The Colisée, formerly Androscoggin Bank Colisée, Central Maine Youth Center, Central Maine Civic Center, and Lewiston Colisee, is a 4,000 capacity (3,677 seated) multi-purpose arena, in Lewiston, Maine, United States that was built from 1956 to 1958 and opened in the latter year to replace the Dominics Regional High School Arena and was initially constructed and operated by the Catholic parish of SS. Peter and Paul. It was used as a replacement venue for the boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston in 1965.
Currently, it is the home of the Maine Nordiques of the North American Hockey League. The Colisée is also used for concerts, conventions and trade shows. There is 17,000 square feet (1600 m2) of exhibit space. For conventions, it can accommodate up to 4,800 patrons.
Firland Management, which had acquired the Colisee from the City of Lewiston in 2008,[8] bought the Fighting Spirit in 2017 and rebranded the team as the Lewiston/Auburn Nordiques after the former professional team.[9] In 2019, Cain, Darryl Antonacci, and Nolan Howe were granted an expansion team in the Tier II junior North American Hockey League and named the team the Maine Nordiques.[10] In March 2020, Antonacci agreed to purchase the Colisée and the Tier III Nordiques from Cain.[11] Antonacci folded the Tier III junior team and replaced it with Tier I youth teams.[12]
The naming rights to the venue were sold to Androscoggin Bank in 2006.[13] In 2020, the rights expired, and the bank's name was removed from the venue the following year.[14]
On May 25, 1965, the Youth Center was the venue for the WBC heavyweight boxing championship rematch between 34-year old former champ Sonny Liston and 23-year-old reigning champion Muhammad Ali.[15] It was at this fight that Sports Illustrated photographer Neil Leifer took what Time magazine has called the "perhaps the greatest sports photo of the century."[16]
On November 7, 2018, Ring of Honor made its Maine debut at the Coliseé.[22] As a co-promoted Global Wars show with New Japan Pro-Wrestling, it also marked the Japanese promotion's first event in New England.