ABU DHABI //The latex suits have been packed away, the musclemen are winging their way home and workers at Zayed Sport City will be hard at work dismantling World Wrestling Entertainment's ring this morning.
The curtain fell on the capital's first WWE Raw event last night. Over three days, the spectacle attracted more than 18,000 fans.
Mustafa Boukorina, 10, said he watches WWE Raw "all the time" on television and was delighted it came to the UAE - especially the star of the show, John Cena. "It was the talk of the school since January," he said.
His friend Saeed Ikhdayer was there for a second time yesterday, after attending the Friday performance. "It is different again tonight," the 11-year-old said.
Mustafa had only one complaint: "I wanted one of those snake gloves," he griped, pointing at the merchandise stand. He had been hoping to snag one of Santino Marella's trademark cobra gloves but "they are all gone," he said.
It wasn't all work for the wrestlers. Cena played a round of golf at Yas Links yesterday. And on Friday he took a tour of Ferrari World.
"He was so amazed with the variety of top cars on the roads and the drivers enjoying them," said Julia Boyadjieva, the director of live event marketing for WWE's European and African operation. "Usually, he said, in the US people with those type of cars don't drive them. They just have them for show."
Ms Boyadjieva said they hoped to return soon.
