Roman Reigns has been the biggest thing in WWE since his return at SummerSlam 2020. His run as the biggest heel in the business has been characterized by his constant demands to be acknowledged by everyone as the head of the table.
So far, he has been saying that to the camera and all the virtual faces inside the ThunderDome, but now, Reigns can get to say it straight to your face as WWE has announced a return to live shows!
In a recent post on Twitter, ‘The Tribal Chief’ made that very clear, marking his first message to fans after the major announcement.
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Prepare for the opportunity to acknowledge your Tribal Chief live and in person. https://t.co/U55YWjqphJ
— Roman Reigns (@WWERomanReigns) May 21, 2021
WWE hasn’t had a live show since early 2020 and had to cease all shows involving a live audience from March of the year, due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the company has revolutionized virtual reality live shows by introducing the ThunderDome, following a severe drop in ratings due to the lack of an audience in the stands.
ThunderDome took off really well and stars like Drew McIntyre, Asuka, Sasha Banks, Bayley, and of course, Roman Reigns, carried the company through these times by holding down the fort on Raw and SmackDown respectively.
NXT also managed to survive despite severe competition from rivals AEW on Wednesday Nights. Although the brand has now moved to Tuesday Nights, it has also adapted well to the pandemic era.
WWE was motivated by the success of a live audience at WrestleMania
WWE previously hosted its first live show in over a year at WrestleMania 37, when it allowed fans back in the stands amidst a positive turn of events in the USA regarding COVID-19. Fans were made to follow social distancing and wear masks.
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Following the success of this, reports surfaced that FOX was pushing WWE to resume live shows due to the success of other sports in the same effort. The company took the decision to do just that, and we will finally get to see fans back in the stands, although not in the same capacity as yet.
Heard from a very reliable source that FOX has privately pushed for a return to live crowds over the past few weeks, actively seeking updates on timeframes, etc. They’d like their billion dollar investment on the same playing field as the MLB, NBA & others.
— WrestleVotes (@WrestleVotes) May 20, 2021
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The sudden resume in touring schedule may take a toll on wrestlers, given that they haven’t been traveling for over a year. A sudden change and increase in schedule may affect them physically so we could see a few setbacks. However, they will surely be wanting to give crowds their best, and we will see the best of WWE once again live.