Triple H Turned Down Timothée Chalamet’s Request — And He Was Right to Do It
Timothée Chalamet tried to bring a WWE showdown to Manhattan’s Hammerstein Ballroom — but WWE chief content officer Triple H nixed the idea, saying the venue can’t host a WWE match, the actor revealed.
Timothee Chalamet wants to watch WWE at the Hammerstein Ballroom. Triple H told him that is not happening. And honestly, the reason is both very unglamorous and very New York.
How we got here
Chalamet was on Cody Rhodes's podcast, 'What Do You Wanna Talk About?', and brought up the Hammerstein. He loves the place. His favorite wrestling PPV ever is ECW One Night Stand 2006, which was at that venue. For context, WWE has not run Hammerstein since August 2006, when it taped an episode of the weekly ECW show there.
When Chalamet asked Triple H about doing WWE at Hammerstein again, he got a straight business answer.
"I want to go see a show at Hammerstein. I talked to Triple H. He said it is basically impossible to make money there. He said there is one elevator you have to load everything in and out of."
Why Hammerstein is a headache for WWE
Rhodes backed up his boss and added some very un-sexy production reality to it. He appreciated that Triple H even thought it through, but from a performer and crew standpoint, the building is a pain.
- Only one loading elevator for gear and sets, which kills turnaround and costs money.
- Brutal backstage conditions: open windows, it gets freezing, and there is barely any space to stage anything.
- In short, it is a vibe for fans, not a moneymaker for a giant weekly TV operation.
So where does that leave Chalamet?
If he just wants the Hammerstein experience, AEW has him covered. The venue, which has hosted WWE, ECW, Ring of Honor, and more over the years, is booked for two AEW holiday shows: 'Dynamite on 34th Street' on December 20 and 'Christmas Collision' on December 21.
AEW already tested the waters there last December with three sold-out events: ROH Final Battle, Dynamite on 34th Street, and Christmas Collision in 2024. They are coming back because it worked. The final episode of AEW Rampage was also taped at Hammerstein Ballroom.
The one perk Cody still loves
Even with all the headaches, Rhodes did point out why wrestlers adore the building: the fans are right on top of you, and the post-show walkout can be a moment. He says there is a little side door he used to slip out of to meet the crowd, and he always looks for it at Hammerstein.
Big picture: I get why WWE will not cram its operation into a one-elevator landmark, but I also get why people keep trying to make it work. Hammerstein is literally down the road from Madison Square Garden, and the atmosphere is special. If you are in New York and want that feel, AEW is giving it to you this month. And if you are Timothee Chalamet, you might just get your Hammerstein fix after all, even if the logo on the ring apron is not the one you asked for.