Wrestling companies are doing their best to deal with the Coronavirus Pandemic, just like everyone else in the world right now. NJPW is cancelling events, Stardom is running shows with no audience, and WrestleMania, as of this writing, is very much up in the air.
The newest major company on the scene, AEW, has their own concerns to deal with. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, Tony Khan called a backstage meeting last night at the arena where Dynamite was held, in which he announced that talent and staff have the option of taking next week off, and that nobody will be judged or lose their push if they feel the need to stay home during the pandemic.
Next week’s AEW Dynamite is supposed to broadcast from Rochester New York, but Ticketmaster has already announced that the event has been postponed until July 8. It would have to be, since the Governor of New York has banned gatherings of more than 500 people. However, PWInsider is reporting that there will still be a live episode of Dynamite on TNT next Wednesday, but we don’t know where it will take place or if there will be a live crowd. Details are expected to follow, and of course we’ll keep you updated.
The week after that is the “Blood and Guts” episode, which is supposed to happen in Newark, New Jersey. However, the Mayor of Newark is advising against non-essential public gatherings for the next 30 days, so that show may be in question as well.
We’ll see what backup plans AEW has for these shows, whether it involves a venue the Khans have access to, or possibly a scaled down show at a wrestling school, similar to what WWE might be doing at the Performance Center. Whatever else happens, hopefully the AEW roster at least stops sharing beers with the crowd.
