Amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak major sports companies such as the NBA, NHL, and MLB have suspended games indefinitely. The WWE, however, has not decided to follow suit as they have yet to postpone any scheduled live events. Many governors across the country have encouraged the cancelation of large events. Within the past week, several arenas across the country have decided to close in the prevention of further spreading of the virus. WWE has developed a way to provide entertainment through the outbreak. The sports entertainment company owns a professional wrestling development center in Orlando, Florida which serves as a training and medical facility for current wrestlers, alumni upcoming talent, and trainers. This past Friday night Smackdown took place live from the Performance Center without an audience. Despite the emptiness, the wrestlers brought the same enthusiasm as if they were performing in front of a live crowd. The show felt more intimate as you could clearly hear the wrestlers taunting each other and commentators speaking. However, it did feel eerie not hearing any crowd reactions. Half of the show included matches and interviews while the other half aired a match from the Elimination Chamber. Which was a WWE pay-per-view that took place on March 8th. The hashtag Smackdown trended number one worldwide Friday night. WWE’s Monday Night Raw will air live from the Performance Center according to WWE. I commend and appreciate the WWE for putting a smile on people’s faces, and entertaining the world under the current circumstances.Â
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