Dunkin' Donuts Center - Providence, RI

The home of Armageddon in 2005, the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, R.I. has been the home of many WWE events. Prior to its inception on pay-per-view, the King of the Ring tournament was held in Providence multiple times. The arena also hosted the 1994 Royal Rumble which saw Yokozuna defeat Undertaker in a Casket Match and Bret Hart and Lex Luger co-win the Royal Rumble Match. Also, Backlash 1999 was at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, and that card saw Stone Cold defeat The Rock to retain the WWE Championship.

Originally built in 1972, the arena was known as the Providence Civic Center until June 2001, when Dunkin’ Donuts bought naming rights. Current tenants include the AHL’s Providence Bruins and the Providence College Friars; the University of Rhode Island’s men’s basketball team also called “The Dunk” home until their own on-campus facility opened in 2002. The arena has also hosted many major concerts and events, including the NCAA Tournament and the NCAA Frozen Four ice hockey championships.

Located at the head of Narragansett Bay, Providence is the capital of and largest city in Rhode Island. With a population of over 170,000, Providence is the 35th largest metropolitan area in the United States and second largest city in New England. Known as “The Beehive of Industry” and “The Renaissance City,” Providence was one of the first cities in the U.S. to industrialize.

Since its industrialization, Providence remains one of the largest centers for jewelry and silverware design and manufacturing. Fortune 500 company Textron calls Providence home, and the capital city was also the original home of the Fleet Bank Corporation (which has since merged into the Bank of America conglomerate). Providence is also home to the Westminster Arcade, the country’s oldest enclosed shopping mall.

A noted education center, Providence is home to several colleges and universities. Prominent institutions include the University of Rhode Island and Providence College, as well as Ivy League school Brown University. Providence is also home to Johnson & Wales University (one of the nation’s leading culinary schools) and Rhode Island School of Design, noted as one of the world’s best art programs.

Many films and television shows have been filmed in or featured Providence as a locale. Major motion pictures include Amistad, Dumb and Dumber and There’s Something About Mary. FOX’s animated series Family Guy also takes place in a fictional suburb of Providence.