Coronavirus Update: WWE Smackdown Will Push Through, To Air Without Live Audience

The sporting and entertainment community across the world is feeling the effects of the coronavirus. Numerous events are now being canceled as a precautionary procedure for everyone’s safety. The Indian Wells Masters tennis tournament was called off last week and the situation worsened with the National Basketball Association.

The NBA has indefinitely suspended its season for at least 30 days. This is a result of two reported cases of players being tested positive with COVID-19.

These were defensive player of the year Rudy Gobert was the first case and was followed by his fellow Utah Jazz teammate All-Star Donovan Mitchell.

Other leagues have followed such as the NHL and the MLB.

The MLB has taken a stand to push back its season opener as a response to the whole situation. The ongoing spring training games have been canceled to ensure everyone’s safety.

The NCAA has also canceled the iconic annual tournament – a first since 1938.

With all of these events being called off, the WWE persists on pushing through their show. The weekly airing of Smackdown is coming up and the company has decided to move the venue in a separate area. It will no longer be in front of a live audience. It will rather take place in their performance center.

Per WWE’s official Twitter page, the scheduled March 13 show will still air live as regularly scheduled.

Some Twitter users likened the news to a similar storyline that was held before between The Rock and Mankind. The two legends had a feud before where they had an empty arena match where Mankind eventually walked out as the WWF Champion.

For WrestleMania, the company is still planning to push through with the annual pay per view. It is considered as one of the biggest events in the industry and is still slated on April 5 in Tampa, Florida. While there have been cases of the coronavirus reported in Florida, the grandest stage of them all, as of this writing, will still carry on.