WWE ThunderDome was one of the most discussed innovations that the professional wrestling industry had to offer to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. The days of WWE having a residency in such a venue are long gone but the recently bygone hurricane in Florida brought it back to discussion.
Hurricane Milton was moving through the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida. Being a dangerous storm, it affected a large urban area despite getting downgraded to a Category 4 storm. It eventually left a significant impact on Florida. The residents of the area were damaged while the WWE ThunderDome in that area was also affected in a bad way.
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One notable casualty noticed during the storm was the Tropicana Field, which served as the WWE ThunderDome during the pandemic era before the company returned to the venue for the 2024 Royal Rumble Premium Live Event. Videos shared on social media show significant damage caused to the Tropicana Field with parts of the roof of the venue being ripped off by the storm’s winds.
The once WWE ThunderDome featured a fixed roof but it had been designated as a staging area for first responders in the region. However since Hurricane Milton caused significant damage, those plans have been disrupted as the torn-off parts will have to be rebuilt.
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The view from our window as we ride out the storm. The roof of Tropicana Field is destroyed by the winds of #HurricaneMilton. Praying for Tampa Bay and all areas affected. Stay safe, everyone pic.twitter.com/uy0aNGMAuJ
— Dave Moore (@DaveMoore_83) October 10, 2024
NXT roster has also felt the impact of Hurricane Milton, as the storm forced them to postpone upcoming events in Florida. Travel complications were noticed due to the hurricane where many of the NXT Superstars had to extend their stays in St. Louis after the October 8 episode at The Factory.
WWE ThunderDome was introduced in the summer of 2020
To remove the staleness of their programming, the WWE ThunderDome concept was introduced by the company that used to be led by Vince McMahon, back then. The company spent a lot behind the introduction of the same and earned critic acclamation about it. They did have enough reasons for the same as Vince McMahon thought the monotonous situation at the PC was the main reason behind WWE’s TV-rating fall.
The Amway Center in Orlando, Florida was the first-ever WWE ThunderDome set while WWE later moved on to the Tropicana Field with the same set to stay until Wrestlemania 37 in 2021.
