Posted on 3/09/123 by Mike Informer
The building that is most synonymous with Extreme
Championship Wrestling is the former bingo hall at the
corner of Swanson and Ritner in South Philly which is now
known as the 2300 Arena and still hosts pro wrestling today.
However, while the promotion was still operating under the
Eastern Championship Wrestling branding in the early 1990s,
it inhabited another venue in West Philadelphia called The
Chestnut Cabaret. But as "The City of Brotherly Love"
continues to evolve, the nightclub at 38th and Ludlow has
become the latest casualty of change as it is scheduled for
demolition.
Primarily known for live music, The Chestnut Cabaret (also
known as Pegasus Showcase and The Blockley) hosted a number
of iconic musicians from 1978 to 2013 such as Nirvana, The
Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jay-Z, DMX, Talib Kweli, and
Ghostface Killah. During ECW's six-month residence in
University City, a number of legendary names in professional
wrestling passed through those doors as well.
While speaking to PWInsider about the venue, ECW founder Tod
Gordon recounted the time when "Jimmy 'Superfly' Snuka
teamed up with Ivan Koloff to pull a hilarious rib on one of
the young workers." The likes of The Sandman, J.T. Smith,
and Terry Taylor also wrestled there. In 1992, WWE Hall of
Famer Don Muraco lost and regained the ECW Championship in
the same hallowed halls where Ryan Cabrera (husband of WWE
Superstar Alexa Bliss) serenaded Drexel and UPenn students
years later.
Now, after permanently closing its doors due to the loss of
its liquor license in 2013, the building on the block that
once included a Chili's, Atlantis Gentleman's Club, and
student favorite restaurants Abner's and Koreana's will
become a 13-story biotechnology hub with retail space on the
ground level and commercial opportunities above.