MLW Returns To Philly With Sweaty Sellout
Great to be back at the 2300 Arena.
Looks like we made it
Look how far we’ve come, my baby
We mighta took the long way
We knew we’d get there someday
On the contrary, there were some bleak days during the COVID-19 pandemic where it seemed we wouldn’t make it out of the hellscape. When government-imposed restrictions were loosened last summer, only to tighten back up in the winter, you couldn’t help but wonder if freedom was lost forever. Would we ever shop without masks? Would we ever fill a stadium? Would we ever hug our grandparents again?
Despite the recent headlines about the Delta variant, a mutation of the coronavirus that’s spreading throughout the United States, it feels like we’ve finally walked through the light at the end of the tunnel. Perhaps that’s just wishful thinking, but at least I have evidence to support my ignorance.
I spent Saturday night watching fights just like Elton John intended. Joining me were hundreds of fellow unmasked heathens, cheering and booing and cussing, guzzling beer and water while packed inside the sweltering 2300 Arena. It went against everything the CDC has advised for the past 16 months, yet it felt so right.
Although the venue has hosted MMA competitions and other events since reopening, this was pro wrestling’s return to the building it made famous. A never-ending line of giddy folks in shirts representing Owen Hart, Bruiser Brody, World Class Championship Wrestling and other legends wrapped around the corner of Swanson & Rittner. Philadelphia, where MLW planted its roots almost 20 years ago, showed up in full force for the company’s first show with a crowd since mid-March 2020. Of course, it was a sellout.
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A month since the city ended its indoor mask mandate, the notoriously passionate fans made sure their voices were heard as far away as Camden. “Filthy” Tom Lawlor was told to “Shut The Fuck Up” and Davey Richards, who hasn’t competed in Philly since 2013, was met with “Welcome Back” chants. Cat calls ranged from the tired (yes, Richard Holliday resembles a young Randy Orton) to the absurd (“Skittle Dick!” and “Cashew Cock!”). The crowd even razzed each other as producers kept moving Alicia Atout and Cesar Duran to different sides of the ring, prompting each section to boo the other whenever they lost out a closer glimpse of the stars.
After spending over a year isolated in our homes, watching the news divide us by race, gender, age, politics, pizza toppings, etc., it was nourishing to reunite as a community of wrestling fans. We may have our favorites (Hail Contra), but we all want the same thing – an entertaining night of action, letting loose for a few hours without a worry. MLW delivered that escape, which is why I’ve already booked my seat for its return to the City of Brotherly Love on Oct. 2.
Of course, who knows what the future may bring? By the fall, maybe Delta will cause us to go back in lockdown and that event will be one of many put on hold. It’s a terrifying thought, so I’ll repress it with the others: striking out in CYO, several Tinder dates and Tom Lawlor’s jorts.
If we’ve learned anything over the past year, it’s to appreciate everything, as grand as a vacation to the islands and as simple as scrambled eggs in a diner. I’ll be forever grateful for Saturday night.
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