WWE running shows with fans soon would be reckless and disgraceful
WWE needs to be shutting down its shows, not planning on bringing in live crowds.
Wrestling fans have always faced distressed when it comes to watching WWE. On the one hand, fans want to have something to enjoy and love supporting many of their favorite wrestlers in the company. But on the other hand, WWE couldn’t care less about the safety and well-being of those wrestlers, or even the fans themselves.
The way the company has handled the COVID-19 pandemic has been a new low. First, they put profit margins over people and released a slew of wrestlers and furloughed producers. Then, they continued to run shows in Florida by pulling some political strings and donating millions to a Donald Trump-supporting Super PAC.
And they ran these shows without providing the most basic protections for their contractors and employees, failing to administer actual COVID-19 testing. While they aren’t the only wrestling promotion running shows right now, they have unequivocally been the worst at protecting their workers.
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Per a report from Sportskeeda’s Tom Colohue, more than 30 people in WWE have tested positive for COVID-19 after the company was forced to finally administer tests.
Worse yet, the Wrestling Observer News’ Dave Meltzer reports, via WrestlingInc.com’s Marc Middleton, that WWE plans on taping episodes of Raw and SmackDown in late July or August at a venue in Lakeland, Florida that can contain up to 8,000 fans.
If you aren’t disgusted by Vince McMahon’s plan to be the first person to run live sports indoors in front of fans, then you should also be ashamed of yourself. Vince already treats his wrestlers poorly, even before COVID-19.
And in 2020, it’s become obvious to everyone that he cares more about his own status and pocketbook than the lives of those around them and their families.
WWE cannot run live shows. Cases in Florida have skyrocketed. Their state health department recorded nearly 9,000 new cases on Friday alone. So the conversation needs to be about WWE stopping shows entirely and not putting their performers at risk during these tapings. Moving towards even thinking about having fans in attendance is more than just irresponsible; it is downright ghoulish.
Mr. McMahon was a caricature of a businessman, but the real person behind the character is even more heinous than the persona he has played for decades. COVID-19 has killed over 120,000 people in the United States alone. Vince is already putting the lives of the people within the company and their family members at risk of death for nothing more than his ego and a few extra bucks to line his already-thick pockets. And now, he’s willing to endanger the entire public just to brag about being “the first”.
Next. Anyone hiring Tessa Blanchard would be making a huge mistake. dark
It’s becoming even more difficult to support the wrestlers within WWE, such as buying merchandise and watching the shows. Because at the end of the day, it all goes to benefit a company that ignores all ethical and moral standards. And they know they can get away with anything.