WWE News: New Photos Provide First Look At ThunderDome Arena
As documented by WrestlingNews.co, Ryan Satin and others shared images of WWE’s ThunderDome after they were leaked online. The photos arrived following the company’s test run with virtual fans ahead of tomorrow’s Friday Night SmackDown.
The teasers show what the arena will look like with the stay-at-home crowd in attendance. Matches were hosted while the promotion tested the new viewing experience, and the photos show developmental stars Jake Atlas and Tehuti Miles in action.
The ThunderDome is a concept that WWE will be trying out in the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, in an effort to increase the production values of the shows and events. In addition to the virtual crowd members, the setup features a new set, video boards, pyrotechnics, lasers, special graphics and drone cameras.
As highlighted by the WrestlingNews.co report, the shows will also include piped-in crowd noises to create more of an atmosphere at the events. AEW has experimented with this technique recently, but Vince McMahon’s company has been using it since the 1980s.
The article also noted how some fans have already been making fun of the concept. One Twitter user compared the setup to a game show, then claimed that it’s only a matter of time before McMahon changes his mind about the presentation.
“So does this mean when this idea falls apart or gets too old according to Vince, can we bring back 1 vs 100 with @bobsaget? #ThunderDome.”
WWE ThunderDome, everyone pic.twitter.com/4cs6MxvrhL
— Ryan Satin (@ryansatin) August 20, 2020
Kevin Dunn, meanwhile, has hyped up the production and claimed that it’s going to look better than WrestleMania. It will be interesting to see if the experiment will boost the company’s recent poor ratings, which McMahon has blamed on the pandemic.
The virtual experiment has been incorporated into other sports, such as the NBA. The fact that it’s becoming commonplace will undoubtedly create a sense of normalcy in what has been a tough year for wrestling promotions and sports leagues.
The leak hasn’t been welcomed backstage, however. As noted by Ringside News, employees’ jobs are reportedly on the line as a result. Officials want to keep plans top secret until tomorrow’s episode, as they are still trying to make sure there are no bugs that need fixing.
While executives aren’t happy about the newest revelation, word backstage is that morale around the company is high again. As The Inquisitr documented yesterday, the move to the Amway Center, along with the prospective return of two main event stars, has reportedly put the WWE chairman in his first good mood in months.
