The show must go on? Fate of Wrestlemania still up in the air - 14th March 2020

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WWE said it plans to proceed with Wrestlemania 36 as scheduled amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., is the site of the event on April 5. Provided photo

By Mike Mooneyham Special to The Post and Courier

As global fears and concerns rise over the coronavirus pandemic, many major sporting and entertainment events have either been canceled or postponed.

The fate of Wrestlemania, the biggest and most lucrative event on the WWE calendar, is still up in the air.

As of late this past week, though, WWE planned on moving forward with Wrestlemania 36 in Tampa, Fla., on April 5, despite multiple confirmed cases of coronavirus in the area.

With the coronavirus – officially known as COVID-19 – having directly impacted the host city, Hillsborough County officials met on Thursday to discuss that event as well as others in the state of Florida.

Noting that immediate action for “events weeks down the road” was not warranted, Tampa mayor Jane Castor and others opted to put the ball in WWE’s court to make a decision regarding Wrestlemania.

However, if WWE doesn’t make a decision on its own in the next week, county and city officials will reconvene to discuss updates and determine what actions to take next.

“Right now Wrestlemania is out about three weeks. We came to the conclusion that at this point, we don’t want to pull that plug. However we wanted to give it at least a week to see what was going to happen, if WWE was going to do anything at all. If they don’t, at that point, I will suggest that we do come together for an emergency meeting to discuss what we do at that particular point in time,” said Hillsborough County Commissioner Les Miller.

In an escalation of the state’s coronavirus response, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made his own recommendation Thursday, and that was to postpone or limit mass gatherings through the next 30 days.

“I am recommending local municipalities and private entities to strongly consider limiting or postponing mass gatherings in the state of Florida,” the governor said. “This is an opportunity, our health officials believe, where some of these large-scale events can be postponed and do it later.”

If an event is not canceled, organizers should have screening measures in place to prevent those infected from entering, DeSantis said.

Orlando’s Disney World and The Universal Orlando Resort have both announced theme park closures.

WWE canceled this weekend’s house shows in Toronto, Canada, and Youngstown, Ohio, and moved its Friday night Smackdown show from Little Caesars Arena in Detroit to the company’s training center in Orlando, Fla., with only “essential personnel” in attendance.

WWE also issued a statement on Thursday outlining its plans for Wrestlemania.

“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 canceled 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.”

The outbreak already has prompted delays in shipping, production and other facets of Wrestlemania. A “no touching” policy between talent and fans during autograph signings and other public events has been instituted. Several WWE performers have been forced to fly back to the United States due to travel restrictions.

The pandemic, though, has spread beyond WWE’s control.

With the state of Florida having a high percentage of elderly, who are the most likely to suffer sever complications from the virus, concerns obviously have been higher hosting an event that is expected to bring more than a hundred thousand fans to the area. Although the economic impact of Wrestlemania on Tampa and the surrounding area would be significant, the health and well-being of the citizens should take precedence.

While there’s an age-old adage that “the show must go on,” one fan pointed to another saying relevant to the fight industry.

“There’s an old saying in boxing. When you’re obviously overmatched and taking a beating ... stop the fight and live to fight another day,” posted Joe Ordainio. “Why risk your health or even your life for it? The time will come, I’m hoping and praying sooner rather than later, when there will be plenty of time for rescheduling Wrestlemania. If not it would mean we would have much bigger problems to deal with.”

Sports world rocked

In unprecedented fashion, sporting events throughout the country have been canceled or postponed due to the outbreak that’s spread from China to most countries around the world. All four major and active U.S. leagues have ceased competition as governments and managing bodies grapple with how to handle high-profile events.

The NBA suspended its season indefinitely on Wednesday after Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus

Major League Baseball is delaying opening day by at least two weeks and canceled spring training. Opening day was scheduled for March 26.

Major League Soccer announced the immediate suspension of all games for 30 days.

The NCAA canceled its March Madness basketball tournaments and all of its winter and spring sports championships, putting an abrupt end to the season less than a month before champions were to be crowned.

Olympic qualifying events also have been postponed. Opting for a wait and see approach, the IOC is closely monitoring the situation, with the window open until late May to cancel the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

And, adding to WWE owner Vince McMahon’s woes, his new XFL suspended its 2020 season on Thursday. All players, though, will be paid their base pay and benefits for the 2020 regular season. Ticket holders will be issued a refund.

Meanwhile McMahon’s wrestling juggernaut communicated perspective regarding the potential impact of the virus on the company’s financial performance.

“WWE has substantial financial resources, both available cash and debt capacity, which currently total more than $0.5 billion, to manage the challenges ahead. The fundamentals of the Company’s business remain strong reflecting the passion of WWE’s fans and the quality of its content. Management continues to believe the Company is well positioned to take full advantage of the changing media landscape and increasing value of live sports rights over the longer term.”

Mixed reactions

Fan responses to a social media post regarding Wrestlemania were varied.

“Vince has always stated ‘the show must go on’ … this will be interesting for sure,” wrote Korky Mann.

Trevor Driggers pointed to the potential health issues involved in going ahead with the event.

“I would personally say cancel it, it would just take one person who is asymptomatic or infectious for it to spread in abundance to potentially hundreds to thousands. I think even though it has a relatively low mortality rate, it is still a public health issue. Consider it this way … if it were even a 10 or 20 percent fatality rate, there would be no question about cancellation.

“You also have to consider a lot of WWE fans are kids, meaning if just one kid gets it and goes to school or daycare asymptomatic, it could spread to an entire school where mortality rates could be higher than an adult. It’s possibly overcautious, but I would rather lose or postpone an event that risk some of the potential consequences of not doing so.”

“They need to postpone this and halt programming. No storylines advance,” wrote Joe Dobrowksi. “They don’t want to refund all the money collected and it would be a disaster. And you can’t make it up to Tampa Bay either. This is all unprecedented. I got a lot of money on this trip and I might have to take a bath on this? I wouldn’t be alone I suppose? I hope WWE realizes this.”

“Postponing Wrestlemania this year would appear to be the best option. The coronavirus appears to be much more widespread than at first realized and it’s spreading like wildfire. The timing is bad for the WWE but it could have been even worse,” said Greg Tingle.

“I’m torn. Of course I want it to go on; everyone does,” wrote Stuart Monroe, adding that WWE could risk damaging publicity if the company presses on, especially in light of actions taken by other major sports organizations. “It could be a very bad idea. I’m trying to stop ignoring it and educate myself on the actual disease.”

Chip Collins says there’s plenty of time to make a final decision.

“With it still more than three weeks away, I think it is fine to wait for now. I would say wait until March 23 to make a final decision (which is just short of two weeks before WM).”

“I say wait,” adds Barry Cain. “Think the NCAA shot themselves in the foot canceling championships that are scheduled way into May/June. See what the next few weeks bring and make a decision then.”

“WWE held the first big event after 9/11. They’ll take the lead again and hold WM as scheduled,” predicted Charles Kinnin Jr.

“My biggest worry is the WrestleCon event happening during the week. I don’t want some careless sick fan killing all my favorite old wrestlers,” posted Brian Bohannon.

“I’d postpone it about two weeks to coincide with the travel ban as a precaution,” suggested Thomas Thomson.

“I don’t think many fans traveling from outside of the U.S. will be able to attend at this point. Even if so, I doubt many will risk it – I could be wrong,” says Ryan Nation.

“What a tough call. But at this point with so many events canceled, they probably should postpone. But Vince loves being the maverick and I think he’s gonna let the show go on,” wrote John Serati.

“Vince doesn’t normally cave to public pressure. So I can see him continuing until he is forced to cancel,” posted Bob Alvis.

“Show must go on,” said Dayv Duncan. “Keep show rolling,” echoed Nick Quinn.

“Giving Vince the option is like saying, ‘OK Vince, we know you love candy so here’s your choice, you can have candy or you can’t even though we might be upset.’ If Khashoggi didn’t dissuade him to make a statement, what about this would make him postpone,” asked Albert Gourrier.

“Hmmm, public pressure sure made them do the right thing before in Saudi Arabia ... oh wait,” quipped Jeff Quinton.

Wrestling roots

Tampa, a city with deep roots in pro wrestling, stands to lose tremendous revenue as a result of the health crisis. There’s a massive economic downside to canceling one of the world’s biggest sports entertainment events.

According to WWE, Wrestlemania has generated more than $1.2 billion in cumulative economic impact for host cities over the past 12 years.

In 2019, Wrestlemania 35 generated $165 million for the New York/New Jersey area and grossed $16.9 million in gate receipts alone at MetLife Stadium, shattering the venue’s record and ranking as the second-highest-grossing event in WWE history. Wrestlemania 34 in New Orleans reportedly generated $175 million in economic impact for the city and Louisiana. In 2017, Wrestlemania 33 generated a reported $181.5 million in economic impact for the Orlando region.

Wrestlemania festivities stretch over the course of a week, with five official nights of broadcasted WWE shows including Wrestlemania, Monday Night Raw, Smackdown, NXT TakeOver and the WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony. WWE’s “Axxess,” an interactive fan festival similar to the NFL’s Super Bowl Experience, and numerous community events also are scheduled.

Fans representing 68 countries attended Wrestlemania-related events last year. But on Wednesday night, President Trump announced a 30-day travel ban between Europe and the United States, a restriction on travel that will run through Wrestlemania Week.

Although next month’s Wrestlemania would be the first in Tampa Bay, it would be the fourth time WWE’s marquee event took place in Florida. Orlando hosted the event in 2008 and 2017, and Miami was the host in 2012.

Tampa Bay, once a hub for the popular Florida Championship Wrestling promotion, has long been a base for WWE talent, with many current and former performers making their home in the area.

This year’s Wrestlemania will feature Brock Lesnar defending his WWE championship against Drew McIntyre (a 6-foot-5 Scotland native who resides in Tampa), the return of wrestling icons Bill Goldberg and Edge, and an appearance by mainstream crossover star and 16-time world champ John Cena.

(The Post and Courier)