WWE ThunderDome at the Amway Center has hosted its final show on this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw. The existing deal with the venue is over meaning the company will have to move to a different capacity. As reported earlier, the shows will now be happening from the Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Tampa Bay, Florida.
The first set of photos from the new WWE ThunderDome have been revealed on social media, exactly from the site of construction at Tropicana Field. Florida sports reporter and Living The Gimmick Podcast host Jon Alba tweeted those pictures of WWE crews building things up for the set. Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated has also tweeted out some of the updated photos from the construction site that will be unveiled, this Friday night.
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Photos, Video From WWE ThunderDome Set At Tropicana Field, Florida
Construction on the WWE ThunderDome inside of Tropicana Field continues this week before Friday Night SmackDown on FOX.
Here's a sneak peak ? pic.twitter.com/cHSPNET583
— Ryan Satin (@ryansatin) December 8, 2020
While WWE finished things up at the Amway Center with this week’s RAW on the USA Network, the first event at the new WWE ThunderDome, Tropicana Field will go down this Friday’s SmackDown on FOX. There’s still no official word is available on when WWE’s residency at Tropicana Field will end, but all upcoming RAW, SmackDown and WWE pay-per-view events will air from this stadium.
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WWE’s ThunderDome makes its Tropicana Field debut this Friday during SmackDown — here is a view high above ringside from the catwalk pic.twitter.com/fMLsh5gZrH
— Justin Barrasso (@JustinBarrasso) December 8, 2020
This outdoor venue is known as “The Trop” to fans of MLB’s Tampa Bay Rays. Florida sports reporter Jon Alba has also revealed a new video of the WWE ThunderDome construction at the venue. For the first time, WWE’s weekly shows will go down in such a big area. Previously, PPVs have only taken place in such a condition but not Raw or SmackDown.
After weeks of rumors around WWE ThunderDome shift, the company announced in mid-November that Tropicana Field will be the new residency. No live fans will be permitted in the venue for the foreseeable future as they noted that events from Tropicana Field will be on “closed sets with only essential personnel in attendance”.
WWE’s ThunderDome makes its Tropicana Field debut this Friday during SmackDown — here is a view high above ringside from the catwalk pic.twitter.com/fMLsh5gZrH
— Justin Barrasso (@JustinBarrasso) December 8, 2020
Tampa Bay Rays President, Matt Silverman and WWE’s Kevin Dunn quoted the below in a press release around the new WWE ThunderDome,
“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,” said Silverman. “The ballpark will be transformed to host the spectacle of WWE ThunderDome, allowing fans to enjoy this wildly popular experience virtually.”
