The ongoing coronavirus pandemic forced WWE to shift its weekly programming, and even tentpole events like WrestleMania, into the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, where episodes of Raw and SmackDown have been filmed since March.
Starting on Friday with SmackDown, WWE is relocating to the Amway Center for an ongoing residency at the venue – and shows will have a very different look. The new WWE ThunderDome set will debut this week, complete with “pyrotechnics, lasers, cutting-edge graphics and drone cameras,” according to the announcement.
Fans will still not be able to attend WWE events in person, but a small number of fans can sign up for virtual seats. If you land a ticket, you’ll appear during the show – similar to the way the NBA is handling virtual fans during its broadcasts.
Footage of the new set started to circulate on social media on Wednesday.
Sneak peek at the WWE ThunderDome inside the Amway Center đź‘€
(via @JustinBarrasso)pic.twitter.com/ZJwtEbZ39j
— B/R Wrestling (@BRWrestling) August 19, 2020
[vertical-gallery id=942187]