“WrestleMania will still stream live on Sunday, April 5 at 7 pm ET on WWE Network and be available on pay-per-view. Only essential personnel will be on the closed set at WWE’s training facility in Orlando, Florida to produce WrestleMania.” – WWE Official Statement
As other major sports shut down, WWE WrestleMania 36 with Rob Gronkowski will go on
CBS Sports – The coronavirus pandemic has thrown the entire world into chaos, but WWE has attempted to forge ahead by holding their televised events at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, with no fans in attendance.
While the company previously announced WrestleMania 36 would also move from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa [new home field of Tom Brady] to the Performance Center, it made two other shocking announcements on Wednesday.
WWE WrestleMania 36 will be held over two nights for the first time in history; it will also take place from multiple locations on each day — bringing to mind WrestleMania 2, which was held in three separate locations (Uniondale, NY; Rosemont, IL; Los Angeles).
WWE announced in a press release:
“WrestleMania, for the first time ever, will be held as a two-night event streaming on Saturday, April 4 and Sunday, April 5 at 7 pm ET on WWE Network and available on pay-per-view.
“The two-night pop culture extravaganza will be hosted by three-time Super Bowl Champion Rob Gronkowski. … WrestleMania will not only take place at WWE’s training facility but will include multiple locations over two nights. All locations will be closed sets with only essential personnel.”
WWE has held Raw and SmackDown in the empty Performance Center in recent weeks, leaning on replays of matches from recent Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber pay-per-views to help fill out the running time of both shows.
With WrestleMania run times in recent years pushing well past six hours, it is possible the move to two days will help prevent viewer burnout with the amount of matches already planned for the event.
Additionally, limiting the amount of action each night will allow the promotion to keep fewer people in the building as limits are put on large gatherings throughout the United States … Read more.
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