5 years ago today, the Pandemic Era began in WWE History #wwe
Five Years Passed Since WWE Launched Their Pandemic Era
Professional wrestling experienced a historical milestone during March 2020. The Pandemic Era of WWE commenced exactly five years ago on March 2020 when the company faced empty venues while producing cinematic matches alongside a radical business modification. The worldwide shutdown because of COVID-19 forced WWE to implement swift adaptations which established new directions for sports entertainment.
The Empty Arena Era Begins
The spreading pandemic forced WWE to stage its shows without spectators present. On March 13, 2020, Friday Night SmackDown produced WWE's inaugural television broadcast from a vacant WWE Performance Center located at Orlando, Florida. An unnerving yet crucial choice to proceed with wrestling shows in front of deserted seating areas helped WWE preserve its production.
While facing numerous obstacles WWE dedicated itself to delivering regular broadcast programming. The wrestlers performing on Raw and SmackDown and NXT adapted to compete at the WWE Performance Center because the shows broadcasted from empty facilities after the audience was removed.
WrestleMania 36: The Most Unique Show in WWE History
WrestleMania 36 established itself as the defining event of the Pandemic Era through its production at the empty Performance Center. WWE had to relocate WrestleMania 36 from Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium to the Performance Center after fans were prohibited from attending. In 2020 WrestleMania became a two-day event for the first time in history when it took place on April 4 and 5.
During the Firefly Fun House Match Bray Wyatt led John Cena through a strange tour that revisited Cena's professional wrestling career highlights.
Drew McIntyre beat Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship while fans should have cheered him at a packed stadium but instead the event took place in dead silence.
The ThunderDome Era: Virtual Fans Arrive
WWE launched the ThunderDome in August 2020 as a virtual fan experience which displayed thousands of fans through LED screens around the wrestling ring. WWE shows received a power boost through updated lighting together with sound effects and electronic crowd cheers which helped replace absent real spectators.
The ThunderDome became a central venue for hosting SummerSlam 2020 followed by Royal Rumble 2021 and then eventually hosted WrestleMania 37 Night One before WWE let fans return to live events in July 2021.
The Legacy of the Pandemic Era
Several fundamental changes took effect on WWE during the Pandemic Era:
The company had to try innovative cinematic matches that later grew popular among fans.
Professional wrestling proved to its fans why live audiences represent a vital component of the sport during this period.
Drew McIntyre and Roman Reigns (Tribal Chief) joined forces with Bayley and Sasha Banks who established themselves as the dominant performers of that time.
WWE has resumed its previous state of operations five years after the Pandemic Era while this period stands as a distinctive and memorable segment in WWE history.
By Wrestle Mera
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