With under a month to go until the biggest WWE pay-per-view of the year, many fans are wondering if WrestleMania 36 will be postponed or canceled.
It’s a historic event, and it would be historic if either of those things happened, but with the continuing concerns over coronavirus, it’s a possibility.
Tampa officials set to have discussion about major events
According to a tweet from CBS Tampa’s Ryan Bass, a meeting will take place on Thursday involving Tampa officials and Jane Castor, Mayor of Tampa.
That meeting will be a discussion over “major” events scheduled to take place in the area, which likely will include WrestleMania 36.
The biggest WWE pay-per-view annually, the event is set to take place on Sunday, April 5, at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium.
In a previous Monsters and Critics report, we mentioned how WWE issued a statement regarding WrestleMania plans amidst coronavirus concerns.
.@CityofTampa and @JaneCastor will meet on Thursday to discuss canceling or postponing "major" events due to #Coronavirus. This weekend's River O'Green fest isn't likely to be canceled.
— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) March 10, 2020
That statement indicated that while WWE had concern for the health and safety of everyone involved that the show was still going forth as planned.
That may change, though, and WWE may have to reconsider their plan.
Other major events canceled due to coronavirus concerns
It would be a major surprise if WWE decided to cancel WrestleMania 36, and even postponing it would be something WWE fans don’t normally see.
However, many other sports and entertainment events are canceling due to the growing concerns involving the coronavirus as it spreads globally and in the United States.
In the past week, events including the Indian Wells tennis tournament in California and South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, were both canceled.
As of Tuesday (Mar. 10), the Ivy League basketball conference canceled their men’s and women’s conference tournaments ahead of the NCAA Tournament.
In a major announcement, Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals were rescheduled due to the concerns over coronavirus. Both events take place in Coachella Valley, California.
— Coachella (@coachella) March 10, 2020
Some sports conferences and leagues are not canceling their events but rather prohibiting fans from being present when the games are played.
That was the case in a recent Serie A international football game involving Juventus and Inter Milan, which took place in a stadium with no spectators present.
It would be a first to see a WrestleMania take place with no fans cheering on the superstars, but it may be something WWE is considering.
Right now, the main goal appears to be containing the virus as it has been spreading rapidly, with new cases popping up around the country.
While WrestleMania 36 will bring a lot of attention and revenue to both WWE and the Tampa area, they may have to err on the side of caution when it comes to these health concerns.
Stay tuned as more details are likely to emerge once that meeting has concluded in Tampa, Florida, on Thursday.