The prevailing COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on live sporting events, with most of them being held behind closed doors or with a limited number of fans. WWE has been using a virtual fan experience currently, popularly known as the Thunderdome.
Although sporting actions did not stop during the ongoing pandemic era, it did stop the flow of fans into the venues to catch all the action live. Nevertheless, things have been changing a year since as fans are being allowed back in a limited capacity, which is a slow way of returning to normalcy.
Similarly, World Wrestling Entertainment was affected as the wrestlers have been performing in the ring without any live crowd. However, it is all set to change from July 16 as fans would be allowed back inside the venues, with WWE returning to live events from the said date. "WWE will return to Live Event touring with a 25-city schedule through Labor Day," said WWE in a release.
WWE has announced three events that would see the live crowd inside the arena, besides stating that other events would be announced in the coming weeks. The current confirmed events are:
July 16: Friday Night Smackdown (Toyota Center, Houston)
July 18: Money In The Bank (Dickies Arena, Fort Worth)
July 19: Monday Night RAW (American Airlines Center, Dallas)
In March last year, WWE last hosted an event with a live crowd, the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. Since then, WWE initially hosted its shows at its Performance Centre without the fans before introducing a spectacular live crowd experience, popularly known as the Thunderdome.
With inter-country travels being restricted, WWE chose to stick to a venue for a considerable period in this pandemic era. However, a limited capacity crowd was allowed for the WrestleMania PPV last month in a two-night spectacle.
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