For many New Yorkers, the New York City subway system has always been a performance space for the public. However, in recent years, a new phenomenon of performers have been paying homage to WWE wrestlers, known as Subway Mania, a viral underground professional wrestling sensation.
Tim Hann Rivera, 30, a filmmaker and content creator from East Harlem who has been a lifelong wrestling fan, conceived of Subway Mania as a tribute to old school 90s wrestlers.
When Rivera’s mother gifted him a replica of the late-90s “Attitude Era” WWE Championship belt, he had an idea of one his friends cosplaying Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson on a train and make it a skit known as “Subway Slam” in 2016, posting it on social media. It became “Subway Rumble” before eventually settling on “Subway Mania”.
“To best describe Subway Mania, it’s a bunch of cosplayers dressed up as WWE Superstars wrestling on a train. The mission behind it is just to entertain people. We want to bring the entertainment to your everyday commute on the subway,” Rivera said.
Subway Mania brings wrestling underground, literally, to the subway system.Photo courtesy of Zach Buchner and Mind Museum 
A wrestling match taking place in the subway during Subway Mania.Photo courtesy of Zach Buchner and Mind Museum
Rivera claims he’s had fans of Subway Mania traveling from Europe, including Germany, to see his events live in New York, stating most kids can’t buy a wrestling ticket but can see one of his matches on the trains for a simple $3 fare.
Subway Mania has had notable appearances from prominent wrestlers such as the Hardy Boys, Zilla Fatu and Mike Santana that have wrestled for one of the biggest wrestling companies in America, TNA Wrestling.
“Our first guests were the Hardy Boys, Matt and Jeff Hardy, and they were so psyched to be part of the series and make their Subway Mania debut,” Rivera said.
Rivera had always enjoyed the storylines and characters of WWE that he integrates into his Subway Mania matches.
As to why Rivera wanted to host his wrestling shows on the subway, he claims the subway system is where so many social gatherings occur in New York.
“However, a lot of times people that witness our matches don’t care. People just want to go home. But then you have a lot of people that do care about what we do. It’s definitely an audience whether they want to watch it or not,” Rivera said.
A wrestling match taking place in the subway during Subway Mania.Photo courtesy of Zach Buchner and Mind Museum 
A wrestling match taking place in the subway during Subway Mania.Photo courtesy of Zach Buchner and Mind Museum
Subway Mania collectively has almost 200,000 followers on social media, including millions of views. This consists of their YouTube channel with about 100,000 subscribers, their Instagram with over 50,000 followers and their TikTok with over 20,000 followers.
The first Subway Mania match that went viral in May 2016 was a triple threat or 3-way match between Triple H, Kane and Stone Cold Steve Austin.
“We did the whole match on the train and then we took the match outside to 14th Street and Union Square. It was something completely different at the time that people didn’t get to see. It’s been ten years doing Subway Mania and keeping it fresh,” Rivera said.
Rivera claims that every time he posts skits on social media, revealing their location, their gatherings on the subway become “flooded” with so many fans.
Many of Rivera’s cosplayers have always been his friends and colleagues from his neighborhood. This led to professional cosplayers wanting to be a part of his subway series.
“In the beginning, it was hard to find people that were committed and now we’ve built a whole community. We got people driving from Boston and flying from California to be a part of our show,” Rivera said.
A person cosplays at PéntaPhoto courtesy of Zach Buchner and Mind Museum 
A person cosplays as Rey Mysterio.Photo courtesy of Zach Buchner and Mind Museum
Rivera notes that constantly switching up cosplays to fit more modern wrestling, such as costumes representing Jey Uso, Penta, or Roman Reigns, helps them consistently go viral online.
When choosing the right train or subway station to host wrestling shows, Rivera notes that each station is special in its own way and carries its own personality to connect to a skit they’ll perform that day for social media.
Tim Rivera is widely known throughout the wrestling business due to the success of Subway Mania between the wrestlers, the fans and even WWE executive Triple H has acknowledged the online series.
“After this, there will never be another Subway Mania ever. It’s a type of thrill that you get once we start filming. It’s just something you won’t experience anywhere else,” Rivera said.
You can follow Subway Mania on social media @Timmhannrivera on YouTube and @Subwaymanianyc on Instagram and TikTok.