The biggest name to pass on WrestleMania has been Roman Reigns, a leukemia survivorGETTY IMAGES
For WWE, the show must go on, even if it means blowing up the model for its biggest event of the year, WrestleMania 36, set for this weekend. WWE remains one of the few sports and entertainment properties producing fresh content on a large scale, leaning on a mix of live, pre-taped and archived content for its weekly Raw, NXT and Friday Night SmackDown shows. When the coronavirus outbreak ruled out Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium for WrestleMania, WWE announced plans to move the show to its Performance Center in Orlando. Since then, the focus has been on creating a big event feel in the small setting, and without fans. “For us, it really just comes down to our desire to be able to put smiles on fans’ faces and do what we do. I think at this time, more than at any other time that I can recall, people need that outlet,” said WWE Exec VP/Global Talent Strategy & Development Paul “Triple H” Levesque. Government rules surrounding the outbreak made it impossible for WWE to have the amount of personnel on hand for a fully live WrestleMania. Instead, most matches have already been taped, including from locations beyond the Performance Center. However, the two shows planned will feature live content as well. WWE left it up to its talent whether to participate. The biggest name to pass has been Roman Reigns, a leukemia survivor. “We’ve had very few talent decline,” Levesque said. “We made it very clear from the beginning that their participation is not mandatory.”
PLAYING IT SAFE: WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon said the property has taken many steps to ensure the safety of talent and staff, from medical screenings for anyone arriving at the Performance Center to extensive nightly cleanings and sanitizing of the facility. “Will (WrestleMania) be the same? No, it won’t be the same,” McMahon said. “There are no fans in attendance. There isn’t the elaborate set design. But I think this year’s WrestleMania is special for even more reasons. This is really a scary time for a lot of people, for all of us really around the world. WrestleMania is an event that brings people together.” WrestleMania will air on Saturday and Sunday, starting at 7:00pm ET each evening, on WWE Network and PPV across a variety of providers, including the Fox Sports and Fox Now apps.
