{"id":42349,"date":"2023-10-02T23:19:17","date_gmt":"2023-10-02T23:19:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pieroselvaggio.com\/?p=42349"},"modified":"2023-10-02T23:19:17","modified_gmt":"2023-10-02T23:19:17","slug":"piledrivers-and-body-slams-take-down-the-house-at-1stbank-centers-last-hurrah-before-the-venue-folds-the-denver-post","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pieroselvaggio.com\/2023\/10\/02\/piledrivers-and-body-slams-take-down-the-house-at-1stbank-centers-last-hurrah-before-the-venue-folds-the-denver-post\/","title":{"rendered":"Piledrivers and body slams take down the house at 1stBANK Center’s last hurrah before the venue folds – The Denver Post"},"content":{"rendered":"

Residents from across the Front Range donned their wrestling masks and extraordinarily large belts to celebrate the final show at Broomfield\u2019s 1stBANK Center for\u00a0 All Elite Wrestling\u2019s Dynamite and Rampage event.<\/p>\n

AEW, known for its passionate fans and wild professional wrestling performances, delivered on the promise to put on a great show at Wednesday\u2019s event. From pyrotechnics, flying sparks and no small amount of dramatic fights, the event made for an exciting sendoff for Broomfield\u2019s largest event center.<\/p>\n

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In May, Broomfield City Council voted unanimously to end the management and operations contract for the building, after years of \u201cunderperformance and underutilization,\u201d according to city staff\u2019s presentation at the May 23 meeting.<\/p>\n

The center was built to host 180 to 190 events per year, according to the presentation, but peaked in 2016 when only 33 events were held. In addition to its underutilization, the event center has proved to be a strain on the local police department and emergency services, city staff said. Since 2016, there have been 738 medical calls to the event center.<\/p>\n

The building is owned by the Broomfield Urban Renewal Authority (BURA) and was constructed for $45 million, financed by bonds. By the time BURA pays off the event center bond, it will have paid approximately $135 million.<\/p>\n

For wrestling fan and spectator Mike Guild, nothing could be a better swan song for the 1stBANK Center than AEW.<\/p>\n

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\u201cAEW is the best live show in the world\u2026 I\u2019ve been a wrestling fan my whole life and AEW is the most fun, inclusive and entertaining form of wrestling there is,\u201d Guild said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was excited when I heard this was going to be the last show here, because with wrestling you have no idea what you\u2019re going to see,” Guild said. “So I was hoping they would strike a deal where they would let them do something catastrophic to the building to start tearing it down.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was no wrecking ball involved in Wednesday\u2019s show, but there was still plenty of action, complete with steel chairs and suplexes. And, despite the closure of the center, AEW said there would still be plenty of future opportunities for wrestling fans on the Front Range to see live shows.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been looking at opportunities at the Ball Arena for shows, and we have the weekly TV shows Wednesday and Saturday,\u201d said Rafael Morffi, the vice president of live events and touring for AEW.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve also played down in Colorado Springs. There\u2019s plenty of venues in the marketplace.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 1stBANK Center has been great to work with\u2026great leaders with a first-class facility,\u201d Morffi added. \u201cWe\u2019re excited we got to send the arena off in fine fashion. And I guarantee we always put on a good show.\u201d<\/p>\n

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