Viking Hall
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2300 Arena is a multipurpose
indoor arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...
in
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
used primarily for
professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
,
boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...
,
mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...
, and
concert A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide variety a ...
events. Originally known as Viking Hall, the venue has since been named Alhambra Arena, The Arena and Asylum Arena. It was previously known unofficially as ECW Arena when it was home to Extreme Championship Wrestling from 1993 to 2001, and later XPW Arena when it was home to Xtreme Pro Wrestling from 2002 to 2003. The venue has hosted major
professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
broadcasts including ECW Barely Legal (1997), DGUSA Enter the Dragon (2009–2010),
ROH Final Battle Final Battle is a professional wrestling event, held annually by the Ring of Honor Professional wrestling promotion, promotion. The event was initially held in 2002, and is traditionally ROH's last show in the calendar year. The Final Battle 2009, ...
(2015) and ROH Death Before Dishonor (2021). ESPN2 named it their Venue of the Year (2006) after it hosted a series of outstanding
professional boxing Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse bid, purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional bouts are supervised by a regula ...
bouts on ''
Wednesday Night Fights The cable television network ESPN has occasionally broadcast boxing events over the majority of its history, as part of several arrangements, including contracts with specific promotions and consortiums such as Golden Boy Promotions, Premier Box ...
'', most notably Larry Mosley and Miguel Figueroa's 12-round majority draw for the vacant NABO Welterweight Championship. Recognized as the birthplace of American hardcore wrestling, the venue has been home to the Hardcore Hall of Fame since 2002.


History


Planning and construction

The facility was originally a freight
warehouse A warehouse is a building for storing goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial parks on the outskirts of cities ...
in South Philadelphia that was built in 1974. 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. Elias Stein and Leon Silverman of the law firm Stein & Silverman Family Partnership, Inc. purchased the warehouse in 1986. The southern part of the facility was given the name Viking Hall when the South Philadelphia Viking Club, a local chapter of mummers, began utilizing it. They used the building for storage and to rehearse for the annual
Mummers Parade The Mummers Parade is held each New Year's Day in Philadelphia. Local clubs (usually called "New Years Associations" or "New Years Brigades") compete in one of five categories (Comics, Wench Brigades, Fancies, String Bands, and Fancy Brigades). ...
. The Viking Club also staged midnight bingo games at the venue to raise funds for their organization. The northern part of the building was occupied by retail space, most notably a Forman Mills clothing store.


Opening and reception

The southern part of the building gained worldwide recognition when it served as ECW Arena, home of
professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
promotion Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) from May 1993 until the promotion's closure in April 2001. Sharing the same portion of the building with the South Philadelphia Viking Club, ECW often referred to the venue on-air as "The World's Most Famous Bingo Hall". ECW
referee A referee is an official, in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The official tasked with this job may be known by a variety of other titl ...
John Finnegan reminisced about the building's arrangement in a July 2006 interview: Paul Heyman commented in April 1998 as to whether ECW would run another pay-per-view event from the venue after the success of ECW Barely Legal: ECW never ran another pay-per-view from the venue. The promotion gradually moved its shows away from Philadelphia, running only 6 events at the venue in 2000.


Alterations

Following the closure of Extreme Championship Wrestling in April 2001, several Philadelphia based professional wrestling promotions began running shows at the venue. Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) ran shows at the building and referred to it as CZW Arena.
Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling, or 3PW, was a hardcore professional wrestling promotion based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It ran many shows from the former ECW Arena. Following the close of Extreme Championship Wrestling, many former ECW veterans, suc ...
(3PW) ran shows at the building and referred to it as 3PW Arena.
Ring of Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011, when the promotion was so ...
(ROH) opted to run their shows at nearby Murphy Recreation Center, citing the need to establish their own legacy separate from ECW. Controversy arose when Xtreme Pro Wrestling (XPW) signed an exclusive lease with the venue in December 2002 and renamed the building XPW Arena, preventing other promotions from utilizing it. Forced to relocate, CZW moved their shows to a new CZW Arena in Southwest Philadelphia, while 3PW moved their shows to
Electric Factory Franklin Music Hall is a concert venue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is in a converted building once part of the General Electric Switchgear Plant and opened in 1995. It has a capacity between 2,500 and 3,000 people. It is owned and operated ...
. In January 2003, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission banned barbed wire and light tubes from professional wrestling matches in response to violent XPW and CZW events at the venue. The building's ownership evicted XPW from the venue in February 2003 after the promotion failed to make lease payments. CZW resumed running shows at the venue in March 2003, with 3PW returning in November 2003. 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 J Russell Peltz (born December 9, 1946) is an American boxing promoter. A member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame, Peltz has promoted fights at the Arena, Spectrum, The Blue Horizon, several Atlantic Cit ...
, who began co-promoting
professional boxing Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse bid, purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional bouts are supervised by a regula ...
cards at the venue with
Joe Hand, Sr. Joe Hand Sr. (born September 10, 1936) is the founder and chairman of Joe Hand Promotions, Inc. Hand is a promoter of Pay-Per-View and Closed Circuit broadcasts of sporting events since 1971. Early life and career Hand was born in 1936 and rais ...
in May 2004. It paid homage to the original Alhambra Movie Theater in South Philadelphia that hosted boxing in the 1950s and 1960s. New Jack was banned from the venue following an incident during a Pro Wrestling Xplosion show in September 2006 . 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.
J. Russell Peltz J Russell Peltz (born December 9, 1946) is an American boxing promoter. A member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame, Peltz has promoted fights at the Arena, Spectrum, The Blue Horizon, several Atlantic Cit ...
and
Joe Hand, Sr. Joe Hand Sr. (born September 10, 1936) is the founder and chairman of Joe Hand Promotions, Inc. Hand is a promoter of Pay-Per-View and Closed Circuit broadcasts of sporting events since 1971. Early life and career Hand was born in 1936 and rais ...
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 The Blue Horizon is a historic 1,346-seat former boxing venue in Philadelphia. ''The Ring'' magazine voted it the number-one boxing venue in the world, and ''Sports Illustrated'' noted it as the last great boxing venue in the country. The Blue ...
. The venue was then renamed to The Arena by general manager Roger Artigiani. J. Russell Peltz and Joe Hand, Sr. later returned to promoting boxing cards at the venue after
The Blue Horizon The Blue Horizon is a historic 1,346-seat former boxing venue in Philadelphia. ''The Ring'' magazine voted it the number-one boxing venue in the world, and ''Sports Illustrated'' noted it as the last great boxing venue in the country. The Blue ...
closed in June 2010. Roger Artigiani announced in October 2010 that
mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...
group Asylum Fight League had purchased the naming rights to the venue and renamed it Asylum Arena. Arena Operating, LLC (headed by Joanna Pang of the
Trocadero Theatre The Trocadero Theatre (opened as the Arch Street Opera House) is a historic theater located in Chinatown in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It offered musical comedies, vaudeville, opera, and burlesque. The Trocadero Theatre was refurbished for use a ...
) signed an exclusive lease with the venue in February 2012 with plans to renovate and convert it to a concert hall. The building's ownership evicted Arena Operating, LLC in April 2013 after Joanna Pang failed to complete her proposed renovations. The venue reopened as 2300 Arena in December 2013. The name referenced its newly constructed entranceway at 2300 South Swanson Street, replacing the old entrance at 7 West Ritner Street.


Notable events


Professional wrestling

An NWA World Title Tournament at the venue in August 1994 ended with Shane Douglas throwing down the
NWA World Heavyweight Championship The NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship is a world heavyweight professional wrestling championship owned and promoted by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), an American professional wrestling promotion. The current champion is Tyrus, who is in ...
and declaring himself
ECW World Heavyweight Champion The ECW World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship originally used in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and later, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was the original world title of the ECW ...
, effectively launching ECW as a national promotion. ECW broadcast Barely Legal, their first live
pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program guid ...
event from the venue in April 1997. The event was headlined by
Terry Funk Terrence Funk (born June 30, 1944) is an American retired professional wrestler, rapper, disc jockey and actor. Funk is known for the longevity of his career – which spanned more than 50 years and included multiple short-lived retirements – a ...
defeating
Raven A raven is any of several larger-bodied bird species of the genus ''Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between "crows" and "ravens", common names which are assigned t ...
to become ECW World Heavyweight Champion. Immediately following the broadcast, the building lost power. The final ECW show at the venue was Holiday Hell in December 2000, headlined by Steve Corino retaining his ECW World Heavyweight Championship against Justin Credible and
The Sandman The Sandman is a mythical character in European folklore who puts people to sleep and encourages and inspires beautiful dreams by sprinkling magical sand onto their eyes. Representation in traditional folklore The Sandman is a traditional charact ...
. In June 2005, an unofficial
ECW ECW may refer to: Professional wrestling * Extreme Championship Wrestling (originally Eastern Championship Wrestling), a professional wrestling promotion that operated from 1992 to 2001 * The Alliance (professional wrestling) (originally the WCW/E ...
reunion show called Hardcore Homecoming: An Extreme Reunion drew a sell-out crowd and set a record
gate A gate or gateway is a point of entry to or from a space enclosed by walls. The word derived from old Norse "gat" meaning road or path; But other terms include ''yett and port''. The concept originally referred to the gap or hole in the wall ...
for the venue with $135,000 in ticket sales. The Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission lifted their January 2003 ban on
barbed wire A close-up view of a barbed wire Roll of modern agricultural barbed wire Barbed wire, also known as barb wire, is a type of steel fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strands. Its primary use is t ...
for the main event between Sabu, Shane Douglas and
Terry Funk Terrence Funk (born June 30, 1944) is an American retired professional wrestler, rapper, disc jockey and actor. Funk is known for the longevity of his career – which spanned more than 50 years and included multiple short-lived retirements – a ...
.
Ring of Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011, when the promotion was so ...
(ROH) debuted at the venue in March 2006 with Arena Warfare, a show featuring inter-promotional matches between the stars of ROH and Combat Zone Wrestling. The event was headlined by Samoa Joe defeating
Colt Cabana Scott Colton (born May 6, 1980), better known by the ring name Colt Cabana, is an American professional wrestler, color commentator, and podcaster. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a wrestler and as a coach, and he performs the same d ...
and
Christopher Daniels Daniel Christopher Covell (born March 24, 1970), better known by the ring name Christopher Daniels, is an American semi-retired professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and is the Head of Talent Relations. He is best kno ...
.
Impact Wrestling Impact Wrestling (stylized as ''IMPACT! Wrestling''), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment. Founded by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett in 2002, the promot ...
debuted at the venue in June 2006 with Hardcore War, a joint show with United Wrestling Federation (UWF). The event was headlined by
America's Most Wanted ''America's Most Wanted'' (often abbreviated as ''AMW'') is an American television program whose first run was produced by 20th Television, and second run is under the Fox Alternative Entertainment division of Fox Corporation. At the time of i ...
, the
NWA World Tag Team Champions The NWA World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship created by the National Wrestling Alliance. From 1948 to 1982, the NWA allowed member promotions to create their own territorial version of the "NWA World ...
, facing Team 3D and
The James Gang James Gang is an American rock band formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1966. The band went through a variety of line-up changes until they recorded their first album as a power trio consisting of Joe Walsh (guitars, lead vocals), Tom Kriss (bass), and ...
in a non-title match. The
ECW ECW may refer to: Professional wrestling * Extreme Championship Wrestling (originally Eastern Championship Wrestling), a professional wrestling promotion that operated from 1992 to 2001 * The Alliance (professional wrestling) (originally the WCW/E ...
brand of
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
ran a
house show A house show or live event is a professional wrestling event produced by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their wrestlers receive du ...
at the venue in June 2006, with tickets for the event selling out in under four minutes. Rob Van Dam successfully defended his
WWE Championship The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDown' ...
in the main event against Kurt Angle. Scenes from ''
The Wrestler The Wrestler may refer to: * ''The Wrestler'' (1974 film), an American film directed by James A. Westman * ''The Wrestler'' (2008 film), an American film directed by Darren Aronofsky * "The Wrestler" (song), a song from the 2008 film written and ...
'' were shot at the venue during the Combat Zone Wrestling show 9 F'N Years in February 2008, with professional wrestler
Necro Butcher Dylan Keith Summers (born July 13, 1973), better known by the ring name Necro Butcher, is an American professional wrestler. Throughout the years he has worked for various promotions, including Ring of Honor, Full Impact Pro, IWA Mid-South, Pro W ...
having a prominent on-screen role in the film. In February 2009, the venue began hosting regular television tapings for the
Ring of Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011, when the promotion was so ...
series '' Ring of Honor Wrestling''. The first taping drew a sell-out crowd and was headlined by Bryan Danielson defeating Austin Aries. Dragon Gate USA filmed their first
pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program guid ...
event, '' Enter The Dragon'' at the venue in July 2009. The card was headlined by
Open the Dream Gate Champion The Open the Dream Gate Championship is a professional wrestling championship, world championship created and promoted by the Japan, Japanese Professional wrestling promotion, promotion Dragon Gate (wrestling), Dragon Gate. The wrestler who holds ...
Naruki Doi defeating Shingo Takagi in a non-title match. In September 2009, independent wrestler Matt Riot died following a Combat Zone Wrestling training session at the venue where he collapsed from a
brain hemorrhage Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), also known as cerebral bleed, intraparenchymal bleed, and hemorrhagic stroke, or haemorrhagic stroke, is a sudden bleeding into the tissues of the brain, into its ventricles, or into both. It is one kind of bleed ...
.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo. Founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, the promotion was sold to Yuke's, who later sold it to Bushiroad in 2012. TV Asahi and Amuse, Inc. own minority shares ...
(NJPW) concluded Invasion Tour 2011, their first ever tour of the United States, with an event at the venue in May 2011. The card was headlined by Togi Makabe defeating
Rhino A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...
, and the undercard featured MVP defeating Toru Yano to become the inaugural
IWGP Intercontinental Champion The was a professional wrestling championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the . The title was officially announced on January 5, 2011 and the Inaugural Champion MVP was cr ...
. Chikara broadcast ''
High Noon ''High Noon'' is a 1952 American Western film produced by Stanley Kramer from a screenplay by Carl Foreman, directed by Fred Zinnemann, and starring Gary Cooper. The plot, which occurs in real time, centers on a town marshal whose sense of ...
'', their first live internet pay-per-view event from the venue in November 2011. Eddie Kingston defeated Mike Quackenbush in the main event to become the inaugural
Chikara Grand Champion The Chikara Grand Championship was a professional wrestling championship owned by the Chikara promotion. The first champion was crowned on November 13, 2011, at the High Noon pay-per-view, when Eddie Kingston defeated Mike Quackenbush at the conc ...
. Prior to the renovations beginning, Evolve presented on live internet pay-per-view what was billed as the venue's final professional wrestling event, ''A Tribute to the Arena'', on January 14, 2012. New Jack appeared at this event, ending his September 2006 ban from the venue. The venue hosted the premiere screening of the unofficial
ECW ECW may refer to: Professional wrestling * Extreme Championship Wrestling (originally Eastern Championship Wrestling), a professional wrestling promotion that operated from 1992 to 2001 * The Alliance (professional wrestling) (originally the WCW/E ...
documentary ''Barbed Wire City'' in April 2013.
Extreme Rising Extreme Rising (formerly Extreme Reunion) was an American independent professional wrestling promotion founded in 2012. Meant to fill the void of hardcore wrestling left behind by the defunct Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), Extreme Rising ...
promoted the first professional wrestling card at the newly renamed 2300 Arena in December 2013.
Ring of Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011, when the promotion was so ...
and New Japan Pro Wrestling jointly presented War of the Worlds '15 at the venue over two consecutive nights in May 2015.
Ring of Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011, when the promotion was so ...
broadcast Final Battle 2015 on live pay-per-view from the venue in December 2015, headlined by Jay Lethal retaining his
ROH World Championship The ROH World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by Ring of Honor (ROH). It is considered the most prestigious title in the promotion. The current champion is Claudio Castagnoli, who is in his second ...
against AJ Styles.
Evolve 131 Evolve 131, also known as Evolve's 10th Anniversary Celebration, was a professional wrestling livestreaming event produced by the American promotion Evolve in partnership with WWE. The event aired on the WWE Network, making it the first Evolve sh ...
aired live on WWE Network from the venue in July 2019. Adam Cole successfully retained his NXT Championship in the main event against Akira Tozawa. The
VICE A vice is a practice, behaviour, or habit generally considered immoral, sinful, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character tra ...
series '' Dark Side of the Ring: Confidential'' was filmed at the venue in December 2020.
Ring of Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011, when the promotion was so ...
broadcast
Death Before Dishonor XVIII Death Before Dishonor XVIII was a professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by Ring of Honor (ROH). It was the eighteenth event in the Death Before Dishonor chronology. It took place on September 12, 2021. The show was originally supposed to ...
on live pay-per-view from the venue in September 2021, headlined by Bandido retaining his
ROH World Championship The ROH World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by Ring of Honor (ROH). It is considered the most prestigious title in the promotion. The current champion is Claudio Castagnoli, who is in his second ...
against Brody King, Demonic Flamita and EC3 in a Four-Way Elimination match.


Professional boxing

The final event prior to the venue closing was a Peltz Boxing Promotions card on January 21, 2012 that aired live on NBC Sports Network as the debut episode of '' Fight Night''.


Mixed martial arts

Matrix Fights drew a sell-out crowd at the venue for their first
mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...
event in February 2010, featuring Cole Konrad on the
undercard In sports, a card lists the matches taking place in a title match combat-sport event. Cards include a main event match and the undercard listing the rest of the matches. The undercard may be divided into a midcard and a lower card, according to ...
.


Concerts

The band
New York Dolls New York Dolls were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1971. Along with the Velvet Underground and the Stooges, they were one of the first bands of the early punk rock scenes. Although the band never achieved much commercial succe ...
headlined a
concert A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide variety a ...
at the venue on
Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, throu ...
in February 2008.


Other

Elvis Depressedly released an album named after the venue called ''New Alhambra'' in May 2015. The
Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. political committee that assists the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican brand and political platform, as well as assisting in fu ...
used the venue for its ''RNC at the DNC'' event in July 2016 to counter the
Democratic National Convention The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 ...
at
Wells Fargo Center Wells Fargo Center may refer to: *Wells Fargo Center (Los Angeles), California *Wells Fargo Center (Sacramento), California * Wells Fargo Center (San Francisco), California * Wells Fargo Center for the Arts, Santa Rosa, California * Wells Fargo Cen ...
. Philly Fashion Week began hosting the runway portion of its biannual event at the venue in September 2016. The
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
received their
Super Bowl rings The Super Bowl ring is an award in the National Football League given to the team members of the winning team of the league's annual championship game, the Super Bowl. Since only one Vince Lombardi Trophy is awarded to the team (ownership) itse ...
following their victory at Super Bowl LII during a private ceremony at the venue in June 2018.


Promotional history


Concerts

These
musicians A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who wri ...
have held headlining
concerts A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or musical band, band. Concerts are held in a w ...
at 2300 Arena.


Mixed martial arts

These
mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...
promotions have held events at 2300 Arena.


Professional boxing

These professional boxing promotions have held events at 2300 Arena.


Professional wrestling

These
professional wrestling promotion A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling that has little relationship to the rules of the amateur olympic form. "Promotion" also describes a role which entails man ...
s have held events at 2300 Arena.


Training

These
professional boxing Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse bid, purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional bouts are supervised by a regula ...
and
professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
schools have held training sessions at 2300 Arena.


Tournament history


Amateur boxing

These
amateur boxing Amateur boxing is a variant of boxing practiced at the collegiate level, at the Olympic Games, Pan American Games and Commonwealth Games, as well as many associations. Amateur boxing bouts are short in duration, comprising three rounds of three ...
tournaments have been held at 2300 Arena.


Professional wrestling

These
professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
tournaments have been held at 2300 Arena.


Records

This is a list of records set by both individuals and groups in various categories at 2300 Arena.


Amateur boxing

*Most tournament wins: 4,
Jesse Hart Jesse Hart (born August 14, 1989) is an American professional boxer who has challenged twice for the WBO super middleweight title; firstly in 2017 and again in 2018. Early life and amateur career Jesse Hart is the son of former Philly middlewe ...


Concerts

*Most events: 3, Sapremia *First event:
Peelander-Z Peelander-Z is a Japanese-American punk rock band formed in 1998 and based in Austin, Texas. They bill themselves as a "Japanese Action Comic Punk band hailing from the Z area of Planet Peelander". While the founding members of Peelander-Z were ...
, August 26, 2006 *Longest event: 2 days, Hostile City Death Fest, July 4, 2009 and July 5, 2009


Mixed martial arts

*Most matches: 3, Nah-Shon Burrell *Most events: 21, Cage Fury Fighting Championships *Highest attendance: 1,300, Matt Makowski vs. LeVon Maynard, February 27, 2010 *First match: Daniel Matalla defeated Michael Colisto, October 17, 2009 *Longest match: 5 rounds, Jason Norwood vs. Jeremiah Wells, August 17, 2018 *Shortest match: 0:15,
Brylan Van Artsdalen Brylan Van Artsdalen (born August 14, 1984) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Featherweight division. A professional competitor since 2010, Van Artsdalen has formerly competed for Bellator and CES MMA. Mixed marti ...
vs. Shane Hutchinson, June 11, 2010


Professional boxing

*Most matches: 12, Mike Jones *Most events: 32, Peltz Boxing Promotions *Highest attendance: 1,433, Christian Carto vs. Victor Ruiz, February 8, 2019 *First match: Earl Clark defeated Kevin Swain, September 24, 1993 *Longest match: 12 rounds, Derek Ennis vs. Gabriel Rosado, July 30, 2010;
Enrique Ornelas Enrique Andrade Ornelas (born September 17, 1980) is a Mexican professional boxer. A two-time world title challenger, Ornelas challenged for the WBO super middleweight title in 2010, as well as the WBA light heavyweight title in 2012. Backgroun ...
vs.
Bronco McKart Bronco Banyon McKart (born March 20, 1971) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2014 and held the WBO light middleweight title in 1996. McKart is best known for his trilogy of fights against Winky Wright. Professi ...
, August 10, 2007;
Rogers Mtagwa Rogers Mtagwa (born March 22, 1979) is a Tanzanian former professional boxer who competed from 1997 to 2014. He challenged three times for a world title; the WBO junior featherweight title in 2009, the WBA (Regular) featherweight title in 2010, ...
vs. Aldo Valtierra, July 20, 2007;
Demetrius Hopkins Demetrius Hopkins (born October 10, 1980 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.) is an American boxer who fought in the light welterweight division. Career As an amateur, Hopkins was the 1999 National Golden Gloves Light welterweight champion. ...
vs. Mario Ramos, March 3, 2006; Larry Mosley vs. Miguel Figueroa, March 3, 2006 *Shortest match: 0:22, Derrick Webster vs.
Obodai Sai Obodai Sai (born 24 March 1984) is a Ghanaian professional boxer who held the Commonwealth super-welterweight Light middleweight, also known as junior middleweight or super welterweight,PeBoxRec/ref> is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing ...
, November 25, 2014


Professional wrestling

*Most matches: 149, Ruckus *Most events: 136, Combat Zone Wrestling *Highest attendance: 1,850, Mike Awesome vs. Spike Dudley, January 15, 2000 *First match: Road Warrior Hawk defeated Don E. Allen and The Samoan Warrior, May 14, 1993 *Longest match: 1:04:00,
Claudio Castagnoli Claudio Castagnoli ( ; born 27 December 1980) is a Swiss professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and is a member of the Blackpool Combat Club stable. Castagnoli also performs for AEW's sister promotion, Ring of Ho ...
, Eddie Kingston,
Gran Akuma Gran Akuma (born December 20, 1974) is a retired professional wrestler, best known for his work in Chikara. He has also worked for Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW), Dragon Gate USA and Full Impact Pro (FIP). In Chikara, he was a member of The Kings o ...
, Mike Quackenbush and The Colony (Fire Ant, Soldier Ant and Worker Ant) vs. Atsushi Ohashi, Daisuke Sekimoto,
Jaki Numazawa is a Japanese professional wrestler best known by his stage name . He currently wrestles for Big Japan Pro Wrestling in the Deathmatch division, where he has held the BJW Deathmatch Heavyweight Championship on one occasion. Personal life Numazaw ...
, Katsumasa Inoue, Ryuji Ito, Shinya Ishikawa and
Yuji Okabayashi is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed to Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW) in the Strong BJ division. He has been working in BJW since his debut in June 2008. He is best known as part of a tag team with Daisuke Sekimoto, with whom he ...
, October 19, 2008 *Shortest match: 0:09,
The Sandman The Sandman is a mythical character in European folklore who puts people to sleep and encourages and inspires beautiful dreams by sprinkling magical sand onto their eyes. Representation in traditional folklore The Sandman is a traditional charact ...
vs. Chad Austin, March 4, 1994; Tommy Dreamer and
Johnny Gunn Thomas Brandi (born July 9, 1966) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances in the World Wrestling Federation from 1996 to 1998 under the ring name Salvatore Sincere. Brandi is also known for his appearances with ...
vs. Johnny Hotbody and Tony Stetson, November 13, 1993 *Most tournament wins: 4,
Claudio Castagnoli Claudio Castagnoli ( ; born 27 December 1980) is a Swiss professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and is a member of the Blackpool Combat Club stable. Castagnoli also performs for AEW's sister promotion, Ring of Ho ...


Awards

*1994 - Best Weekly Television Show by ''
Wrestling Observer Newsletter The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four We ...
'' - '' ECW Hardcore TV'' *1995 - Best Weekly Television Show by ''
Wrestling Observer Newsletter The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four We ...
'' - '' ECW Hardcore TV'' *1996 - Best Weekly Television Show by ''
Wrestling Observer Newsletter The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four We ...
'' - '' ECW Hardcore TV'' *2006 - Venue of the Year by ESPN2 boxing program ''
Wednesday Night Fights The cable television network ESPN has occasionally broadcast boxing events over the majority of its history, as part of several arrangements, including contracts with specific promotions and consortiums such as Golden Boy Promotions, Premier Box ...
'' *2007 - Best of Philly: Sports Venue by the magazine ''
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
'' *2008 - Best of Philly: Guys' Night Out by the magazine ''
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
'' *2009 - Best Major Show by ''
Wrestling Observer Newsletter The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four We ...
'' - DGUSA Enter the Dragon, July 25, 2009 *2010 - Best Weekly Television Show by ''
Wrestling Observer Newsletter The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four We ...
'' - '' Ring of Honor Wrestling'' *2010 - Briscoe Award - Philly Fight of the Year - Derek Ennis vs. Gabriel Rosado, July 30, 2010 *2011 - Briscoe Award - Philly Fight of the Year - Juan Rodriguez, Jr. vs. Greg Hackett, July 29, 2011 *2012 - Briscoe Award - Philly Fight of the Year -
Bryant Jennings Bryant Jennings (born September 25, 1984) is an American former professional boxer. He challenged once for the unified world heavyweight titles in 2015, and the WBA interim heavyweight title in the same year. Jennings holds notable wins over fo ...
vs. Maurice Byarm, January 21, 2012 *2015 - Briscoe Award - Philly Fight of the Year -
Amir Mansour Amir Mansour (born Lavern Moorer; July 25, 1972) is an American professional boxer who fights at heavyweight. His professional debut came in 1997. He fought 9 fights, before he was sent to prison in 2001, serving 8 1/2 years on a controlled sub ...
vs. Joey Dawejko, May 8, 2015 *2016 - Briscoe Award - Philly Fight of the Year -
Dashon Johnson Dashon Johnson (born January 25, 1988) is an American professional boxer, mixed martial artist, and former North American Boxing Association (NABA) title super middleweight champion. Johnson is from Fontana, California. Boxing career NABA title ...
vs.
Jesse Hart Jesse Hart (born August 14, 1989) is an American professional boxer who has challenged twice for the WBO super middleweight title; firstly in 2017 and again in 2018. Early life and amateur career Jesse Hart is the son of former Philly middlewe ...
, March 18, 2016 *2017 - Briscoe Award - Philly Fight of the Year -
Kermit Cintrón Kermit Cintrón (born October 22, 1979) is a Puerto Rican former professional boxer and online boxing writer. He held the IBF welterweight title from 2006 to 2008, and has challenged once for the WBC super welterweight title in 2011. Early and ...
vs. Tyrone Brunson, June 24, 2017 *2018 - Briscoe Award - Philly Fight of the Year - Brandon Robinson vs. Kalvin Henderson, December 7, 2018


Hardcore Hall of Fame

Banners commemorating the careers of professional wrestlers and wrestling personalities who contributed to the history of 2300 Arena are permanently on display at the venue.


Inductees


Ceremony dates


References


External links


Official website

2300 Arena
on
BoxRec BoxRec or boxrec.com is a website dedicated to holding updated records of professional and amateur boxers, both male and female. It also maintains a MediaWiki-based encyclopaedia of boxing. The objective of the site is to document every profess ...

2300 Arena
on Internet Wrestling Database
2300 Arena
on WrestlingData.com {{Portal bar, Philadelphia 1993 establishments in Pennsylvania Boxing venues in Philadelphia Extreme Championship Wrestling Indoor arenas in Pennsylvania Mixed martial arts venues in the United States Music venues completed in 1993 Music venues in Philadelphia Professional wrestling in Philadelphia South Philadelphia Sports venues completed in 1993 Sports venues in Philadelphia Wrestling venues in Pennsylvania