a museum room devoted to the former stadium.

In the 1960s, a wrestler named Big Jim Wright died in this arena from a heart atatck during a tag team match.

Jimmy Garvin made his professional debut there in 1968 as a teenager before heading southward with his :"brothers" and into legend.

In 1978,  a wedding was held with Mr & Mrs. Wrestling, before in-ring weddings staged or real became commonplace in the profession.  

Among the many wrestlers who appeared there were Jim Londos, Crybaby Cannon, Pedro El Grande,. Chief Shoulderblades, Grey Mask, Gorilla Ramos,. Primo Carnera, Fred Blassie, Count Billy Varga, Afa & Sika,  Yukon Jake, Yukon Eric, Len Rossi, Dick Dunn, Cowboy Bob Ellis, Cowboy Bob Yuma, Ed Blair, Ray Gordon, Eddie Lope, Karl Von Brock,. Don Kent, Jim Osborne, Jimmy Valentine, Rudy Navarro, Jerry Graham, Billy Graham, Ron Pritchard, Eddie Sullivan, Mitri-The Arabian Assassin, Bobby Mayne (Jaggers), Ricky Romero, Dory Funk Sr, Don Curtis, The Wasp, Lou Thesz, Paavo Katonan, Man Mountain Mike, Jack Ringer, John Ringer, Mr Kleen, Logger Larson, Tito Montez, Buddy Wayne, Kurt Von Steiger, Ricky Thompson, Donnie Anderson, Larry Hennig, Tito Copa, Flama Roja, Ali Pasha, Ali Bey, George Drake, Rick  Waldo, Enrique Torres, Charro Azteca, Ramon Torres, Gory Guerrero, Luis Martinez, The Comancheros, Don Arnold, Jody Arnold, Woody Farmer, Juan Sebastian, Warren Bockwinkel, Kangaroo Larson, The  Mighty Atlas, Ken Lucas, Fidel Grimo, Juan Garcia, Tony Barbetta, The Satin Medic, Buddy Rose, David Rose, Buddy Dixon, Danny Johnson, Chief Big Heart, Phil Melby,  Bill Melby, Armon Hussein, Bearcat Wright, The Assassins, Mike Mazurki, Ted Christy, The Medics, Two Ton Harris, Vic Christy, Frank Jares, Sweet Daddy Watts, Henry Pulusso, Killer Kane, Chief Golden Hawk, Blas Corona, Gran Apollo, Eduardo Lunch, Ian Campbell, The Vulture, Bob Lueck, Nano Ortega, Chuck Hondo, Tony Hernandez, Andre Carpenter, Firpo Zybysco, Spike Jones, Sputnik Monroe, John Shane, The Spoiler, Beauregard, Ripper Collins, Whipper Watson Jr, Toru Socorro, Roy McClarity, Mongol Lu Kin, Dick Trout, Man Mountain Dean, Haystacks Calhoun, Pat Patterson, Johnny Kostas, Rudy Navarro, Paul Harvey, Navajo Frank, Wally Steele, Fred Williams, The Israelite, Ike Williams, Jerry Wood, Tony Marino, Gypsy  Biviano,  Charlie Carr, Bob Hamby, Magnificent Maurice, Duncun McTravish, Gorgeous George Jr, Buddy Colt,  Buddy Fuller, Billy Spears, Jumbo, Tokyo Joe, The Ripper, The Warlock, Mustang, Gallo Castro, Bronco Lazar, Maniac Mike Gordon, Masked Frankenstein, The Mortician, Jose Lothario, Jerry Miller, Bob Geigel, The Kentuckians, Pepe Romero, Blackjack Jim, The Executioner, Gordon Darnell, Lord Carlton, Jan Blears,  Bobby Graham, Monty Ladue, Chief White Eagle, The Terrible Turk, Wilson Kohlbrekker, Jerry Kozak, Gene Viniski, Rod Fenton, Iron Mike Debiase, Tom Ramirez, Johnny Mann, Jay Dillon, Edmundo  Manuel, Sergio  Saravia, Al Madril, Dick Rains,  Hans Steiner. Freddie Baron, Apache Gringo, Don Fargo, Salvador Dominguez, Les Thatcher, John Tolos, Charlie Kalani (Professor Tanaka) Fuji & Sato, Seiji  Yamamoto, Luther Lindsey, Shag Thomas, Frank Ortega, Marcel Firpo,  Leroy McGuirk, Frank Hickey, Jimmy Kent, Hercules Stevenson, Argentina Rocca, Dick Hutton, Gorgeous George, Danny Kroffat, Bill Kirk, Strangler Lewis, The Masked Cloud, Jack Frisco, Commi Kasha, Eddie Graham, the Gorky Brothers, The Lumberjacks, Bruce Kirk, Greg Campbell, Bobby Anderson, The Pro Athlete, Benny Mendeblis, Freddie Gomez, Pat Malone, The Beast, Frank Zomar, Pistol Pete Marquez, Chuck Golden, Paco Nunez Super Argo, Flama Roja, Bobby Pico,  Nick Salinas, Pancho Pico and Frankie Cain.

The list would continue with the likes of Marc Brutus, Kenny Mayne, Dick Daviscourt, Pago Pago,   Broadway Venus, Dan McDonald, Johnny Demchuck, Enrique Romero, Joe Tomasso, Al Kashey. Mitsu  Arakawa, Roberto Garcia, Jesse James, Gene Labell, Chief Ava Fritz Shrabnel, Hans Shrabnel, Alex Perez, Anton Leone, Lee Grable, Wee Willie Davis, Dick Shikat, Buddy OI' Brian, Tarzan Tyler, carter, Dr. Visser, Roy Anderson, Art Neilsen, Rocky McClure, Carlos Guzman, Rito Romero, Sir James Hartley, the Stanlee Brothers, Tiger Joe Marsh, Casey Berger, Mark Toba, El Diablo, Jesse McCain and Juan Humberto. There would of course be others.

Women included Mildred Burke, Mrs, Wrestling, Tanya Stevens, The Masked Beauties,  Papago Inez, Barbara Starr, Ann Casey,  Daisy Maye, Rose Evans, Tona Tomah, Bambi Ball, Jane Sherrill. Marie Vagnone and others.

The arena is gone, but the memories live on, Legends do not die easily  and fade quietly into the night.