‘WWE SmackDown’ canceled at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre as WWE goes virtual
From a press release:
The “WWE Friday Night SmackDown” event scheduled for Friday, Oct. 30 at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre Township has been canceled. No further details were provided, but the cancellation is likely due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The event was originally scheduled as “WWE Monday Night Raw” on May 11 before postponing and changing to “SmackDown” earlier this year.
Ticket refunds are available at the original point of purchase. Some 2020 shows at the arena like Alabama and Gabriel Iglesias have been postponed to 2021 while others like Alice Cooper have been canceled. The venue’s socially distanced drive-in parking lot events will continue this weekend with Billy Strings on Sept. 11-13.
On Aug. 21, the WWE introduced a way for fans to participate in shows from home called WWE ThunderDome that features a state-of-the-art set, video boards, pyrotechnics, lasers, cutting-edge graphics, and drone cameras.
“WWE has a long history of producing the greatest live spectacles in sports and entertainment, yet nothing compares to what we are creating with WWE ThunderDome,” said WWE Executive Vice President of Television Production Kevin Dunn. “This structure will enable us to deliver an immersive atmosphere and generate more excitement amongst the millions of fans watching our programming around the world.”
With the debut of WWE ThunderDome, WWE will take residency at Amway Center in Orlando and virtually bring fans into the arena via live video on massive LED boards, in conjunction with The Famous Group and its proprietary technology, for every “Monday Night Raw,” “Friday Night SmackDown,” and WWE pay-per-view event. Fans can register for their virtual seat to be part of upcoming shows via wwethunderdome.com or at WWE’s Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages.
“As WWE takes residency at the world-class Amway Center, we have reimagined our live event experience for today’s environment,” said WWE Chief Marketing & Communications Officer Brian Flinn. “In partnership with The Famous Group, we will virtually bring our fans back into the show and recreate the interactive in-arena atmosphere that has been a staple of WWE events for decades.”
WWE’s Amway Center residency will continue for the foreseeable future and “Raw,” “SmackDown,” and pay-per-view programming will be produced on closed sets with only essential personnel in attendance. WWE will continue to administer its health and safety protocols for talent, crew, and employees in conjunction with each production, including PCR testing for COVID-19, social distancing, and wearing masks.
See NEPA Scene’s photos from “WWE SmackDown” at the Mohegan Sun Arena in 2018 here and watch the WWE’s Top 10 highlights from that event below:
Photo by Alex Seeley Photography/NEPA Scene
