WWE chief Vince McMahon ready to allow fans back into shows if arenas open despite coronavirus spreading through US
VINCE MCMAHON is ready for WWE to return to arenas if the people in charge safely re-open them.
The American billionaire, 74, has reportedly not taken the coronavirus seriously, instead likening it to the regular flu – a position consistent with Donald Trump and UFC president Dana White.
Yet Raw and SmackDown tapings are already in chaos following a rise in positive Covid-19 tests within WWE.
Announcers Renee Young and Kayla Braxton, plus producers Adam Pearce and Jamie Noble were among the star names confirmed as having the deadly bug last week following testing at the WWE Performance Center.
Some of the company’s biggest Superstars, including Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens, who recently lost a relative to the disease, have been absent from TV due to the recent spike in Florida.
But WWE’s Executive Vice President, global head of sales and partnerships has claimed McMahon is ready to usher fans back into arenas as soon as possible.
John Brody told the SportsPro podcast: “Yeah look, first of all, if people will open arenas safely, we’re ready.
“Our Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon has said we’re ready to go and entertain and put smiles on people’s faces so we look forward to the next step in the transition.
Our Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon has said we’re ready to go and entertain and put smiles on people’s faces
WWE Executive
“When we’re in the time of reduced travel, we’re just trying to produce content. Deliver content. Give fans the ability to ingest content.
“We’ve just had to pivot and evolve based on the realities of this global pandemic.”
During an exclusive interview with SunSport back in May, Kofi Kingston expressed his doubts over immediately bringing his family to WWE shows when doors re-open.
The Ghanaian-American wrestler has two young sons with his wife Kori Campfield.
He told SunSport: “It’s tough to say, I don’t know what the standards and guidelines are going to be when we get to a certain point.
“I’m off the mindset that things will go back to normal and we will find a way.
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“It might be a little bit different, you might be a bit more aware of your hygiene and whatnot which I think is a positive thing so who knows?
“We’ll have to cross that bridge when it comes but I think myself and a lot of people see that light at the end of the tunnel where we want things to be back to the way that they were.
“Then we’ll look back at this experience as something that we’ve learned from and hopefully that’s the way it goes. But we just try and take it one day at a time.”