2020 has seen fans refrained from witnessing WWE shows live. Besides pro wrestling, several other sports are battling the same issue to maintain the norm of social distancing. As a result, WWE was forced to host their shows in the Performance Center until SummerSlam.
WWE has come up with an innovative idea called WWE Thunderdome. With a colossal set up at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, thousands of fans can witness WWE shows live virtually through WWE Thunderdome. It certainly has its ups and downs.
10 Good Idea: The Set-Up
There is no doubt that WWE puts a lot of effort into each Raw, SmackDown, and pay-per-view. Being the global lodestar in sports entertainment, the company maintains an impressive standard in the stage set up.
Needless to say, WWE Thunderdome set up looks absolutely breathtaking. The top of Thunderdome is a replica of the WWE stage, which is shown in the SmackDown intro song. With the gigantic beams, it looks no less than a superhero movie set.
9 Isn't A Good Idea: It's Virtual
Although WWE Thunderdome makes it look like a stadium is filled with thousands of fans, the reality is completely different. There isn't a single real fan in the arena during shows, and it's a virtual fan set up.
While WWE was holding shows in the Performace Center, every show still had fans because the NXT trainees acted as the audience. Even with a very little number, it was different from the current virtual fans.
8 Good Idea: Big Arena
One of the biggest setbacks for WWE in recent months was holding shows in a small place like the WWE Performance Center, which isn't usual. With such a small space, the events looked like indie shows, except for the flashy LED lights. As a matter of fact, WrestleMania 36, which was supposed to have thousands of fans, was hosted behind closed doors.
As Amway Center is a big arena, WWE Thunderdome would allow the company to bring back the big arena vibes. Moreover, the Superstars would get more space to deliver good matches on a regular basis.
7 Isn't A Good Idea: Possible Misbehavior Of Fans
WWE Thunderdome allows the fans to watch the show from their own homes. Therefore, many strange things could happen when a fan would watch the show live on Thunderdome. If a fan does some offensive things on live TV, it could make a negative impact.
While the same possibility is always there in a live crowd, the scenario is still different, considering WWE provides high-level securing to prevent any misconduct. The company has mentioned that they would take stern action if a fan misbehaves but it might not be enough.
6 Good Idea: World Wide WWE Universe Can Participate
Having such worldwide popularity, WWE has a massive global fan base. It's no surprise WWE products are broadcasted in eighty countries in the world. Other than American fans, the fans from other countries don't usually get the opportunities to attend WWE shows in the arena.
However, WWE Thunderdome would allow fans to participate from any corner of the world, making it an incredible idea. With that being said, it would be a dream come true for a myriad of fans to attend WWE shows from their respective home countries.
5 Isn't A Good Idea: Might Not See Cinematic Matches
WWE had unleashed their creativity while hosting shows in the Performance Center. For instance, cinematic matches were big hits, and they were highly appreciated by the fans. As a matter of fact, cinematic matches main evented pay-per-views like WrestleMania 36, and Extreme Rules this year.
The introduction of WWE Thunderdome could become a major roadblock in order to produce Ccnematic matches in the future. With such a big arena, WWE might host most matches in the squared circle.
4 Good Idea: Thunderdome Will Host Live Shows
When WWE moved to closed-door without any fan, the company started taping shows every week, whether NXT, RAW, SmackDown, or pay-per-views. They even recorded shows for a couple of weeks together during the lockdown.
Thunderdome allows WWE to host live shows with a live audience. SummerSlam wasn't a pre-recorded show, and it was shown live from the arena. Live shows are always awe-inspiring and unpredictable.
3 Isn't A Good Idea: Missing Noise Of Fans
The fans in the arena certainly make a show exciting with their involvement as spectators. As the fans get involved in storylines, they cheer babyfaces, and they also jeer bad guys, making the show worthy to watch. Since WWE was hit by the pandemic, this is a major thing that has been missing.
WWE Thunderdome might have thousands of virtual fans in the arena, but they won't be able to do the same noise as a live crowd in the arena. Even though SummerSlam delivered a solid show, it didn't have any loud noise from fans.
2 Good Idea: Big Crowd
WWE has a habit of hosting shows in front of a gigantic audience. While WrestleMania and other pay-per-views attract huge numbers, the weekly RAW and SmackDown shows are generally stacked with over ten thousand fans on an average. On the contrary, it hasn't been the same in the past few months.
WWE Thunderdome will bring back the big crowd, which the company and WWE Superstars are used to. Even with virtual fans, the void will be filled.
1 Isn't A Good Idea: Superstars Are Unlikely To Fight In The Audience Section
When WWE hosts a show in big arenas, the Superstars often take their fight in the audience section, making their brawls and matches more interesting. It often happens in a No Disqualification Match or a Falls Count Anywhere Match.
With such a colossal setup of WWE Thunderdome, it is unlikely to happen. If Superstars try to brawl in the audience section, several technical glitches could happen, and it might disrupt the whole set-up.