WWE WrestleMania 36 will not have a live audience

This is the first time in history, the event is taking place behind closed doors

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has announced that the latest edition of WrestleMania would be held without a live audience, reported Bleacher Report.

“In coordination with local partners and government officials, WrestleMania and all related events in Tampa Bay will not take place,” WWE said in a statement, “However, WrestleMania will still stream live on Sunday, April 5 at 7 pm ET on WWE Network and be available on pay-per-view. Only essential personnel will be on the closed set at WWE’s training facility in Orlando, Florida to produce WrestleMania.”

This is the first time ever that Wrestlemania which is often dubbed as the Super-Bowl of professional wrestling would be held without a live audience. It is also the second in WWE history that Wrestlemania changed venues at the last minute. Previously WrestleMania 7's venue was changed from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena.

Last week the company aired an episode of Smackdown at the performance center without a live audience.

The decision comes in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic that has resulted in over 180,000 infections and around 7332 deaths worldwide. Earlier on major sports, regulatory bodies in the United States had ceased operations including the NBA, NHL, and MLS.

Have something to add to the story? Share in the comments below.