Report: WWE planning ‘ambitious’ taping schedule, could include WrestleMania
According to John Pollock of POST Wrestling, WWE is planning out an “ambitious” taping schedule that will cover the company through WrestleMania — and possibly their biggest show of the year itself.
Pollock reported that the plan is to pre-tape the March 23rd and March 30th editions of Raw and the March 27th and April 3rd editions of SmackDown over the next week which would take them into WrestleMania. He added that one source told him both nights of WrestleMania could also be pre-taped, while another source was unsure if that was the plan.
It’s unclear if WWE plans to keep going with a mix of recent archived content with a handful of new matches on those broadcasts.
Uncertainty reigns around the wrestling business due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic which could shut down any efforts at producing live content at any time, especially if a talent tests positive. Both WWE and AEW appear to be taking a cautious approach in that regard with AEW not committing to saying “next week” with their next edition of Dynamite.
This Friday’s edition of SmackDown will feature a contract signing between WWE Universal Champion Bill Goldberg vs. Roman Reigns and an appearance by Rob Gronkowski.
Since 2011, Josh has been a contributing editor to Wrestling Observer/F4WOnline.com and also hosts the Punch-Out podcast. He has also written for Fight Magazine, Bloody Elbow, Bleacher Report, and other websites. He's a 2000 graduate of the University of Maine, worked in pro sports, and once was an indie ring announcer.