Two-time Academy Award winner Timothée Chalamet has never shied away from his love for professional wrestling. A native of Manhattan, Chalamet grew up watching WWE and has fond memories of the sport’s history in New York City. Recently, the actor took his fandom a step further by directly pitching a venue return to WWE’s Chief Content Officer, Paul “Triple H” Levesque.
Speaking to Cody Rhodes on What Do You Wanna Talk About?, Chalamet disclosed that he asked Triple H about the possibility of WWE returning to the Manhattan Center’s Hammerstein Ballroom. However, his response highlighted the significant logistical challenges facing modern WWE productions in older venues.
“I want to go see a show at Hammerstein,” Chalamet said. “I talked to Triple H. He said it’s basically impossible to make money there. He said there’s one elevator you have to load everything in and out of.”
Cody Rhodes Confirms Logistical Nightmares
Cody Rhodes, who has performed in the venue for other promotions like Ring of Honor, validated Triple H’s assessment. While the Hammerstein Ballroom holds a special place in wrestling history for its unique atmosphere, Rhodes noted that backstage conditions are far from ideal for talent and crew.
“He’s right, and I appreciate that he gave you logistics because at least he was thinking about it,” Rhodes said. “The other thing is it’s the worst back of house ever. God bless Manhattan Center and Hammerstein. It’s open windows, freezing, there’s no room for anything.”
A Favorite Venue For A Fan
Despite the practical issues, Chalamet holds the venue in high regard. He revealed that ECW: One Night Stand 2006, which took place at the Hammerstein Ballroom, is his favorite pay-per-view of all time. That historic event saw Rob Van Dam defeat John Cena for the WWE Championship in front of one of the most hostile and passionate crowds in company history.
WWE has not held a televised event at the Hammerstein Ballroom since resurrecting the ECW brand there in August 2006. While companies like AEW, GCW, TNA, and ROH have continued to run the building, WWE’s production scale has largely outgrown the facility.
Upcoming Projects
Both men have major events on the horizon. Rhodes is scheduled to defend his status as the top star in the company against NXT Champion Oba Femi at Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13 at the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. This event will also feature John Cena’s final in-ring appearance.
Chalamet is preparing for the release of his latest film, Marty Supreme. Directed by Josh Safdie, the film stars Chalamet as Marty Mauser, a character loosely inspired by American table tennis legend Marty Reisman. The movie is set to hit US theaters on Christmas Day.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit What Do You Wanna Talk About? with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
