Mid-Hudson Civic Center

Last updated
Majed J. Nesheiwat Convention Center
Majed J Nesheiwat Center.jpg
Mid-Hudson Civic Center
Former namesMid-Hudson Civic Center
Address14 Civic Center Plaza
Poughkeepsie
United States
Location Poughkeepsie, New York
OperatorMHCC, Inc.
Capacity 3,050 (Mair Hall)
Opened1976
Tenants
Mid-Hudson Polar Bears (1995-present)
Mid Hudson Vikings (2017-present)
Poughkeepsie Panthers (NEHL) (2003–2004)
Hudson Valley Bears (EPHL)(2008–2009)

Majed J. Nesheiwat Convention Center (formerly the Mid-Hudson Civic Center) is a venue located in Poughkeepsie, New York, consisting of Mair Hall (a concert and convention hall) and the McCann Ice Arena (an ice skating venue). It was built in the 1970s as part of the general attempt at rehabilitation of the central district of the City of Poughkeepsie. It is located at 14 Civic Center Plaza, on a segment of what was formerly known as Market Street near the former Main Mall. The Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel, at 40 Civic Center Plaza, is adjacent on the same block and was originally designed to be constructed concurrently with the civic center and financed by Hilton, but the hotel construction was abandoned after the foundation was laid. Four years after the completion of the Mid-Hudson Civic Center, Radisson Hotels bought the hotel property and after a re-design of the original hotel plans, construction of the hotel resumed.

Contents

The MJN Nesheiwat Convention Center, a private, not-for-profit community organization dedicated to providing cultural, recreational and educational opportunities to the Hudson Valley is a dual venue comprising Mair Hall and McCann Ice Arena. Mair Hall is a 15,475-square-foot (1,437.7 m2) space with the capacity to host 3,050 seated spectators and large expos and trade shows. [1]

On December 3, 2018 the Mid-Hudson Civic Center issued a press release announcing the name change of the Poughkeepsie building to the Majed J. Nesheiwat Convention Center. Majed "Mitch" Nesheiwat is a long time resident and business man of Dutchess County New York. [2] Nesheiwat is the Founder and CEO of Gas Land Petroleum, which distributes petroleum products for companies such as Exxon Mobil, Shell, Sunoco, Gulf, Citgo, Phillips 66, and Conoco. Aside from distribution, Nesheiwat is a well-known and highly regarded real estate developer; he has diversified experience in all facets of the real estate industry. Nesheiwat made his mark in real estate through commercial development, specifically with retail plazas and residential sub-divisions. [3]

McCann Ice Arena

The McCann Ice Arena serves youth organizations, leagues and individuals for both recreational and competitive figure skating and ice hockey and offers open ice slots, group and private lessons, public skating sessions and private parties. McCann Ice Arena had briefly been the home of the Hudson Valley Bears professional hockey team and the Poughkeepsie Panthers semi-professional hockey team. McCann Ice Arena also serves as the home of Marist College Hockey. [4]

Mair Hall

Mair Hall opened with a sold-out performance by Pete Seeger.

Professional wrestling events


Extreme Championship Wrestling

ECW hosted their Hardcore Heaven pay-per-view event at the venue on May 16, 1999.

WWF/WWE

Between July 1984 and August 1986, the World Wrestling Federation (now World Wrestling Entertainment) taped their internationally televised WWF Championship Wrestling at the venue. Notable wrestlers who performed at the events during this time include then WWF Champion Hulk Hogan, Junkyard Dog, "Macho Man" Randy Savage, André the Giant, Bret Hart, Brutus Beefcake, Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, The British Bulldogs, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, King Kong Bundy, Big John Studd, Ken Patera, Tito Santana, Don Muraco, The Iron Sheik, "Mr Wonderful" Paul Orndorff, Hercules Hernandez, Adrian Adonis and Rowdy Roddy Piper (who also hosted his "Piper's Pit" segment on the show). Television commentators were WWF owner Vince McMahon (who at the time was only known outside of wrestling circles as an announcer and not the company owner) and "professional wrestling's only living legend" Bruno Sammartino, with Jesse "The Body" Ventura occasionally joining the duo or filling in for Sammartino (Ventura also wrestled on the show occasionally as Randy Savage's tag-team partner, usually taunting the semi-retired Sammartino and challenging him to get in the ring).

The venue was also where "Macho Man" Randy Savage (who had been billed as "the top free agent in pro wrestling") first introduced Miss Elizabeth (his then real life wife) as his chosen manager on an episode of Championship Wrestling on August 24, 1985 (taped July 30). Heel managers Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, Mr. Fuji, "Classy" Freddie Blassie, Luscious Johnny V, and "The Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart had been "bidding" for his services in the previous months and had gathered in the ring to hear who Savage had chosen.

The venue was also where Heenan Family members Big John Studd and Ken Patera faced André the Giant and S. D. Jones in a tag team match. After knocking Jones out of the ring, Studd and Patera then double teamed André, knocking him unconscious. Bobby Heenan then pulled a pair of scissors from his pocket which Studd used to cut The Giants long hair, with Vince McMahon claiming in commentary that they were raping André of his dignity. While it shocked the audience, in reality André had agreed to the haircut prior to the match as part of his ongoing feud with the 6'10" (208 cm) Studd over who was the true giant in professional wrestling.

The only title change at the Civic Center during WWF Championship Wrestling tapings was on June 17, 1985 when The U.S. Express (Mike Rotundo and Barry Windham) defeated "The Foreign Legion" (The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff), regaining the WWF Tag Team Championship they had lost to the pair at Wrestlemania on March 31, 1985. The Mid Hudson Civic Center has also host a handful of episodes of Monday Night Raw between 1993 and 1995; the March 15, 1993 episode was the first to be taped outside New York City's Manhattan Center.

At the final taping of Championship Wrestling on August 5, 1986 (aired August 30), Harley Race was crowned the "King of Wrestling" after winning the 1986 King of the Ring tournament.

TNA Wrestling/Impact Wrestling

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling taped their pay-per view event TNA One Night Only: #OldSchool at the venue on December 30, 2013.

Impact Wrestling held their Rebellion pay-per view event at the venue on April 23, 2022. [5]

Notable performances

Anthrax, Exodus and Helloween performed at the venue on May 12, 1989. It was the last show of the Headbangers Ball Tour. [6]

IRSL Roller Derby action was skated here in April 1986, featuring the legendary San Francisco Bay Bombers vs. The Southern Stars. Roller Derby legends Ann Calvello & Joan Weston squared off in a no holds barred slugfest. One for the ages, spectacular banked track action.

System of a Down, Mr. Bungle, Incubus, and Puya performed on February 18, 2000 as part of the SnoCore Tour. [7]

Kiss performed at the venue on November 28, 1984, as part of their Animalize World Tour. This was the first show with lead guitarist, Mark St. John, playing the entire show. St. John only performed three shows (two in full) with the group before being permanently replaced by Bruce Kulick. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">André the Giant</span> French wrestler and actor (1946–1993)

André René Roussimoff, better known by his ring name André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. Dubbed "the Eighth Wonder of the World", Roussimoff was known for his great size, which was a result of gigantism caused by excess human growth hormone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WrestleMania I</span> 1985 World Wrestling Federation pay-per-view event

WrestleMania was the inaugural WrestleMania and inaugural professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event, produced by the World Wrestling Federation. It took place on March 31, 1985, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The attendance for the event was 19,121. The event was seen by over one million viewers through closed-circuit television, making it the largest pay-per-view showing of a wrestling event on closed-circuit television in the United States at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WrestleMania 2</span> 1986 World Wrestling Federation pay-per-view event

WrestleMania 2 was the second annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. The event took place on April 7, 1986, making it the only WrestleMania that was not held on the traditional Sunday until the two-night WrestleMania 36 in April 2020. The event took place at three venues simultaneously: the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, the Rosemont Horizon in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois, and the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in Los Angeles, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WrestleMania IV</span> 1988 World Wrestling Federation pay-per-view event

WrestleMania IV was the fourth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. The event took place on March 27, 1988, at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The announced attendance of the event was 19,199.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WrestleMania V</span> 1989 World Wrestling Federation pay-per-view event

WrestleMania V was the fifth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. It took place on April 2, 1989, at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. A total of 14 matches were contested at the event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Heenan</span> American wrestling commentator and manager (1944–2017)

Raymond Louis Heenan was an American professional wrestling manager, color commentator, and wrestler. He performed with the American Wrestling Association (AWA), the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) under the ring name Bobby "the Brain" Heenan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gorilla Monsoon</span> American professional wrestler (1937–1999)

Robert James "Gino" Marella, better known by his ring name of Gorilla Monsoon, was an American professional wrestler, play-by-play commentator, and booker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big John Studd</span> American professional wrestler and actor (1948–1995)

John William Minton was an American professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name, Big John Studd. Studd is best known for his appearances with the World Wide Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Federation in the 1970s and 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Patera</span> American professional wrestler and weightlifter

Kenneth Wayne Patera is an American retired professional wrestler, Olympic weightlifter, and strongman competitor. He was well known in the World Wrestling Federation from 1976 to 1981, 1984 to 1985 and 1987 to 1988 and American Wrestling Association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haku (wrestler)</span> Tongan professional wrestler (born 1959)

Tonga ʻUliʻuli Fifita is a Tongan professional wrestler, best known for his appearances in the World Wrestling Federation and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) under the ring name Haku and his appearances with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as Meng.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erie Insurance Arena</span> Indoor arena in Erie, Pennsylvania

Erie Insurance Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the downtown area of Erie, Pennsylvania. It is home to the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League and was the former home of the Erie BayHawks of the NBA G League. It was built in 1983 as part of the Erie Civic Center Complex Plaza, which also includes the Warner Theatre and UPMC Park – all of which are administered by the Erie County Convention Center Authority. The arena is named for the Erie Insurance Group, which purchased the naming rights in May 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heenan Family</span> Professional wrestling stable

The Heenan Family was a stable of wrestlers managed by Bobby "The Brain" Heenan beginning in the 1970s. Heenan managed wrestlers under the Heenan Family name in the American Wrestling Association (AWA), the National Wrestling Alliance's (NWA) Georgia Championship Wrestling (GCW), and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).

The Mega Bucks were a professional wrestling tag team who competed in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1988. The team, consisting of "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase and André the Giant, was formed in a storyline that saw DiBiase purchase André's contract from fellow manager Bobby Heenan. André was to win the WWF World Heavyweight Championship from Hulk Hogan, but then he attempted to sell the belt to DiBiase. The title was vacated, but DiBiase and André were then scheduled to face Hogan and Macho Man Randy Savage in a match at SummerSlam, which Hogan and Savage won. After the match, DiBiase and André went their separate ways and the team was dissolved.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Machines (professional wrestling)</span> American professional wrestling stable

The Machines were a professional wrestling stable who performed in the World Wrestling Federation in 1986. The team consisted of well-known WWF wrestlers working under masks which strongly resembled that worn by Super Strong Machine in New Japan Pro-Wrestling at the time; leader André the Giant had faced Hirata and two other Strong Machines during tours of NJPW in 1984, getting the idea for the masks. The gimmick was very much tongue-in-cheek, as the identities of the masked men were obvious to the fans but frustrating to heels when they were unable to prove them. The Machines was the last tag team Capt. Lou Albano managed in the WWF until he returned in 1994 to manage The Headshrinkers.

WWF Championship Wrestling is a professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation. It aired from 1971 to August 30, 1986, and was the original television show of the WWF. Originally produced under the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) banner, Championship Wrestling featured all the stars of the WWF, interviews and championship matches. It was the flagship program of the WWWF/WWF's syndicated programming until it was replaced by Superstars of Wrestling in 1986.

<i>WWF Prime Time Wrestling</i> Professional wrestling television program

WWF Prime Time Wrestling was a professional wrestling television program that was produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). It aired on the USA Network from January 1, 1985, to January 4, 1993. A precursor to Monday Night Raw, Prime Time Wrestling was a two-hour long, weekly program that featured stars of the World Wrestling Federation. The program featured wrestling matches, interviews, promos featuring WWF wrestlers, updates of current feuds and announcements of upcoming local and pay-per-view events. In addition, Prime Time Wrestling would also air wrestling matches and interviews from other WWF programming such as Superstars of Wrestling and Wrestling Challenge. Select episodes of Prime Time Wrestling are available for streaming on the WWE Network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islanders (professional wrestling)</span> Professional wrestling tag team

The Islanders was a professional wrestling tag team. The members were Tonga Fifita (Haku) and Sam Fatu (Tama), and they wrestled in the World Wrestling Federation. They were managed by Bobby Heenan and had a memorable feud with The British Bulldogs in which they kidnapped their pet mascot Matilda. They were also very briefly joined by a third islander Siva Afi. Haku and Tama are both related to current members of The Bloodline stable in WWE per its roots in the Anoaʻi family; Haku is the father of Tonga Loa and adopted father of Tama Tonga, while Tama is the father of Jacob Fatu and the uncle of leader Solo Sikoa.

Patrick R. Manning is a former New York State Assemblyman who served in the Assembly from 1994 to 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wrestling Superstars</span> Action figure series

Wrestling Superstars were the first action figures based on the wrestlers of the WWF. Wrestling action figures were the brainchild of Richard Derwald of Buffalo NY who sold the idea to LJN in the summer of 1984.. They were made by the toy and video game company LJN from 1984 to 1989. The figures were made of solid rubber and paint and were very accurate in appearance to their real life counterparts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">André the Giant–Hulk Hogan rivalry</span> Professional wrestling rivalry

The André the Giant–Hulk Hogan rivalry was a professional wrestling rivalry between wrestlers André the Giant and Hulk Hogan that took place in the World Wrestling Federation.

References

  1. ↑ "Home".
  2. ↑ Barry, John W. (December 3, 2018). "Mid-Hudson Civic Center: New name, new look part of fundraising effort". Poughkeepsie Journal.
  3. ↑ Boris (December 4, 2018). "Who is Majed Nesheiwat And Why Did He Sponsor the Civic Center?". wpdh.com. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  4. ↑ "Club Ice Hockey". Marist College. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  5. ↑ Guzzo, Gisberto (January 8, 2022). "IMPACT Wrestling Announces Rebellion 2022 PPV Date". Fightful. Archived from the original on January 9, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Anthrax". Metallipromo. Archived from the original on 2013-10-02. Retrieved 2013-03-18.
  7. ↑ "System Of A Down To Lead Sno-Core". MTV. December 21, 1999. Archived from the original on October 9, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  8. ↑ Wardlaw, Matt (January 27, 2023). "Kiss to Release Rare 1984 Mark St. John Show As Next Live Album". Ultimate Classic Rock.

41°42′18″N73°55′46″W / 41.704988°N 73.929557°W / 41.704988; -73.929557

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.