Ringside
WHEN WILL THE COVID-19 pandemic release its grip on our world, our society, and our economy? No one knows the answer. But we’re getting a clearer picture of professional wrestling’s future: Our favorite pastime will never look the same.
WWE ThunderDome—housed at Orlando’s Amway Center—has led the way in sports and entertainment, with fans cheering in real time on nearly 1,000 LED boards, complemented by over-the-top pyrotechnics and other special effects. Meanwhile, WWE gutted a portion of its Performance Center facility and created the Capitol Wrestling Center, basically NXT’s version of ThunderDome, unveiled at TakeOver 31.
Its name pays tribute to the Capitol Wrestling Corporation, the pre-WWWF entity founded by Vince McMahon’s grandfather, Jess McMahon, that ran throughout the Northeast and as far south as Washington, D.C., in the 1950s and early-’60s.
“The Capitol Wrestling Center captures the feel and the vibe of NXT,” WWE Executive Vice President told . “It’s edgier, darker, and raw—you’re walking into the ultimate heavy metal soundstage.” In addition to many ThunderDome-style LED screens, up to 100 people—including genuine fans, trainees, and family and friends of superstars—will add to the atmosphere. Social distancing will be observed, monitored by medical staff and adhering to
