Pro-bending Arena

The Pro-bending Arena is the venue that hosts official pro-bending matches in Republic City. A golden building located on the shores, the stadium is a prominent city landmark. Much of the arena was left damaged after the Equalist attack, and it was shut down soon after by the authorities.

History
At some point after the founding of Republic City, the Pro-bending Arena was built, being the first ever establishment to host pro-bending matches.

When Mako and Bolin lost their parents at a young age, they were forced to live on the streets. During this time, Toza, a former pro-bender, discovered the brothers fighting in town and offered them a place to live in the attic while letting them work odd jobs to pay rent, which allowed them to form a pro-bending team, the Fire Ferrets.

When Avatar Korra moved to Republic City to start her airbending training under the tutelage of Tenzin, pro-bending immediately called her attention. She asked Tenzin if she could attend a match at the arena, to which the airbender categorically refused. One night, however, the Avatar secretly left Air Temple Island and infiltrated the arena, accidentally stumbling into the gym, where Toza caught her and told her to leave immediately, thinking she was trying to sneak in without paying. Bolin appeared and pretended they were together in order to get her out of trouble. He then showed Korra the arena from one of the highest seats, which left the Avatar amazed.

When the Fire Ferrets' waterbender, Hasook, left the team, Korra took his place. The next matches were successful, earning the team a spot in the Pro-bending Tournament Championship final against the White Falls Wolfbats.

The United Republic Council was later threatened by Amon to shut down the arena for the final match, lest "severe consequences" would follow. The Council initially agreed to do so; however, Chief Lin Beifong intervened, stating that she would protect the arena and the spectators with her metalbending officers, making the majority of the Councilors change their opinion on the matter.



When the Wolfbats deceptively won the match, Equalists who had infiltrated as spectators proceeded to electrocute the policemen, Lin, and Tenzin while Amon and some of his men entered the ring, overpowering the members of the victorious team and removing their bending. At their escape through the arena's glass ceiling via airship, a bomb was detonated in the ring, destroying a large part of it. Avatar Korra and Lin Beifong tried to stop the Equalists by pursuing them, and a battle subsequently ensued on the roof. However, after knocking the Lieutenant off of the ceiling, the glass beneath Korra broke and she began to fall, forcing Lin to abort her chase and save the young Avatar.

After this attack, the Pro-bending Arena was closed down, forcing Mako and Bolin to leave their home and move to the Sato estate after Asami's invitation.

External layout
The Pro-bending Arena is a colossal, glass-domed structure located on a small peninsula; a narrow path connects the building entrance to the mainland. As a testament to the sport's popularity, the arena's exterior has a golden appearance and is lit at night. The building consists of a rather rectangular structure with four tall pillars at each corner and a quaint entrance in the side facing the city. Most of the arena sits underneath an intricate glass-domed ceiling. Two inlets come out from the sides of the main platform that supports the building over the sea; two small pavilions are located at their ends.

The arena is spacious enough to hold the ring, a large pool of water below it, seating for spectators, and at least one practice gym. It also has an impressive sound amplification system, as announcers use microphones to transmit their voice throughout the entire arena.



Playing field
The playing field consists of a ring and a water pit. The pro-bending ring is the platform where the teams compete in matches. It is separated into two equal sides, one red and one blue, each one split into three zones. The entire ring is located at the center of the arena. Raised at a considerable height, the ring is supported by thick piles that erect it of a water pit beneath it. In addition, twenty-one small discs made of earth are available on each side for earthbenders to utilize during competition.

The playing field also has several mobile platforms that allow players to enter the ring. Referees monitor the ring from raised stands at its sides.

Seats
The arena has a great number of seats available for spectators. The bleachers are arranged in a staggered manner, forming long, tiered rows of seats with stairs that provide access to the chairs. There are also more private and exclusive balconies for important or rich people that include comfortable and elegant red seats.

Radio booth
On one side of the arena is a rectangular shaped booth that is centered so it can have a whole view of the playing field. It is where a radio broadcaster provides his take on the match and describes it to the radio audience.

Toza's gym


Somewhere within the building lies Toza's gym where the Fire Ferrets often practiced. Its attic was formerly Mako and Bolin's home.

The gym is a large place where teams can train for matches. It includes the necessary tools for practice: earth disks, nets, weights, punching bags, etc.

Notable figures

 * Butakha
 * Mako
 * Bolin
 * Toza
 * Pro-bending referees
 * Ring announcer
 * Shiro Shinobi
 * Pro-bending teams

Trivia

 * The Pro-bending Arena closely resembles the holiest Sikh shrine, Harmandir Sahib located in India, commonly called the Golden Temple. Both locations have the distinctive golden appearance on the upper floors and are surrounded by water-bodies. Further, a notable pro-bending team was known as the Golden Temple Tigerdillos.