After several weeks of rumors, WWE has officially announced they are moving the Thunderdome to Tropicana Field. WWE’s first show from the indoor baseball venue will be Smackdown on Friday, December 11th, 2020. The venue is home to MLB’s Tampa Bay Rays.
No live fans will be permitted in the venue for the foreseeable future, however. WWE noted that events from Tropicana Field will be on “closed sets with only essential personnel in attendance”.
Tampa Bay Rays President, Matt Silverman and WWE’s Kevin Dunn were quoted in a press release.
“The Tampa Bay Rays are excited to welcome WWE to Tropicana Field for this residency and shine a spotlight on the Tampa Bay area for WWE fans around the world,” said Silverman. “The ballpark will be transformed to host the spectacle of WWE ThunderDome, allowing fans to enjoy this wildly popular experience virtually.”
“We are proud to have reimagined the in-arena atmosphere and provide an interactive experience like nothing else in sports and entertainment with the launch of WWE ThunderDome,” said Dunn. “Our fans’ response and industry-wide recognition are both humbling and further validation of the innovative spirit and passion that exist across the entire WWE organization.”
