, c.1999. The round
Astrodome is prominent; just to its south is the trefoil-shaped
Astrohall, and the Astroarena is just east of the Astrohall Construction of the
Astroarena was completed in 1974 adjacent to the
Astrohall. Although the Astrohall (renamed Reliant Hall temporarily) was demolished in May 2002 to make way for a parking lot when
NRG Stadium was being completed. Astroarena was renamed to
Reliant Arena in 2000 when
Reliant Energy bought the sponsorship of the facility. The Arena has since been utilized for several other events, including the National Catholic Youth Conference in 2003 and the peripheral events of the
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. After previously occupying the
Compaq Center from 1998 to 2000, the
PBR held a
Bud Light Cup event in Reliant Arena in 2001; this was their last big-league event in Houston to date. In 1993,
World Championship Wrestling held their
Fall Brawl. Furthermore, the
WWE hosted the March 31, 2005 episode of
Smackdown. In 2005, the Arena was used as auxiliary housing and a field clinic for residents displaced by
Hurricane Katrina after it was deemed that the
Reliant Astrodome would be insufficient for comfortably housing over 30,000 residents. On July 16, 2007, the arena played host to the first indoor stop on the 2007 Vans
Warped Tour. On July 13, 2008, the arena hosted
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's
Victory Road event. Reliant Arena became the home of the
Women's National Basketball Association's
Houston Comets for what proved to be their
final season, 2008. On March 12, 2014, the arena was renamed as the
NRG Arena, after the sponsor, Reliant Energy, was acquired by
NRG Energy. ==References==