Fans worldwide are waiting to see what will happen to WrestleMania 36 in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Despite WWE’s apparent insistence that the show will go on, some Tampa officials don’t appear to share their approach.
WWE and Tampa officials met last Thursday to discuss options in the face of the pandemic. Hillsborough Commissioner Les Miller had previously explained that no firm decision had been made. Both parties will meet once more if WWE cannot make a decision. In an interview with Fox 13, Miller stated how Tampa officials will “probably have to pull the plug” on WrestleMania if WWE can’t come to a decision.
“I’m hoping that Vince McMahon and WrestleMania and WWE make that call themselves. But a week from now, if they have not done that and we consider the situation we’re in, we will probably have to pull the plug on that.”
WrestleMania’s Coronavirus Concerns
Worldwide events, conventions and organisations have all been dramatically impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. WrestleMania is one of the last holdouts to not postpone or cancel.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister expressed his hopes that WWE would follow in the wake of the NBA, NHL and MLB, to name a few.
“I commend every sports franchise for erring on the side of caution,” Chronister said. “I hope that the WWE follows suit. I don’t ever want to see people put profit over public safety.”
WWE’s Coronavirus Statement
Following Thursday’s meeting, WWE released an official statement. They stressed their commitment to WrestleMania and revealed they are putting “contingency plans” in place.
“While we remain committed to hosting WrestleMania at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, April 5, we are putting contingency plans in place in the event that it is cancelled by government officials, civil authorities and/or local venues.
The health and safety of our fans, performers and employees are our top priorities and we are monitoring the situation closely with our partners and government officials in Tampa Bay.”
At the time of writing, WrestleMania 36 is still set to take place on April 5 from Raymon James Stadium. Last night’s episode of SmackDown took place in an empty WWE Performance Center. Only essential crew were in attendance. The show continued its build towards WrestleMania.
