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 an Equalist attack, and it was shut down soon after by the authorities.

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

During Mako and Bolin's street life due to the loss of their parents, 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, before showing Korra the arena from one of the locker rooms, 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, or "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 stun the policemen, Lin, and Tenzin with their electrified gloves 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 dome rooftop, 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.



After the Equalists' success during the Battle for Republic City, the Pro-bending Arena was covered in Equalist banners, and was the chosen location for the Equalist Victory Rally. As Amon was speaking to the crowd at the rally, however, he was exposed as a waterbender by Avatar Korra, to which the crowd did not believe. An intense battle ensued, with Korra eventually blasting Amon into the harbor via airbending. Amon began to waterbend to prevent himself from drowning, much to the shock of his former supporters, and fled the scene.

Six months after the Anti-bending Revolution, the arena was rebuilt and pro-bending competition returned to the venue.

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 citizens 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.

Attic
The attic of Toza's gym is the former home of Mako, Bolin, and Pabu. The attic has a small hatch door in the floor for entering and exiting, a loft area, and even a small kitchen-like area for cooking. The attic also provides great views from the many windows it provides.

Notable figures

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

Trivia

 * The Pro-bending Arena was influenced in design by the holiest Sikh shrine, Harmandir Sahib, located in India and commonly called the Golden Temple; another influence was the Saltair Pavilion on the Great Salt Lake of the late 1800s. Both the Golden Temple and the Pro-bending Arena have the distinctive golden appearance on the upper floors and are surrounded by bodies of water. Furthermore, a notable pro-bending team was known as the Golden Temple Tigerdillos.
 * The playing field and water pool below were removed for the Equalist Victory Rally.