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Update: 11:15 p.m ET – According to PWInsider, multiple sources have confirmed that Friday Night SmackDown will no longer be held in Detroit on 3/13.
WWE will broadcast from the Performance Center instead. An official announcement is expected soon.
The following e-mail was sent to WWE production staff regarding the change. A WWE employee leaked the message on Reddit.
The employee also indicates the Mayor of Detroit made the call to cancel the event, and not WWE.
All future shows including RAW in Pittsburgh on Monday are to be determined, and will be assessed on a case by case basis.
Original report:
The coronavirus pandemic continues to threaten entertainment events worldwide.
According to Wrestlevotes, WWE held meetings Wednesday evening discussing the possibility of relocating this Friday’s SmackDown event.
The report indicates discussions were had on moving SmackDown from the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, FL. Nothing official has been set as of this writing.
WWE has had discussions this evening about relocating this Friday’s SmackDown event to the Performance Center due to the viruses. No word on if official or not as of yet.
WWE has had discussions this evening about relocating this Friday’s SmackDown event to the Performance Center due to the viruses. No word on if official or not as of yet.
— WrestleVotes (@WrestleVotes) March 12, 2020
WWE has live events scheduled for Toronto, ON and Yongstown, OH this weekend. It’s unknown if these shows will be canceled.
WWE held NXT at the Performance Center Wednesday night due to a scheduling conflict with Full Sail University. Limited tickets were available, and fans were shuttled on busses to the building.
This news comes after the NBA suspended the season following a player contracting the virus.
Earlier this evening, United States President Donald Trump announced that all travel from Europe( excluding U.K) to the United States would be suspended for 30-days beginning 3/13.
The City of Tampa will be holding a meeting at 12 p.m Thursday to discuss the possibility of postponing or canceling Wrestlemania 36.