WWE’s ThunderDome has found a new future home at Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay starting with SmackDown on Dec. 11.
As we previously reported, WWE’s ThunderDome was losing it’s venue. WWE has been using the Amway Center for it’s weekly shows and PPVs. However, the WWE’s residency is set to end on Nov. 24. WWE was shopping around for a new venue which can accommodate their unique setup with a big chunk of the arena full of TV screens.
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The exciting news was just released and a new home for the ThunderDome Experience has been named. The Tampa Bay Rays President Matt Silverman released a statement welcoming WWE to Tropicana Field.
“The Tampa Bay Rays are excited to welcome WWE to Tropicana Field for this residency and shine a spotlight on the Tampa Bay area for WWE fans around the world,” Silverman said. “The ballpark will be transformed to host the spectacle of WWE ThunderDome, allowing fans to enjoy this wildly popular experience virtually.”
Everyone’s Excited To See ThunderDome’s New Home
Surely now that baseball season is over the ballpark doesn’t get much use. Also with COVID, any concerts or live events at the ballpark are probably pretty scarce. However, having WWE hold their events there will bring in a lot of revenue. Also another interesting thing is the WWE wanting to have actual fans at the 2021 Royal Rumble perhaps that will bring in extra money for merch and food sales.
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Silverman isn’t the only one excited for the WWE ThunderDome coming to Tropicana Field. WWE is also excited about the new venue and the move.
“We are proud to have reimagined the in-arena atmosphere and provide an interactive experience like nothing else in sports and entertainment with the launch of WWE ThunderDome,” WWE Executive Producer & Chief, Global Television Production Kevin Dunn said. “Our fans’ response and industry wide recognition are both humbling and further validation of the innovative spirit and passion that exist across the entire WWE organization.”
“Hollywood celebrities, WWE Legends and millions of fans from around the world have all enjoyed what the world-class WWE ThunderDome has to offer,” WWE Chief Marketing & Communications Officer Brian Flinn said. “This new residency will enable us to continue offering an unmatched live spectacle and would not have been possible without the strong support from the Tampa Bay Rays organization. We remain grateful for the hospitality provided by the Amway Center over the past four months.”
New Venue Means New ThunderDome?
I am interested to see what changes this new ThunderDome will bring. A different venue with a different layout could bring interesting possibilities. I wouldn’t mind seeing a change of venue every few months if COVID continues deep into next year.
WWE should change the setup and it would be nice if they had new themes or changed the name from ThunderDome to something else, or even ThunderDome: and then something cool. ThunderDome is a cool idea and was needed to breathe some life into the stale COVID WWE, but ThunderDome is starting to get stale as well. Hopefully they will revamp the setup and make some noticeable changes.
What do you think of the move to Tropicana Field? Are you familiar with the venue? Do you think it is a good fit for WWE? Drop a comment or two and let us know what you think.
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Sources: WrestleZone, WWE
