Multipurpose indoor arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2300 Arena
"ECW Arena"
2300 Arena in 2024
Former names
Viking Hall (1986–2002) XPW Arena (2002–2003) New Alhambra Sports & Entertainment Center (2004–2006) New Alhambra Arena (2006–2008) Alhambra Arena (2008–2009) The Arena (2009–2010) Asylum Arena (2010–2012)
The South Philadelphia venue was originally constructed in 1920 as a 58,408 square feet (5,426.3 m2) freight house.[1]Railway tracks next to the building allowed freight trains to drop off cargo for storage and then continue on to their destinations.[2] The tracks were eventually paved over to become an extension of West Ritner Street, allowing West Ritner Street to intersect with South Swanson Street.[2] An elevated stretch of Interstate 95 was later erected above the venue.[2]
1986–2002: South Philly Vikings management
Elias Stein and Leon Silverman of the law firm Stein & Silverman Family Partnership, Inc. purchased the freight house in 1986.[3] The southern part of the facility was given the name Viking Hall when the South Philly Vikings, a local chapter of mummers, began utilizing it.[4] They used the building to rehearse for the annual Mummers Parade, assembling and storing their floats within the facility.[4] The South Philly Vikings also staged midnight bingo games at the venue to raise funds for their organization.[4] Carmen "Butch" D'Amato of the South Philly Vikings served as the facility's general manager.[5] The northern part of the building was occupied by retail space, most notably a dollar store and Forman Mills.[6]
Extreme Championship Wrestling residency, 1993–2001
The venue's original entrance at the corner of South Swanson Street and West Ritner Street on July 11, 2009
The southern part of the building gained worldwide recognition when it served as ECW Arena, home of professional wrestling promotion Extreme Championship Wrestling from May 1993 until the promotion's closure in April 2001.[7] The promotion was charged $1,000 per month by Stein & Silverman Family Partnership, Inc. to rent the venue, and was also responsible for any damage caused by its performers.[8]
With the venue's size and intimacy reminiscent of Japan's Korakuen Hall, its vocal live crowds became synonymous with Extreme Championship Wrestling's presentation of hardcore wrestling.[9] Attendance frequently exceeded the venue's legal seating capacity of 1,060.[10]Fans Bring the Weapons matches encouraged audience members to purchase items from the adjacent dollar store for wrestlers to strike each other with.[11] The promotion was sued after a fire stunt in October 1995 burned a member of the crowd.[12]Frank Talent of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission was seen as an ally of the promotion, regularly turning a blind eye when regulations were violated.[13]
Extreme Championship Wrestling moved away from the supercard model, broadcasting its first pay-per-view event called Barely Legal from the venue in April 1997.[18] The promotion never ran another live broadcast from the venue, as their pay-per-view provider Request TV wanted the company to run events in larger cities.[19]
Controversy arose when Xtreme Pro Wrestling signed an exclusive lease with the venue in December 2002 and renamed the building XPW Arena, preventing other promotions from utilizing it.[22] Kirk Farrington, who had worked for Xtreme Pro Wrestling in California, was named the venue's general manager.[22][23] Forced to relocate, Combat Zone Wrestling moved their shows to CZW Arena in Southwest Philadelphia, Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling moved their shows to Electric Factory in Callowhill, and the South Philly Vikings established a new Viking Hall in East Passyunk Crossing.[24][25]
In January 2003, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission banned barbed wire and light tubes from professional wrestling matches in response to violent Xtreme Pro Wrestling and Combat Zone Wrestling events at the venue.[26]
The building's ownership evicted Xtreme Pro Wrestling from the venue in February 2003 after the promotion failed to make lease payments.[27] Combat Zone Wrestling resumed running shows at the venue in March 2003, with Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling returning in November 2003.[20]
2004–2012: Roger Artigiani management
Peltz and Hand residency, 2004–2009
The venue's renovated interior during the Mtagwa–Valtierra boxing card on July 20, 2007
Roger Artigiani became the venue's general manager in 2004.[28] That same year, the building's name was officially changed to New Alhambra Sports & Entertainment Center, which 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, Sr. in May 2004. It paid homage to the original Alhambra Movie Theater in South Philadelphia that hosted boxing in the 1950s and 1960s.[29]
Renovations were undertaken at a cost of $500,000 to improve the building's infrastructure and increase its suitability for boxing.[28][30] A 16-foot boxing ring was installed at the insistence of J. Russell Peltz, who believed that the small dimensions would force boxers to engage with each other and make bouts more exciting.[30] The venue's bleachers were removed and replaced with folding chairs and skyboxes.[30] Land was acquired for a 500-space parking lot that was built across from the venue under Interstate 95.[30]
J. Russell Peltz and Joe Hand, Sr. announced in January 2009 that after a five-year partnership, they would stop promoting boxing cards at the venue and move their shows to The Blue Horizon.[31] Although their claimed reason for leaving was a rent increase from $1,000 per month to $6,000 per month, the new rental fee was in actuality $2,500.[32] The venue was then renamed to The Arena by general manager Roger Artigiani.[33]
Roger Artigiani announced in October 2010 that mixed martial arts group Asylum Fight League had purchased the naming rights to the venue and renamed it Asylum Arena.[28]
Arena Operating, LLC was evicted by the building's ownership in April 2013 after Joanna Pang failed to complete her proposed renovations.[37] Pang started the project but never completed it, leaving the venue stripped down to its bare walls.[38]
2013–present: Roger Artigiani management
The venue reopened as 2300 Arena in May 2014, hosting a Peltz Boxing Promotions card for its soft launch.[39] The name referenced a newly constructed entranceway at 2300 South Swanson Street, replacing the original entrance at 7 West Ritner Street.[40]
Christy Bottie, an accomplished artist with Mural Arts Philadelphia and Roger Artigiani's business partner, was responsible for designing the renovated venue.[41][44]
New Jack was banned from the venue following an incident during a Pro Wrestling Xplosion show on September 13, 2006 .[51] He famously ordered Sprite at the venue's concession stand and was instead given 7 Up, prompting him to verbally harass the stand attendant and assault a member of the ring crew.[52] This ban was later rescinded in 2012.[53]
Scenes from The Wrestler were shot at the venue during the Combat Zone Wrestling show 9 F'N Years on February 9, 2008, with professional wrestler Necro Butcher having a prominent on-screen role in the film.[54]
In September 2009, independent wrestler Matt Riot died following a Pro Wrestling Academy training session at the venue where he collapsed from a brain hemorrhage.[59]
Highest attendance: 1,300, LeVon Maynard vs. Matt Makowski, February 27, 2010[126]
First match: Dan Matala defeated Nick Simonetta, August 21, 2009[127]
Longest match: 5 rounds, Cedric Gunnison vs. Zulkarnaiyn Kamchybekov, March 31, 2023;[128] Bassil Hafez vs. Evan Cutts, April 1, 2021;[129] Jason Norwood vs. Jeremiah Wells, August 17, 2018[130]
The venue's lobby contains Bar 2300, a bar with a capacity of 350 that provides service during events, and also hosts intimate concert performances.[263] Vicki Pohl, niece of Bruce Montgomery, runs in-house catering.[44][264]
On-street parking is available in front of the building on South Swanson Street, and to the side of the building on both West Ritner Street and Wolf Street.[266]
SEPTA maintains bus stops located within walking distance from the venue, providing local service on Route 7 (Weccacoe Avenue and Wolf Street), Route 57 (2nd Street and West Ritner Street), and Route G (Oregon Avenue and Front Street).[267]
^Mooneyham, Mike (September 20, 2002). "Petty Found Success Late In Career". The Wrestling Gospel According to Mike Mooneyham - Sex, Lies and Headlocks. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
SEPTA bus: 7, 57, G
