Grayson Waller Puts His MSG Debut On The Same Level As This WWE Legend

Last Friday night marked a special occasion for Grayson Waller as his in-ring main roster debut coincided with his first-ever appearance at Madison Square Garden. During the July 7 episode of "WWE SmackDown," the recent "NXT" call-up hosted another edition of "The Grayson Waller Effect," but this time, he was joined by WWE Hall of Famer Edge. Despite his loss to "The Rated R Superstar" later in the night, Waller's valiant efforts were acknowledged with a little "rub" after the match.

"You swam," Edge told the rising superstar.

On the heels of his performance, Waller has issued a bold statement, seemingly claiming his MSG debut is on the same level as that of WWE legend Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. "This biggest debut in Madison Square Garden since that bloke who wore the cringe tassels," Waller tweeted, referring to Johnson's former persona as Rocky Maivia.  

Johnson's first MSG appearance, of course, came with elevated stakes. Shortly after joining WWE in 1996, Johnson received the opportunity to wrestle on that year's Survivor Series pay-per-view, which emanated from the famous New York venue. There, Johnson competed in an eight-person elimination-style Survivor Series match alongside the likes of Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Marc Mero, and The Stalker (Barry Windham). While he may have been the rookie of the match, Johnson was also the sole survivor, last eliminating Crush and Goldust to gain the victory for his team.

For Waller, Friday also served as an opportunity to raise his stock. By sharing a ring with a bigger star like Edge, WWE reportedly believes Waller's image is boosted as well.