Well since the show is inexplicably going on now seems as good as any for the thread

On the card:

Main event: COVID19 vs potentially 100,000 people in a handicap match

Lower card:

Wrestlemania 36

It's not happening.

Nor should it, as like half of the wrestlers on the projected card are in a high risk group by virtue of being old as ****.

It'll be called off in the next week. City of tampa said it's up to WWE but if they don't do something by next week then the city will have a meeting to decide what to do.

It's basically at "We'd prefer you to cancel because the contract states if we cancel we have to pay you. If you won't we'll do it for you though."

So it's a game of chicken for some dollars between an entire city and a billionaire during a pandemic. Nothing to see here. Totes normal.

If the Saudi shows have taught us anything it's that Vince, above all, is a humanitarian deeply concerned with public safety much more than money.

It would take a call from Trump or State Senator for Vince to cancel even then it would be a long phone call. WM is in headquarters Tampa this year I'm guessing initially for financial reasons.

Cancelling WM would probably be that blow that sends WWE to bankruptcy, can you imagine Vince selling his controlling share, it's his baby

Is WWE really close to bankruptcy? I haven't paid attention for a couple years but last I heard they were rolling in profits.

They're fine. They'd take a hit but they're so far from bankruptcy with their tv deals that it's not worth talking about.

Today the Tampa mayor said that if WWE doesn't pull the plug and if the situation isn't much better by next weekend, they're going to pull the plug for them.

Yup

I mean everyone knows it's 100% not happening, I honestly don't blame Vince for forcing the city's hand here.

can't the city of tampa claim force majeure?

i really doubt they'd have to pay the WWE. that case wouldn't look good on Vince.

WrestleMania is officially going to take place in the performance center with essential personnel only. Crazy.

Isn't the battle royal in itself an over-sized gathering, not to mention the sweating all over each other?

I thought it would be postponed and held later in the year.

The WWE could still do a "PPV" on April 5.

It's a REALLY bad decision by WWE. Shut down production, take a hiatus, and when they come back heat back up the feuds and then do Mania properly when they can.

I applaud WWE for trying to 'entertain' us during this difficult time, but this format just does not work at all. As it is they can't come close to filling 2-3 hours of programming for their weekly show in the performance center, resorting to playing full length long match replays from old ppvs.

I couldn't even fathom watching 5+ hours of Wrestlemania in the tiny empty performance center.


Not to mention all the money Vince is throwing away by not getting his super bowl week of events in the host city, I really don't understand the decision.

But this is the only chance Vince will ever have to coronate Roman Reigns and not have a single person boo.

While I can't imagine making it through 5+ hours of it either, I'm sure as hell curious enough to tune in at the start.

I'm guessing it still doesn't happen.

It's 3 weeks away. What if (random example) Seth Rollins tests positive for COVID-19 later this week?

If memory serves, Vince has decided that the show must go on after a significantly worse occurrence than that.

"It's what he would have wanted".

Speaking of which, I have OTE '99 taped somewhere on a VHS cassette. I ordered the live PPV, and have never watched the replay to this day.

Fair point, but it's not like they had to quarantine their whole roster for falling from the rafters after that.

You could be right about the event still getting derailed. But at this point it does feel like Vince will have to be absolutely forced into giving it up, and the new plan is nothing that authorities will have sufficient reason to step in and stop anymore.

If I was Vince I'd start taping it immediately