5 changes WWE need to make to ensure WrestleMania at the Performance Center is successful
It’s official, then – WrestleMania as we know it, is off for this year. While the event carries on in name, there will be no stellar spectacle in front of 60,000 fans in Tampa, Florida.
With the global population battling the Coronavirus and its aftermath, WWE have been forced to follow the lead of many major public events and exhibitions in conceding that it’ll no longer be possible to stage the show in the way they’d originally planned.
In true Vince McMahon spirit, however, WWE have vowed that its most famed show of the entire year must go on and, as such, the company confirmed it will now be staged at their training facility, the Performance Center, in Orlando Florida.
A WWE statement said:
"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.”
WWE finds themselves in a truly unique position; opting to stage their most spectacular event of the entire year, but without its most prized asset – the fans in attendance.
Over the last week, they’ve staged Friday Night SmackDown and RAW from the Performance Center, but how will they fare in staging WrestleMania at the same venue? Undoubtedly there are challenges, and things to consider. Here, we highlight five things WWE may need to change to ensure WrestleMania remains a triumph in the face of adversity.
#5 Play to their strengths
Wrestling fans have their own tastes – some fans adore WWE and won’t watch anything else, while many don’t enjoy their product and prefer AEW, NJPW or the Indies instead. Most, of course, like a little bit of everything and take their content from all corners.
Despite the varying opinions on who does what best, however, there is one way WWE has stood head and shoulders above the competition, and that’s in respect of production value. When it comes to promotional packages, videos and build, there are few in the world of entertainment who produce better than Vince McMahon’s company. That’s nothing to do with character concepts, delivery of in-ring promos or anything else – purely the skill of creating aesthetic content that’s good to look at. That’s been the case for decades, too, with WWE, historically, always outshining the likes of WCW and ECW back in the day.
So WWE needs to stick to what their good at and play to their strengths. For WrestleMania, they need to be at their best, their absolute peak, and produce visuals that will live long in the memory.