Some call it the Coliseum, and some call it just 'The Arena'. They mean the same thing, though. The Coliseum is formerly the hockey rink for the New Reno Blades. Once the Blades took off their skates and got out of uniform for good, the Mordinos stepped in. After the fall of the Mordinos, the Brotherhood of Steel, along with an independent party from NCR, made it what it is today. It's everything Roman - blood, guts, mayhem. With a twist of something New Reno - Bulletproof glass lines the arena where the regular Plexiglas once was, and beer is sold as cheap as the dirt that the fighters walk on. Nothing like having a brew while you watch two men fight to the death.

The Coliseum is alive most nights with the one-on-one matches. The Arena itself is dotted with additions that act as cover... old, rusted out refrigerators and the skeletons of old cars that have long since lost their use as transportation. Hundreds of bullet holes riddle these oases, and they're changed every now and then when there's simply more holes than there is metal.

Matches are set up through the officials, either against someone you have in mind, if you have a grudge against someone, or against someone determined by the officials, if you're just there for a good time. You submit your name and come on down to the fighter's prep area when you're called in. Sometimes the match will be even difficulty for a long, epic battle... and sometimes the crowd just wants to see a one-sided bloodbath. It's not out of the ordinary to see unique fights, too, either including ravenous beasts from the wastelands against the fighters, random weapons strewn about the arena for an added twist, or total black-outs for some blind fighting (night vision goggles are rented out for a moderate fee). Since the Brotherhood stepped in as co-owners of the Coliseum, the available technology for unique fight set-ups, along with the general conditions for the building and for the viewers, has gone up significantly. The matches can even be watched from most television sets in New Reno.

Many fighters make a reputation solely out of their performance in the Coliseum. The officials keep track of wins, losses, and tap-outs, leading to an intricate in-house betting system and ranking scheme. The hidden panel of judges always has a good idea as to the talents of all the recurring fighters that come through there.

And after your fight, there are medics standing by to tend to your wounds, free of charge. Just don't mind the rough treatment and minimal job: they're only interested in getting you up and out of the way so the next fight can get going.

Welcome to the Arena... and don't lose your head.