Before WrestleMania, there was live wrestling in the middle of South Street. Seriously.
Tickets to the main event at the Linc were expensive, but Suplex Vintage Wrestling threw a block party.
Samir McCloud, with a replica of the now-defunct WWE European championship belt over his shoulder, watched his first-ever live wrestling match in a ring set up in the middle of a closed-off block of South Street.
“I was jaw-dropped,” said McCloud, 32. “The sound of the ring. The sound of the crowd. I’m used to what I see on WWE on TV. But this is a different story.”
McCloud, an Army veteran from North Philly, said he’s been a wrestling fan since the late 1990s, staying up late on Sunday nights during “The Attitude Era” to watch the pay-per-views with his brother. But he never got out to a live show.
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McCloud was one of hundreds passing through the 600 block of South Street, which was closed off between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. for a wrestling block party on Saturday, hours before the kickoff of Night 1 of WrestleMania 40 at Lincoln Financial Field in South Philly.
The block party, which was put on by the owners of the Suplex Vintage Wrestling store on South Street, included nine live matches, food, drink, and music.
McCloud was thrilled to see so many like-minded people — and even though he wasn’t going to see live matches at WrestleMania Saturday evening, the crowd made him feel part of the larger assembly of wrestling fans descending on his hometown.
“Tickets were a little expensive,” he said of the event at Lincoln Financial Field. “[But] it’s in my city, so I might as well be out with the people.”
Fans came out in full wrestling regalia, and many dressed in cosplay of their favorite superstars.
Haashim Smith-Johnson, 26, came to the block party dressed as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, complete with sunglasses, a championship belt, and an imitation of the lavish Versace shirts The Rock would wear into the ring during pro wrestling’s “Attitude Era.”
“I’m cold as hell,” he said. “But I’m doing this for the love of the game right now.”
This is Smith-Johnson’s second WrestleMania, having gone to the event five years ago when it was held in MetLife Stadium.
“But it wasn’t as good as this,” he said.
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Smith-Johnson, from Camden, said he’s met people also dressed up as other WWE superstars, other fans carrying championship belts, and wearing colorful T-shirts.
“I feel represented out here. I feel seen,” he said. “And there’s people here from all over. People coming from worldwide all to celebrate the one thing that we all love in common.”