We attended one of D.C.’s few professional wrestling leagues recently (the videos are sick!) and it got us wondering what wrestling used to look like in the District.
At the height of the Great Depression in 1935, a small-time D.C. wrestler named Joe Turner opened what would become the city’s most successful wrestling arena.
Turner was a wrestler and boxing promoter who used to bring events to large D.C. stadiums. When the depression hit, bigger venues were no longer able to host his events, so he looked elsewhere.
He found a rundown garage on 14th & W Streets NW and converted it into an 1,880-seat wrestling ring, which he called Turner’s Arena. Despite a depression-ravaged downtown, the arena was immediately successful.
Spectators at Joe Turner's arena. (John Ferrell / Library of Congress)
Its inaugural match between then-world champion Danno O’Mahoney against newcomer Jack Donovon brought in 2,500 people. The arena went on to bring in global wrestling stars like Chief Thunderbird, Swift Eagle, and Lefty Lou. Turner even branched out to host concerts, sports games, and community events.
The arena was one of the few mixed-use facilities in D.C. and was also integrated, which was unusual for public spaces at that time. It later became the home of the Capitol Wrestling Corporation, which became the WWE we know today.
Turner died in 1947, but the arena remained a beloved institution, passing through several hands before it was demolished in 1965. Today, the site of the arena is an apartment building called 14W.
D.C. still has a few professional wrestling leagues, but the venues look a little different. We went to one by Fight Club Pro Wrestling inside a suburban VFW hall in Cheverly, Maryland. The ring might not have been as grand but the crowd was fervent and the flips went crazy!
