Orlando Sports Stadium (commonly Eddie Graham Sports Complex) was an indoor arena, located in Orlando, Florida. The venue was opened in 1967 and was later renamed after professional wrestler and promoter Eddie Graham.
During its existence, it hosted numerous concerts, professional wrestling and boxing contests.
The arena played host to The Rolling Thunder Revue Tour on April 23, 1976, headed by Bob Dylan, as well as legendary Rock-n-Roll Musician Elvis Presley who played there on February 15, 1977, only six months from his untimely death. The Beach Boys, Edgar Winter and Deep Purple played concerts there. Soon to be world champion kick boxer Don The Dragon Wilson from Cocoa Beach fought there. George Wallace campaigned for president there. The building was closed by the Orange County Building Department because of code violations and was demolished in November 1995. The land on which it stood is now occupied by a housing development called Econ River Estates.
Famous quotes containing the words sports and/or stadium:
“The whole idea of image is so confused. On the one hand, Madison Avenue is worried about the image of the players in a tennis tour. On the other hand, sports events are often sponsored by the makers of junk food, beer, and cigarettes. What’s the message when an athlete who works at keeping her body fit is sponsored by a sugar-filled snack that does more harm than good?”
—Martina Navratilova (b. 1956)
“In their eyes I have seen
the pin men of madness in marathon trim
race round the track of the stadium pupil.”
—Patricia K. Page (b. 1916)