AEW President Tony Khan would love the chance to host his brand of pro wrestling in the Hammerstein Ballroom, which he believes would make a lot of sense.
Speaking to SportsGrid, Khan was asked if AEW would be interested in hosting an event that for years was synonymous with Extreme Championship Wrestling.
“I think that’s a very interesting idea. I’ve never been to the Hammerstein Ballroom. I’d love to do it. I’ve seen great shows there. I think it’s a great venue. I’ve never been. We also have these amazing relationships around New York. For the right event, on the right night, it could make a lot of sense. I’d imagine it would sell out very quickly because it’s not the biggest room, but it is a fascinating setup and a cool looking room. It has great acoustics and is a lot of fun from everything I’ve seen on television. I’d love to check it out in person. It’s a great idea. The Hammerstein Ballroom could be a cool venue sometimes. I haven’t thought much about it, but it’s an awesome idea.”
The Hammerstein Ballroom
The Ballroom was opened in 1906 and renovated in 1997 and has become synonymous with professional wrestling. ECW held several events at the venue including the company’s final two pay-per-views, Massacre on 34th Street in December 2000 and Guilty as Charged in January 2001. When WWE revived ECW, the 2006 and 2006 One Night Stand events were held at the Ballroom.
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The venue has also played host to events from Ring of Honor, including Death Before Dishonor 2008 and 2011, as well as most Final Battle events. In 2014 and 2017, ROH teamed with New Japan for their ‘War Of The Worlds’ event inside the famous arena. More recently, GCW hosted its The Wrld On GCW event in January 2022, and the event set a record attendance for the Hammerstein Ballroom.
AEW and ECW
Khan’s idea of running a show making sense rings true given that AEW has often been compared to ECW. With its more envelope-pushing levels of violence, AEW has proven to be quite the alternative to WWE, just as ECW was to the WWF before and during the Attitude Era. It remains to be seen whether AEW will enter the Ballroom, but if so, expect a raucous New York crowd should that event take place.