[Report] Backstage Details On Why WWE Isn't Bringing In Fans For The Royal Rumble
WWE hasn't had any fans at live shows for 10 months now due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
There was some belief that they would look to have fans in attendance for the Royal Rumble event on Jan. 31, but that won't be the case. WWE will continue to use the "ThunderDome" concept for the show at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.
The pandemic reportedly isn't the only reason why WWE chose against bringing in fans for the show. According to WrestleVotes, WWE didn't think it was worth the "stress" and work to remove the ThunderDome for the one day in order to welcome fans for the show.
Tropicana Field has a capacity of 42,735. It's worth noting that several Florida-based sports teams have received permission to welcome a limited number of fans to their home games.
The Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL all had limited capacity for home games during the 2020 regular season.
The NHL's Florida Panthers will have a capacity of about 25 percent for their 2020-21 home games. The Tampa Bay Lightning were set to welcome a small number of fans for their games at Amalie Arena, but they recently put a pause on those plans.
The NBA's Orlando Magic are permitting up to 4,000 for their home games. The Toronto Raptors, who are playing their home games at the aforementioned Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay, can have up to 3,800 fans per contest.
There is no timeline on when WWE could look at bringing back fans for shows. WrestleMania 37 is just two and a half months away, and it wouldn't be surprising if Vince McMahon eyed a small capacity for that event.
It Could Be A While Until Fans Are Back
With COVID-19 cases surging, it's hard for WWE to plan out the possibility of bringing back fans for shows. McMahon and WWE officials are clearly content enough with the ThunderDome concept, which has been a great success thus far. The company has done a fine job working around shows with no fans in attendance, so there shouldn't be a rush to bring them back.
NEXT: Paul Heyman Says He's On A Hall Of Fame Run With Roman Reigns
