I Need More of the King’s Landing Combat Arena
The intense drama and shocking conclusion to the battle between the Mountain and the Red Viper justifiably overshadowed the setting. Seriously though, how awesome was the arena that they fought in?
I have not read far enough into the books to know if there are any more trials by combat coming to King’s Landing. It would seem Tyrion has already played that card one time too many times.
I need more of the King’s Landing combat arena in my life. It is far too splendid to be a one off set piece. I’d like to suggest to the producers some real world alternative uses for their grand construction.
The arena would obviously make a great venue for the next big UFC fight. How much more excited would you be for the Weidman vs Machida fight if the octagon was set in the middle of the floor, on top of the dual Lannister and Baratheon sigils. Dana White could sit with Lord Tywin and compare who has more money and power. Floyd Mayweather is the consummate showman. I'm sure he’d relish fighting in the stadium where Oberyn had his head smashed. The NBA is clearly willing to play finals games in adverse temperatures, why not roll out a couple hoops? A leg cramp would certainly not have stopped Gregor Clegane.
If the professional sports leagues prove hesitant to move their contests to Croatia (the location where the King’s Landing scenes are filmed), the producers could rent the venue out to fans for private parties. I, for one, would be willing to spend a decent amount of money to gather my college buddies in Dubrovnik for a game of whiffle ball. Hit the wall on once bounce and it’s double. Hit it on a fly for a triple. Hit it into the water and you’ve got yourself a home run. They would just need to add a pool with a DJ booth and a couple blackjack tables for the Red Keep to overtake Vegas as the go-to bachelor party destination.
The Viper and presumably the Mountain are dead, but to show-runners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss I ask, why let good taste get in the way of commerce? It's time to start renting out the King’s Landing fighting pit. The money they make could always go into the CGI budget for more dragons.