Sporting events around the world have been disappearing from schedules due to the new coronavirus. The NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments – canceled. The NBA and NHL seasons – suspended. The start of the MLB season – delayed. The Summer Olympics in Tokyo – pushed to 2021.
"Each WrestleMania has its own personality and has been different than the rest. Tonight and tomorrow’s WrestleMania will be the most different of all," WWE chief brand officer Stephanie McMahon, the daughter of Vince McMahon, told fans in a recorded message that opened night one of WrestleMania 36. "There won’t be 80,000 screaming fans in a stadium due to the current circumstances. Tonight, we emanate from a closed set – with no audience – as well as other locations.
. "WrestleMania is happening because of pure determination, guile and brash overconfidence. Yes, the show must go on but at what cost?" "We are taking as many precautions as possible to mitigate risk and protect the health and safety of our performers and staff," a WWE representative said. "In consultation with our doctors, as a best practice, all WWE performers and staff are required to participate in medical screenings prior to entering any closed set.
Loyal fans celebrated the chance to see their favorite performers while locked up at home without live sports and lauded some well worked matches, while critics lamented that some edits in matches were too apparent, wrestlers at times tried to play to a non-existent audience and some matches ran longer than was sustainable without a roaring crowd despite edits.
One potential fallout from this year's WrestleMania could well be that WWE decides to do more filmed content, instead of traditional matches, for special performers or circumstances. After all, to mix things up amid a lack of fans in attendance, WWE offered two showdowns this weekend that didn’t take place in the ring, but were presented as short films, or "cinematic experiences."
Was it a WM made for radio?
LOL. And miss out on all the rev from tickets and merch? Plus the show was free on the network. No chance
They endangered the wrestlers health and their medical testing consisted of only taking the wrestlers' temperature. That's how.