The 2300 Arena has seen a lot of violence, blood and guts over the last several decades, but the one thing the South Philadelphia pro wrestling staple couldn't take was a rally event for WWE Hall of Famer and United States President Donald Trump.
The Arena was slated to host an "Italians for Trump" rally hosted by former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani today, but the Arena's owners canceled the event upon learning the event was to support President Trump. The legendary pro wrestling venue had been originally told they were being booked for a rally for a "local politician", according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
“There’s just a whole lot of things that come with a Trump rally,” Arena co-owner Christy Bottie said. “There’s no way we were going to take any risks on any level for a Trump rally.”
Bottie was specifically concerned, according to the article about the venue not being able to handle the COVID-19 health concerns involving present with a larger gathering, although they had been told those attending would be wearing masks. There was also concern about the potential size of the gathering and protestors also coming to the building.
The rally was moved to another location in Northeast Philadelphia, where Giulani blamed the change on the Mayor of Philadelphia contacting the venue, something Bottie denied happened. The Arena held a Republican National Committee event in 2016.
The Arena itself has been shut down since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic and is waiting for the chance to return to booking live events, including professional wrestling, MMA, concerts and boxing. Since the summer of 1993, it has been the heart and soul of professional wrestling in the city of Brotherly Love, including hosting the first-ever ECW PPV, Barely Legal.
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