DEAN SENSUI / DSENSUI@STARBULLETIN.COM Many World Wrestling Entertainment fans lined up for tickets beginning early Friday morning. From left, Joey Villamor, Karen Hope, her son, Robert Hope, and Patrick Stanton endured the wait outside the Neal Blaisdell Box Office, which opened yesterday. Stanton was first in line at 1 a.m., but because of random line-token distribution, he wound up near the 500th spot. However, thanks to fellow fan Mila Reyes, who gave him her token, he was pushed up to No. 67.

WWE fans snap up
tickets in record time

The wrestling event featuring
The Rock sells out in 2 hours

---

By Lisa Asato
lasato@starbulletin.com

Tickets for next month's professional wrestling event featuring former Hawaii resident Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson sold out in two hours yesterday in what promoter Tom Moffatt called "the fastest sellout in the history of the Blaisdell Arena."

"I just wish we had a bigger arena," said Moffatt, the local promoter for World Wrestling Entertainment.

Buying up the 8,710 tickets, ranging from $25 to $90 each, were fans such as Elden Arios of Salt Lake.

"Women have their soap operas; this is a man's soap opera," said Arios, a 31-year-old draftsman.

Arios was about the 800th person in line when he showed up to buy tickets at around 5 a.m. yesterday. But because of a random token system as well as friends who moved him up to about the 500th spot in line, he was able to buy his tickets first.

Expecting to get a front-row view, Arios instead got "decent seats" in the second row because of delays with the cashier.

"We were happy," he said.

DEAN SENSUI / DSENSUI@STARBULLETIN.COM Hundreds of wrestling fans lined up yesterday from Ward Avenue to King Street to buy tickets for the WWE event on June 15. The event, featuring The Rock, will be Hawaii's first live professional wrestling event in eight years.

Richard Lau, a self-described "hard core" wrestling fan, waited in line since 1 p.m. Friday and spent the night on the Ward Avenue sidewalk. He said people driving by both laughed and honked at those waiting for tickets. But not all the excitement was contained to the road.

"There was a guy (Friday) night, he was willing to pay $400 cash just to get the No. 1 token just so he can get his tickets first," Lau said. "A lot of people are trying to buy their way to the front."

Lau was especially looking forward to watching The Rock "since he's the Hawaii boy -- gotta," he said. But he was also hoping that another wrestler, Triple H, would be added to the list of scheduled performers.

Moffatt said Hawaii fans were hungry for the first live professional wrestling event in about eight years as well as the chance to see Johnson's inaugural performance in the islands. He said he saw similar turnouts for concerts like Michael Jackson at the Aloha Stadium but never for an event at the arena.

Johnson, the 30-year-old professional wrestler who stars in the movie "The Scorpion King," attended Washington Intermediate School and McKinley High School in Honolulu. His father, Rocky Johnson, and grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia, were also professional wrestlers.

The World Wrestling Entertainment's "Tour of Defiance" will hold seven matches at the Blaisdell Arena on June 15 at 4 p.m. The Rock will compete against Chris Jericho. Other match competitors include Edge, Rikishi, The Big Valbowski and Hardcore Holly.

Moffatt said another show will not be added. He said the event was scheduled for 4 p.m. so that the performers and others could fly home in time for Father's Day.

"I'm a wrestling fanatic, I love wrestling," said Patrick Stanton of Red Hill, explaining why he had stood in line since 1 a.m. Friday.

After 32 hours at the front of the line, and the sunburn to prove it, Stanton had wound up near the 500th spot after the tokens were passed out.

Arios' distant cousin, Mila Reyes, heard about Stanton's situation and gave her token to him, pushing him up to No. 67.

"It was a nice gesture," Stanton said. Asked if he thought it was crazy to spend 32 hours in line for tickets, he said: "I didn't think it was crazy. My wife did though."