This week, Philadelphia International Airport will be buzzing with WWE fans traveling in for this weekend’s WrestleMania XL events at the Linc, and around the city.
To help everyone passing through PHL– and those working there– get hyped for all the suplexes, DDT’s and top-rope frog splashes in store this week, staff at the airport held a pep rally Wednesday morning to unveil a replica wrestling ring in the connector between Terminals B and C, as well as special championship belts on display around the airport.
“The airport has stepped up their game, shown a welcoming spirit for this event and this is all the airport staff here coming out to say ‘we’re ready to welcome the world for this big event,’” Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau President and CEO Gregg Caren said.
The ring — scaled down from the 20-square-feet dimensions required for the likes of the Rock to throw down — has a small stage in front of it where travelers can pose for photos against the backdrop displaying Sunday’s headline fight between Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and challenger Cody Rhodes. A championship belt with the Philadelphia Eagles logos on it is mounted between the two men’s snarling profiles.
“Do not touch” signs flank either side of the ring, reminding those who might want to step inside that it’s for display purposes only.
Three other belts are located in Terminal E, with one paying homage to the Phillies.
While the displays offer a pleasant distraction for those disembarking their flights or passing time in transit, most travelers have their gate numbers or baggage claim at the top of their minds. So the rally was also to celebrate PHL’s staff and contractors who are helping to keep the flow of tourists into and out of the airport moving smoothly. Especially the wrestling lovers among them.
Clarence LeJeune, operating partner on PHL’s executive team, MC’ed the proceedings, leading chants and inviting PHL staff to come up and talk about their love of wrestling.
“It can get boring in airports. If you’ve been traveling, stuff like that,” said Milton Creary, program manager for Travelers Aid at PHL. “But events like this being community engaged — not just for the traveling passengers, but a sea of employees are here too engaged who normally just come in and do their nine-to-five, or eight-to-four, or whatever their time frame is. The monotony, you break up the monotony and just bring closeness to all the stakeholders here in the airport.”
Major events the size and scope of WrestleMania are also helping the city prepare for the country’s semiquincentennial celebrations in 2026. Alongside the July Fourth events will be six games of the FIFA Men’s World Cup, the MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park in July, the 108th PGA Championship at Delaware County’s Aronimink Golf Club in July, and first- and second-round games of NCAA men’s March Madness basketball earlier in the year.
Caren said that hosting a major global event like WrestleMania was just the beginning for welcoming the world to Philly.
“The first thing we experience is the airport or the train station or the bus terminal. So to have the entire airport staff … pumped up to this extent, this is going to be what radiates to visitors coming to Philadelphia,” Caren said. “We want our guests, our tourists, our visitors to feel the warmth and the brotherly love that makes Philadelphia special.”
City Representative and Director of Special Events Jazelle Jones, appointed by Mayor Cherelle Parker in February, said at the rally that she has been most impressed with how the city operating departments and tourism organizations collaborate together.
“All the city operating departments, all the tourism — the CVB, Visit Philly, [Independence Hall] folks — we all sit down and decide, ‘Hey, company’s coming to the city. What are we going to do?’” she said.
