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The New Alhambra Arena is a former bingo hall and current multi-purpose venue used primarily for boxing and professional wrestling events. The venue has a capacity of 1,131 for boxing and professional wrestling. It is located in South Philadelphia on the corner of Ritner Street and Swanson Street.
History
The building gained popularity 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 building's name was officially changed from Viking Hall in 2004 following a transfer of ownership.
The facility is still home to regional professional wrestling and boxing promotions. It has been frequented by Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) since 2001. Hardcore Homecoming ran two ECW reunion shows at the venue in 2005. Chikara Pro Wrestling has utilized the venue as a training facility since 2005. Pro Wrestling Unplugged started promoting events at the arena in 2006, with their sister promotion Xtreme Fight Club scheduling a professional wrestling fantasy camp at the venue for later that year. Ring of Honor also promoted a card at the venue in 2006.
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promoted a card at the Arena on June 9, 2006 . It featured much of TNA's talent as well as ECW alumni. The revived Extreme Championship Wrestling, now a World Wrestling Entertainment brand, returned on June 24, 2006. This was the first ECW Arena card since December 2000.
Notes
- In the 1990s, a dollar store was in business next to the arena. ECW fans would buy inexpensive cookware and bakeware before shows and then hand them to wrestlers during matches to be used as weapons. Paul Heyman even bought styrofoam wig heads for the fans to hold up during Al Snow's "Head" gimmick.
- Heyman refused to hold the ECW reunion show One Night Stand 2005 at the venue because he said, "it doesn't even look like the ECW Arena". The building underwent major renovations following a 2004 change of ownership.
- Banners for both Ted Petty and Terry Funk are permanently on display in the arena. Petty, a former ECW competitor under the stage name "Rocco Rock", died in 2002. His banner was unveiled during a 3PW show at the arena that same year. Funk was also a former ECW competitor who was inducted into the "Hardcore Hall of Fame" during a Hardcore Homecoming show at the facility in 2005.
External links
Indoor arenas in the United States | Sports venues in Philadelphia | Extreme Championship Wrestling | Professional wrestling venues
"New Alhambra Arena"