Coronavirus Hits WWE!!, WrestleMania 36 To Take Place Without Spectators

The sporting entertainment powerhouse on Monday (local time) announced that the upcoming Wrestlemania 36 will now be taking place at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida instead of in Tampa Bay as originally planned.

World Wrestling Federation (Image: AFP va Getty)

The Coronavirus pandemic which has already led to the cancellation or postponment of major sporting events all over the world is likely to have an adverse impact on the fortunes of World Wrestling Entertainment's (WWE) biggest pay-per-view event Wrestlemania. WWE's signature and showpiece event won't have the same buzz and excietment which it usually has around it as this year's Wrestlemania will be held in the absence of its die hard fans and spectators due to the coronavirus outbreak.

WrestleMania Update:
https://t.co/DLbgSVYWZM

— WWE (@WWE) March 16, 2020

The sporting entertainment powerhouse on Monday (local time) announced that the upcoming Wrestlemania 36 will now be taking place at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida instead of in Tampa Bay as originally planned. "In coordination with local partners and government officials, WrestleMania and all related events in Tampa Bay will not take place. However, 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," the WWE said in an official statement. WrestleMania tends to attract fans from all over the world, but US President's Donald Trump's 30-day travel ban for people from Europe, excluding the U.K. and Ireland, was already expected to affect attendance. This move comes as WWE held its weekly shows 'SmackDown Live' and 'Monday Night Raw', behind closed doors. For this year's event, stars like John Cena, Vray Wyatt, Brock Lesnar, Goldberg, Roman Reigns will all be in action. Major sporting events have been cancelled or postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. NBA has also been suspended for at least 30 days as Utah Jazz's Rudy Goberts tested positive for COVID-19.