Update – Pro Wrestling HOF opening Monday in Texas ahead of WM Weekend

July 12, 2020News

March 28 Update: The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum officially opens Monday in Wichita Falls, Texas, one month behind schedule.

PWHF president Johnny Mantell acknowledged to the local media that it “obviously didn’t work out” to get everything ready in February relocating from New York to Texas. However, they had a sense of urgency to get the project done in time for WrestleMania Weekend in the area.

“We just have to get this thing open for WrestleMania this week. We’ve been contacted through Facebook, the website and social media by several people wanting to know if it was going to be open. The biggest group is saying they’re coming through the Monday after WrestleMania,” Mantell told the Times Record News.

The PWHF is planning a big event on Monday (April 4) following WrestleMania for visitors looking for another wrestling event before Raw in Dallas. The museum will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Monday.

January 13 Update: Two months after announcing the relocation of the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum from New York to Texas, the move was underway on Wednesday.

According to a local news report, an 18-wheeler containing 8,000-9,000 pieces of wrestling history were unloaded at the “Big Blue” building in Wichita Falls, Tex., where wrestling history will be on-display year-round.

Included is the ability to set up a wrestling ring dated before the 1900s that was used at the old Polo Grounds in New York. Plus, legendary wrestlers will be scheduled for regular autograph sessions at the new location.

A soft launch is scheduled for the end of February before officially opening in March, just in time for WrestleMania 32 in North Texas. Then, the annual Hall of Fame induction weekend is scheduled for May.

ORIGINAL REPORT NOVEMBER 20

Organizers of the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum made a big announcement Thursday. The physical location will re-locate from Amsterdam, N.Y. to Wichita Falls, Texas.

Johnny Mantell, president of the PWHF, made the announcement at the new location located in the Annex of the First Wichita Building, known locally as Big Blue.

Mantell also announced the 2016 Hall of Fame Class. The class is headlined by Texas legend “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, helping the Hall of Fame make a big splash the first year in its new location. Mantell said he hopes Austin along with the other inductees will attend the 15th annual HOF weekend in May 2016.

“Of all of them, Stone Cold is the one I’m not completely sure about attending,” Mantell said. “An invitation will be extended to him and I hope he will accept if his schedule allows it. I believe most of the others will attend.”

Local reporters and officials from Wichita Falls were on-hand for the announcement. “Wrestling is a huge part of our culture; in fact, the largest crowds our coliseum ever draws are for professional wrestling,” said local official Henry Florsheim. “This is a huge feather in the cap for Downtown Wichita Falls and the city as a whole, and may well turn in to one of our largest tourism draws.”

Mantell noted that organizers have been searching for a new home for the past two years. “We have kept this so quiet. We wanted to shock the world with this news,” he said.

The physical location will have plenty of historical items on-display, plus new Texas-related items when the new location officially opens.

“There is so much history with our sport,” Mantell said. “We don’t want to just tell part of the story. No offense to Vince (McMahon), but he only wants you to know part of the history of wrestling with (the WWE Hall of Fame).”