When fans think of professional wrestling’s historic venues, locales like Madison Square Garden, Memphis’ famed Mid-South Coliseum, Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall, and lucha libre’s cathedral, Arena Mexico, come to mind. No real list is complete without Philadelphia’s grimy warehouse on the corner of South Swanson and West Ritner, the 2300 Arena.
In the 1990s, the building became a temple for pro wrestling’s extreme counterculture — operating as the home base for Paul Heyman’s nascent ECW. At the turn of the millennia, a new wave of independent promotions followed in ECW’s footsteps — building upon the venue’s great tradition.
Now, AEW — the major motion alternative to WWE — has taken up a three-week residency in the 2300 Arena. In total, the promotion will record three episodes of its flagship programs; Wednesday Night “Dynamite” and Saturday Night “Collision” during its residency — en route to its next pay-per-view, “All Out.”
On Saturday, I had the opportunity to step foot in the hallowed halls of the 2300 Arena and witness a double-feature: Episode 109 of Saturday Night “Collision” and “ACTION D3AN~!!!.” The latter of which paid homage to late pro-wrestling scribe and founder of the Death Valley Driver Video Review message board, Dean Rasmussen.
Rasmussen’s musings on pro wrestling and ability to foster community had a profound impact on the generation of stars who dominated the super-indie movement in the early aughts. Stars like Chris Hero, Samoa Joe, and Bryan Danielson were all avid contributors of the DVDVR message boards — as was AEW’s proprietor, Tony Khan.
Last year, Rasmussen’s longtime friend and cohort, Phil Schneider, joined forces with the Georgia-based independent promotion, ACTION Wrestling, to promote a tribute show for the writer—who unexpectedly passed away in 2023. Entitled “ACTION DEAN~!!!,” the event was held “WrestleMania” weekend to universal praise — particularly for its penultimate affair between Mad Dog Connelly and Demus.
The event garnered Khan’s attention, who agreed to partner with Schneider and ACTION Wrestling for a sequel in May, during “Double or Nothing” weekend in Phoenix. And, a third installment, in the famed 2300 Arena.
Matches from “ACTION D3AN~!!!” bookended the weekend’s live rendition of “Collision,” resulting in a four-and-a-half hour love letter to pro-wrestling’s most devout sycophants.
For all of its shortcomings, AEW excels in two categories: pay-per-view and the live event business. This was my sixth time attending a live AEW event, and I’ve yet to be disappointed. Several weeks ago, Emmy Award-winning actor-turned wrestler, Paul Walter Hauser, likened AEW to a “beautiful buffet” of professional wrestling. Like most buffets, the promotion has a knack for satiating the fan’s appetite.
Here were some of the highlights:
Saturday Night “Collision”
Jon Moxley vs. Daniel Garcia
When Jon Moxley slayed “The American Dragon” at “WrestleDream,” four figures came to Bryan Danielson’s rescue: Orange Cassidy, Darby Allin, Hook and Daniel Garcia.
The Death Riders were a tidal wave, destined to engulf AEW. Moxley was challenging the young guard to meet the rising tide head on or risk drowning.
After 10 months, Garcia finally circled his way back to Moxley — in the famed 2300 Arena. In fact, it was their stellar match that kicked off AEW’s residency in Philadelphia a week-and-a-half ago.
“Collision” began with their rematch. After a lackluster reign as TNT Champion, Garcia has felt rudderless. Defeating Moxley would mark an inflection point in the young technician’s career. Garcia’s frustration has reached a fever pitch and it’s palpable in this match.
The crowd was bristling with energy, anticipating an upset over the former world champion. Garcia’s effort was folkloric, taking Moxley to the brink and back with an emphatic piledriver on the ring apron. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t enough. Oftentimes in pro wrestling, denial is a heel’s greatest tool. And, it’s one Moxley has mastered.
The aftermath of their affair rendered both men in stark contrast. Moxley has already shifted his focus — setting his sights on Darby Allin at “All Out.” (As an aside, Moxley delivered one of his best promos in recent memory. “Belts are a basic unit of measurement for small thinking.” I’m going to start using that on marks) Meanwhile, Garcia is still adrift — mired in abject failure, unsure of his place in the sport, and how he proceeds from here.
Rating: ****¼
FTR vs. Adam Priest & Tommy Billington
I’m a fan first and columnist second (sorry, Chris), so objectivity means nothing to me. I love FTR. As a matter of fact, I wore an FTR shirt to the show. You can’t convince me that they’re heels. Adam “I Lost My Edge” Copeland was a saboteur and Christian Cage picks on orphans. Americans just have a hard time understanding what being “great” really means.
I’m also a huge fan of Adam Priest, who’s been the ace of DEADLOCK Pro Wrestling. Not only is he a great Southern-style worker, but he’s one of the most infinitely quotable wrestlers in the game. Roll Tide.
I’ve even enjoyed Tommy Billington’s work, who’s a genuinely underrated second generation wrestler nepo-baby. Suffice to say, this match seemed catered towards my unique sensibilities.
Priest is normally the consummate heel ‘rassler. Here though, he’s working face — using his diminutive stature to fuel his spitfire. Both Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler feel at ease working with Priest, in a way that belies their relative inexperience. Billington has worked with FTR before and even earned Harwood’s praise.
There was a great deal of give and take, here. Priest and Billington countered FTR’s size and brawn with superior speed, agility, and guile. Still, it wasn’t enough to overcome the former 10 time world tag team champions.
Rating: ***½
Mark Briscoe vs. Konosuke Takeshita
Several weeks ago, Mark Briscoe set his sights on Kyle Fletcher and the TNT Championship. With their record tied at 2-2, Briscoe was itching to settle the score. Don Callis was reticent, so he insisted that Briscoe had to beat a member of his titular family to earn the opportunity. Enter Konosuke Takeshita, the winner of this year’s prestigious G1 Climax Tournament.
In March, Briscoe and Takeshita delivered a quality main event performance on “Dynamite.” This dramatically improved upon that performance, thanks in large part to Briscoe’s herculean efforts. Philadelphia is home base for Briscoe, who grew up across the Delaware River in Sussex County. The setting only added fuel to Briscoe’s fire—having been indoctrinated into pro-wrestling, courtesy of ECW.
Here’s where my objectivity exits the discussion. I happened to be sitting in front of the patriarch of the Briscoe clan, affectionately known as Papa Briscoe, and two of Mark’s sons — during this match. I don’t know if his sons are aware of pro wrestling’s pre-determined nature, but they cheered for their father like the world was on the line. Papa Briscoe was every bit as vocal as the boys, cheering for his son like an emotionally invested father at a high school football game. There was something earnest about their support that heightened everything. I wanted Briscoe to win that much more than I normally would. Not just because he’s the conscience of All Elite Wrestling or the hometown hero, but because his children were dejected every time his advances failed to accumulate.
The match ended in a schmoz, with MJF sacrificing his honeymoon with Alicia Atout for an opportunity to screw over Mark Briscoe. Talk about being committed to the bit.
Dare I rate this? Obvious bias withstanding, here goes nothing:
Rating: ****½
ACTION DEAN~!!!3
Lee Moriarty [c] vs. Josh Woods
It’s “TAIGASTYLE.” All caps.
Lee Moriarty is one of the best kept secrets in professional wrestling, whose boundless charisma has been confined within the ranks of Shane Taylor Promotions on Ring of Honor. Here, he defended his ROH Pure Championship against Josh “The Goods” Woods — observing pure wrestling rules.
This a welcome departure from the no limit style that AEW has become synonymous with. I love fake grappling and both of these athletes happen to be very proficient at it.
Rating: ***½
Blue Panther, Pantera, & Virus vs. Hechicero, Xelhua, & Dr. Cerebro
Speaking of fake grappling.
This was billed as a “maestros contra maestros trios match; a dos de tres caídas, solamente llaves.” In other words, a best two-out-of-three falls submission match.
The six maestros in this match have a combined 179 years of pro-wrestling experience. It’s also worth mentioning that Xelhua is only 21 years old — contributing a mere two years to that grand total.
The selling point here was the presence of lucha libre’s living legends — Virus, Pantera and Blue Panther — the latter of whom received the bulk of the fan’s adoration. Panther’s relationship with Bryan Danielson had paid dividends, turning one of the all-time greats into a bucket list attraction.
Panther sits near the top of lucha libre’s pantheon and here he was, in all of his glory—performing hurricanranas from the ring apron onto the floor and tope suicidas at the ripe age of 64.
Rating: ***½
Mad Dog Connelly vs. Demus
The main event of “ACTION D3AN~!!!” was the long-awaited rematch between Mad Dog Connelly and Demus. Their aforementioned dog collar match from the inaugural “DEAN” event was hailed as an instant classic. This time, the masochists put their hair on the line in an apuestas match.
Demus wrestles like he’s a survivor of his apocalypse, which is apropos — considering he, quite literally, often wrestles in scrapyards.
Connelly has found a footing in the American independent circuit thanks to his mastery over the dog collar and penchant for violence.
Like all great grunge albums, there’s a roughness to this that captures the independent spirit. Still, these are two masters of their craft, harnessing unbridled chaos and bending it to their whim. The end result was the perfect main event for a venue that’s been affectionately referred to as the “ECW Arena.”
Rating: ****½
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