ST. PETERSBURG – Since the start of the pandemic the WWE has helped fans around the world retain a sense of normalcy thanks in part to their new state of the art home.
“It’s kind of like more palatable; what you’d expect from the WWE larger than life,” said WWE Champion Drew McIntyre.
The COVID-19 pandemic put all major sporting events on hold. But the body slams and clotheslines kept on coming as WWE’s flagship shows Monday Night RAW and Smackdown on Friday nights never went off the air.
McIntyre says this was all possible thanks in part to birth of WWE’s Thunderdome.
“In the Thunderdome on the screens, reaction in real time on the screens, reaction in real time in the arena,” said McIntyre. “We’ve got that atmosphere back in the arena even though the fans can’t be there physically they’re still there. Their faces are on the screen, their sounds, their motions are coming through the speakers.”
In order to provide a safe environment for the WWE Superstars, officials kept the fans away. But now, Thunderdome allows fans to sign up for a virtual seat by registering online for free.
After a verification process fans login and are once again part of the action. Bringing back the electric energy that comes with performing inside the squared circle.
McIntyre says the Thunderdome allows Superstars to once again feed off the energy of the crowd.
Even though his Wrestlemania Main Event match was different than any other we’ve seen on the showcase of the immortals; that wouldn’t be enough to rob him of his own Wrestlemania moment.
“And now we’ve moved into the Tropicana Field,” said McIntyre. “Now we’re at a stadium, so for us as Superstars driving up to an arena…it felt like we’re on [live] TV again. We had those familiar butterflies of driving up to an arena.”
The home to the Tampa Bay’s Rays is now the new home to the WWE. The Tropicana Field allows for more fans to tune in virtually a bring back a sense of what life once was before the pandemic.
“When all the other sports shut down…they would just say thank you for giving us an escape right now. We have WWE to look forward to every week,” said McIntyre.
To register and see yourself on WWE TV head over to WWE’s website for step by step instructions.
