The Arena (Philadelphia)

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For other uses, see Arena (disambiguation).
The Arena
Former names Viking Hall (1986-1993)
ECW Arena (1993-2001)
XPW Arena (2002-2003)
Alhambra Arena (2004-2009)
Location 7 West Ritner Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19148
Opened May 14, 1993
Owner Stein & Silverman (1986-present)
Capacity Wrestling: 1,600
Boxing: 1,280
Tenants
South Philadelphia Viking Club (1986-1993)
Extreme Championship Wrestling (1993-2001)
Xtreme Pro Wrestling (2002-2003)

The Arena is a former warehouse and current multi-purpose venue used primarily for professional wrestling and boxing events. It is located in South Philadelphia on the corner of South Swanson Street and West Ritner Street.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Freight warehouse (1970s-1986)

The facility was originally a warehouse in the 1970s.[1] Rail tracks next to the building allowed trains to drop off freight for storage and then continue on to their destinations. The tracks were eventually paved over to become an extension of West Ritner Street, allowing West Ritner Street to intersect with South Swanson Street.

[edit] Viking Hall (1986-1993)

Elias Stein and Leon Silverman of the law firm Stein & Silverman purchased the warehouse in 1986.[2] The facility was given the name Viking Hall when the South Philadelphia Viking Club, a local chapter of mummers, began utilizing it.[3] They used the building for storage and to rehearse for the annual Mummers Parade. Through the mid-1990s, the Viking Club would also stage midnight bingo games at the venue to raise funds for their organization.

[edit] ECW Arena (1993-2001)

Shane Douglas throwing down the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and declaring himself ECW World Heavyweight Champion in August 1994.
See also: Extreme Championship Wrestling#Traditions

The building gained worldwide recognition when it served as ECW Arena, home of professional wrestling promotion Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) from 1993 until the promotion's demise in 2001.

The weekly ECW television series Hardcore TV prominently showcased both the venue and South Philadelphia fans during the promotion's early years. The venue and its patrons were crucial in elevating ECW from a local promotion to a national promotion.

ECW broadcast Barely Legal, their first live pay-per-view event from the venue in 1997. Immediately following this broadcast, a blown transistor caused the building to lose power. To this day, Barely Legal remains the only wrestling event to be broadcast live on television from the venue.

[edit] XPW Arena (2002-2003)

Following the demise of Extreme Championship Wrestling in 2001, many wrestling promotions ran shows at the venue. Controversy arose when Xtreme Pro Wrestling (XPW) signed an exclusive lease with the venue in late 2002, renaming the building XPW Arena and preventing other promotions from utilizing it.[4] XPW went out of business in 2003, and the lease was voided.

[edit] Alhambra Arena (2004-2009)

Mick Foley making a surprise appearance at Hardcore Homecoming in June 2005.

The building's name was officially changed to New Alhambra Sports & Entertainment Center in 2004, and was later shortened to New Alhambra Arena in 2006 and Alhambra Arena in 2008. The name was suggested by J. Russell Peltz, who began co-promoting professional boxing cards at the venue with Joe Hand Promotions in 2004. It paid homage to the original Alhambra Movie Theater in South Philadelphia that hosted boxing in the 1950s and 1960s.[5]

In March 2005 the venue became home to Wrestle Factory, the wrestling school for Chikara.[6]

In June 2005, an unofficial ECW reunion show called Hardcore Homecoming drew a sell-out crowd and set a record gate for the venue with $135,000 in ticket sales.[7]

The ECW brand of World Wrestling Entertainment ran a house show at the venue in June 2006, with tickets for the event selling out in under four minutes.[8]

Footage shot at the venue in February 2008 during a Combat Zone Wrestling show was used in the film The Wrestler.[9]

[edit] The Arena (2009-present)

Joe Hand Promotions announced in January 2009 that after a five year partnership, it would stop promoting boxing cards at the venue.[10] The venue was then renamed to The Arena by general manager Roger Artigiani.[11]

In February 2009, the venue began hosting regular television tapings for the Ring of Honor series Ring of Honor Wrestling.[12]

Dragon Gate USA will film their first pay-per-view event, Enter The Dragon at the venue in July 2009.

[edit] Awards

[edit] Hardcore Hall of Fame

The Sandman wielding his signature Singapore cane during an ECW house show in June 2006.

Banners commemorating the careers of professional wrestlers and wrestling personalities who made their names at The Arena are permanently on display at the venue.

[edit] Inductees

Year Ring name
(Birth name)		 Inducted by Notes
2002 Rocco Rock
(Theodore James Petty)		 Gordon, TodTod Gordon Posthumous inductee. Four-time ECW World Tag Team Champion. His former tag-team partner Johnny Grunge was present for the ceremony.[16]
2005 Terry Funk
(Terrence Funk )		 Gordon, TodTod Gordon Two-time ECW World Heavyweight Champion.[17]
2007 Johnny Grunge
(Michael Durham)		 Wolfe, GaryGary Wolfe Posthumous inductee. Four-time ECW World Tag Team Champion.[18]
2007 The Sandman
(Jim Fullington)		 Gordon, TodTod Gordon Five-time ECW World Heavyweight Champion.[19]
2008 John Zandig
(John Corson)		 Artigiani, RogerRoger Artigiani Founder of Combat Zone Wrestling. Six-time CZW World Heavyweight Champion.[20]
2009 Eddie Gilbert
(Thomas Edward Gilbert, Jr.)		 The Sandman Posthumous inductee. First booker of Extreme Championship Wrestling. One-time ECW World Tag Team Champion.[21]
2009 Chris Candido
(Christopher Candito)		 The Sandman Posthumous inductee. Three-time ECW World Tag Team Champion.[22]
2009 Tod Gordon The Sandman Founder of Extreme Championship Wrestling.[23]
2009 Sabu
(Terry Brunk)		 The Sandman Two-time ECW World Heavyweight Champion.[24]

[edit] Ceremony dates

Date Location Promotion Event
02002-10-19 October 19, 2002 The Arena Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling A Night for the Flyboy
02005-11-05 November 5, 2005 The Arena Hardcore Homecoming November Reign
02007-06-16 June 16, 2007 The Arena Pro Wrestling Unplugged The Crazy 8
02008-12-13 December 13, 2008 The Arena Combat Zone Wrestling Cage of Death X
02009-06-27 June 27, 2009 The Arena Legends of the Arena Legends of the Arena

[edit] Wrestling promotions

These professional wrestling promotions have held shows at The Arena.

Promotion First Show Last Show Total shows Status
Breaking the Barrier 01999-05-15 May 15, 1999 01999-05-15 May 15, 1999 1 Defunct
Chikara 02005-08-13 August 13, 2005 02009-05-24 May 24, 2009 27 Active
Combat Zone Wrestling 02001-12-15 December 15, 2001 02009-07-11 July 11, 2009 94 Active
Dragon Gate USA 02009-07-25 July 25, 2009 02009-07-25 July 25, 2009 1 Active
Extreme Championship Wrestling 01993-05-14 May 14, 1993 02000-12-23 December 23, 2000 105 Defunct
Hardcore Homecoming 02005-06-10 June 10, 2005 02005-11-05 November 5, 2005 2 Defunct
Heritage Wrestling Association 02003-03-29 March 29, 2003 02003-03-29 March 29, 2003 1 Defunct
International Wrestling Syndicate 02005-07-09 July 9, 2005 02005-07-09 July 9, 2005 1 Active
IWA Mid-South 02005-06-11 June 11, 2005 02007-06-30 June 30, 2007 2 Active
Jersey All Pro Wrestling 02000-11-18 November 18, 2000 02006-02-18 February 18, 2006 12 Active
Legends of the Arena 02009-06-27 June 27, 2009 02009-06-27 June 27, 2009 1 Defunct
Main Event Championship Wrestling 02001-08-11 August 11, 2001 02001-08-11 August 11, 2001 1 Defunct
Major League Wrestling 02002-06-16 June 16, 2002 02002-06-16 June 16, 2002 1 Defunct
Pro Wrestling Unplugged 02006-03-18 March 18, 2006 02008-04-19 April 19, 2008 28 Defunct
Pro Wrestling Xplosion 02006-09-13 September 13, 2006 02006-09-13 September 13, 2006 1 Defunct
Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling 02002-02-15 February 15, 2002 02005-06-18 June 18, 2005 25 Defunct
Ring of Honor 02006-03-11 March 11, 2006 02009-06-20 June 20, 2009 11 Active
Soul City Wrestling 01998 1998 01998 1998 1 Defunct
UWF-TNA Live 02006-06-09 June 9, 2006 02007-06-08 June 8, 2007 3 Defunct
Velocity Pro Wrestling 02008-07-20 July 20, 2008 02009-02-20 February 20, 2009 5 Defunct
Wicked Hanuman 02007-03-24 March 24, 2007 02007-03-24 March 24, 2007 1 Defunct
Women's Extreme Wrestling 02002-02-22 February 22, 2002 02008-06-27 June 27, 2008 8 Defunct
World Wrestling Entertainment 02006-06-24 June 24, 2006 02006-06-24 June 24, 2006 1 Active
Xtreme Pro Wrestling 02002-08-31 August 31, 2002 02003-02-14 February 14, 2003 7 Defunct

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.wwe.com/shows/ecw/history/ecwarena
  2. ^ http://www.philly.com/inquirer/home_top_left_story/39833577.html?viewAll=y
  3. ^ http://www.pwbts.com/columns/2008/b051208.html
  4. ^ http://www.wrestling-news.com/nm/publish/news_1653.html
  5. ^ And on this corner ... - southphillyreview.com
  6. ^ http://www.Chikarapro.com/WrestleFactory/history.shtml
  7. ^ http://www.gerweck.net/timeline.htm
  8. ^ http://www.wwe.com/shows/ecw/history/ecwarena
  9. ^ http://www.citypaper.net/articles/2008/02/14/there-will-be-blood-and-weed-whackers
  10. ^ http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/sports/37988424.html
  11. ^ http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/sports/38587277.html
  12. ^ http://rohwrestling.com/news/article.aspx?id=2566
  13. ^ ESPN - Wednesday Night Fights' top moments of 2006 - Boxing
  14. ^ http://www.phillymag.com/best_of/detail/best_of_philly_2007:_sports_venue/
  15. ^ http://www.phillymag.com/best_of/detail/best_of_philly_2008_guys_night_out/
  16. ^ http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/VIP_Exclusive_Features_21/article_1618.shtml
  17. ^ http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/video_reviews/53916/The-Furious-Flashbacks-%E2%80%93-Hardcore-Homecoming-November-Reign.htm
  18. ^ http://www.warned.net/PWUCrazy8Results.html
  19. ^ http://www.warned.net/PWUCrazy8Results.html
  20. ^ http://www.f4wonline.com/content/view/7747/124/
  21. ^ http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/news/108581/Legends-of-the-Arena-Results-6.27.09.htm
  22. ^ http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/news/108581/Legends-of-the-Arena-Results-6.27.09.htm
  23. ^ http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/news/108581/Legends-of-the-Arena-Results-6.27.09.htm
  24. ^ http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/news/108581/Legends-of-the-Arena-Results-6.27.09.htm

[edit] External links

Philadelphia portal

Coordinates: 39°55′3.51″N 75°8′50.01″W / 39.9176417°N 75.147225°W / 39.9176417; -75.147225

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Arena_(Philadelphia)"
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