April 6, 2020 Observer Newsletter: Florida lockdown, WrestleMania preview
With UFC, WWE and AEW as being among the last events still trying to run in the U.S., the last vestiges of doing empty arena matches may have been shut down.
On 4/1, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ordered a 30-day stay-at-home order except for essential businesses. That would in theory eliminate the planned 4/18 UFC 249 show that was targeted for the state, and also eliminate both WWE and AEW from taping at least in April in the state.
AEW had just moved out of Jacksonville and into Norcross, GA, just outside of Atlanta, a decision made on 3/27. WWE was planning on doing Smackdown live at the Performance Center on 4/10, and now they would have to find either a new location or do studio wrap-arounds of old matches.
However that isn’t so simple either because Connecticut, where the WWE studios are, also has a stay-at-home order for non-essential businesses.
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Dave Meltzer is the founder and lead writer on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the weekly constant when it comes to news and reviews in pro wrestling and mixed martial arts for more than 40 years. Dave also co-hosts Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and had had bylines for The National, Yahoo Sports, MMA Fighting and others.