WWE announced earlier this month that they would be taping WrestleMania 36 over the next couple of days and while a lot of fans are confused by this, it actually might be the company's best possible. Move. In fact, it could even end up playing into WWE's favor, which would really help them moving forward.
Of course there is always a chance that this might fail and fans be upset with it, but they should really give the show a fair shot before making that assessment. Furthermore, with the lack of anything on television, especially in the sports world, The WWE Universe should probably be applauding the company for their efforts.
With that being said and WrestleMania 36 being taped over the next few days, here are five reasons why the move was best for business. As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments below and tell us what you think of WWE's plan to tape the biggest event of the year.
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#5 Gives a sense of normal
It's no secret that the sports world is an absolute ghost town right now and while some are working to change that, it still doesn't feel the same. In fact, with NBA, NASCAR, MLB, College Basketball, NHL and many more leagues suspending operations for the time being, fans have nothing to watch at the moment.
Not only is that a huge loss for the sports world on a monetary basis, it is making it that much harder for diehard fans to escape from the reality of this epidemic. Not to mention the fact that it's taking a major toll on the mental health of countless people around the world and putting them in panic.
And that's why the world needs a company like WWE right now. They need a sense of normalcy and by having WrestleMania 36 at least happen, they are giving people that normalcy. That thing to look forward to that will help make their day a little better in this uncertain time period.
#4 Helps break up the content
WWE will no doubt face a lot of challenges when it comes to taping WrestleMania 36, but one of the biggest ones will be how to best fill time in between segments. Of course, a lot of this has to do with the fact that the company won't have a live audience to play off of, but they might not need that as much as fans think they do.
For example, what if WWE utilizes their locations and script a variety of backstage segments The company has already proven more than capable of doing this with segments like The Firefly Funhouse and could easily translate that success into other forms of storytelling.
Not only will this allow WWE to distract from the fact that they don't have a live audience for the show, it will also help them pat out the content a bit as well. In the end, it's not a perfect solution and some segments might be hit or miss, but at least this gives the company a chance to go all out with creative storytelling
#3 Leaves fans satisfied
Let's do a doomsday scenario for a moment and imagine that WWE is forced to shut down for a period of time after WrestleMania 36 takes place. While it would be devastating for the WWE Universe and probably force the company to air reruns for several months, WrestleMania 36 would at least be in the books.
Not only does this allow the company more time to plan what is next without the rigors of weekly television, it also at least gives the fans a satisfying conclusion for the time being. At least they saw Drew McIntyre vs Brock Lesnar, or Roman Reigns vs Goldberg, and were given the payoffs they deserved for investing in the storyline.
In all honesty, to leave things unfinished would be an absolute travesty and putting it off could ruin the magic of WrestleMania entirely. That's why having WrestleMania being a two-night taped event at least allows the company's current storylines to end, gives them the chance to create new ones during the off period and leave fans wanting more!
#2 Avoids being shutdown
As more and states issue shelter in place orders due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, the possibility of WrestleMania 36 getting shut down becomes likelier by the day. Fortunately for the WWE, their decision to pre tape the upcoming Raw, SmackDown and WrestleMania 36 event gives them a chance to avoid this happening.
While putting the event off was indeed an option on the table, it would have ultimately forced WWE to either abandon the existing storylines or prolong them through weekly segments. One of the biggest positive of having it go on as scheduled is that it essentially ensures it happens and that the slate is wiped clean going forward.
In the end, WrestleMania needs to go on and that might not have been possible at the original date. In fact, with cases of the Coronavirus multiplying in Florida and states with similar infected population going into lockdown, it makes sense for WWE to make one last ditch effort to get this out for their fans.
#1 Gives WWE total control of content
While WWE can't exactly fix every little problem that is to arise during a live show, they can definitely cut down on the chance for errors during a taped broadcast. Beyond that, taping the content gives the company a chance to edit in things like special effects, which will all help to cement the illusion.
Think about it! WWE is a genius at showing the fans what they want them to see and doing a taped show gives them the upper hand in doing that. Will it seem a little jarring at first as we all acclimate to the new presentation? Maybe for a few moments, but once the immersion process begins, it will become less and less noticeable,
With that being said, it's probably not going to be perfect, but it will be much better than what would happen if WWE aired WrestleMania live from an empty arena. At least this way, the company can find ways to distract from what they don't have and get fans to focus on the masterpiece that is there.