6,000 turn out for wrestling show

Fans say they enjoy the storylines of the WWE event

Wrestling fans make their allegiances clear at Zayed Sport City in Abu Dhabi yesterday.

ABU DHABI // More than 6,000 wrestling fans cheered on their favourite World Wrestling Entertainment characters inflicting pain on one another last night.

John Cena and The Miz were among the wrestlers attacking each other with signature manoeuvres including clotheslines and pile drives at Zayed Sport City. The Raw World Tour, the capital's first WWE event and the second in the Gulf, ends tonight.

Abdul Rahman Mandi, 27 and a lifelong fan, flew in from Bahrain for the event. He said he enjoyed the storylines. "It's about good versus evil, rich versus poor, it covers everything in life," the business performance analyst said.

His friend Ahmed Zaymani, 26, who flew with him from Bahrain for the event, brought his own gold WWE belt.

"It's something every fan has," Zaymani said. "Why not have one if some people collect Star Wars figures? This is just the same."

Peter Regan from the UK brought his 11-year-old son Richard. "He always watches it on TV and loves it," the civil engineer said. "When he heard it was coming I had to get tickets. I'm not into it myself but it is a good show. It's entertaining."