The Big Game

The Big Game was a popular gladiatorial competition held on the Wheel, a massive casino resort space station in the Mid Rim. Long considered a staple of the Wheel, the Big Game was contested between both fearsome warriors looking for fame and wealth, desperate unfortunates, and those accused of crimes on the station. The Big Game consisted of two stages: first, one-on-one preliminary fights were held to determine the qualifiers for the main event, a massive free-for-all where only one could survive. Blasters weren't allowed in the Big Game, with combatants forced to use either hand-to-hand weapons or less powerful needle rays.

The Big Game was instituted by the Wheel's third administrator, Kelek the Blue, but reached its height during the reign of the Galactic Empire, under the guidance of Administrator Simon Greyshade. In 0 ABY, famous Rebel heroes Han Solo and Chewbacca competed in the Big Game, with Chewbacca emerging victorious after Solo faked his death. That dramatic contest coincided with a riot and firefight on the Wheel that resulted in Greyshade's death, although the patronage of his successor, Master-Com, ensured that the Big Game continued to have a long and fruitful future.

Text and facts from the “The Big Game” article on Wookieepedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Modified for this site.