LEWISTON – Pumped up, smacked down and carrying a pair of wrestling divas, pro wrestlers aim to fill the Colisee Saturday for a live show.
And they hope to draw the whole family.
“We like to say a grandfather can bring his granddaughter and they’ll both enjoy it,” said Joe Villa, a spokesman for World Wrestling Entertainment.
Of course, most fans already know what the WWE is all about, Villa said. For them, fantasy body slams and risqu ladies are all part of the show.
At least 4,000 people are expected to attend the Lewiston event, WWE SmackDown Live.
“We hope to sell 1,500 seats in the last few days,” said Jeff Schumacher, general manager of the city-owned arena.
Part of the audience is likely to come from outside the Lewiston-Auburn area, drawn in large part by the WWE’s cable program, “Monday Night Raw,” Schumacher said.
For people who are not sure what to expect, especially parents bringing children, the WWE has created a Web site aimed at helping people decide. The site (corporate.wwe.com/parents/events.jsp) suggests that the show may include “suggestive dialogue, coarse language, sexual situations and violence.”
Both the site and Villa compare the experience to attending a professional sporting event, such as a baseball or football game. People might swear, but it’s more likely to be a member of the audience than a performer. And the sexuality is more suggested than explicit.
“We do have some very lovely ladies,” Villa said. Wrestling “divas” Melina and Sharmell are scheduled to appear.
The headliners are the wrestlers, though.
Among those scheduled to square off are Randy Orton and the Undertaker, who Villa describes as “legends.”
“There has been an ongoing feud between these guys,” he said.
There may even be a chance for people to meet them. Villa described the SmackDown show as far more intimate than the televised events, sometimes held in arenas.
“We do so many shows we have the opportunity to play venues like Lewiston,” Villa said.
The Colisee’s director simply hopes as many people as possible buy tickets.
Audiences are still learning that the Colisee is not affiliated with Ticketmaster and have jumped to the mistaken conclusion that the event is sold out, Schumacher said.
Tickets are still available, he said.
He added that some people are still learning that millions of dollars have been spent to update the former Central Maine Community Center.
“It’s safe,” he said. “It’s clean, and it’s renovated.”
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