Coronavirus: WWE to tape 'RAW' and 'SmackDown' episodes in advance ahead of 'WrestleMania 36'
Just a couple of days after WWE announced they will be having the 'WrestleMania 36' as a closed-door affair, a recent report said multiple episodes of 'RAW' and 'SmackDown' will be taped in advance for this week's episodes, thanks to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
'SmackDown' is slated to happen live on Friday night this week with the editions of March 27 and April 3 being taped over the next few days. 'RAW's March 23 and March 30 editions too would be taped in the next several days ensuring that each episode would be covered heading into the big event, 'WrestleMania 36', according to POST Wrestling. According to Comicbook, there are also rumors milling around of 'WrestleMania' being taped in advance, but it is not confirmed at the moment.
Earlier, WWE released an official statement saying its upcoming 'WrestleMania' event, originally set to take place at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida, on April 5, has now been moved to the company's training facility in Orlando.
The latest update is that it would be a two-night event. The show will take place on April 4 and April 5 (Saturday and Sunday). The site also added there are reports of the 'WrestleMania' scrimmages taped across multiple centers and not just Orlando.
'WrestleMania' is a highly-anticipated event with Brock Lesnar defending his WWE Championship against Drew McIntyre. Other major highlights include Goldberg vs Roman Reigns and John Cena vs "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt. 'WrestleMania 36' was expected to see a 70,000 crowd turnout. However, in light of the coronavirus outbreak and CDC's recommendations of not having a public gathering, this move comes across as a good option.
There was also an update by POST regarding the medical testing being administered at the Performance Center in Orland where an official statement read: "In consultation with WWE Medical Director Dr Maroon, WWE Associate Medical Director Dr Dugas and ringside physician Dr Westerfield, as a best practice and precautionary measure all WWE performers and staff are required to participate in medical screenings prior to entering WWE’s training center, which is now operating as a closed set." Visit WWE for more information.