WWE ring announcer Mike Rome has shared his recent experiences working in empty arenas during an appearance on The Chris Van Vliet Show. He acknowledged how it’s “definitely different” compared to when WWE is delivering a show in front of a live audience.
“It’s weird but it’s so cool to see these guys perform these promos, and these epic things that they’re not used to and stuff outside of their comfort zone, and come together to put something out there for people,” Rome said. “So I think everybody was a little somber and trying to figure things out but once we got rolling, it was just like being back on Monday, somewhere else, just without the audience.”
Addressing how WWE was forced into a format change due to the coronavirus pandemic. Rome acknowledged how the company has now shifted into delivering the show under the current circumstances.
“[…] when you’re taking something that you’re used to doing a certain way for so long and now you kinda have to change it, there wasn’t a lot of time for us to kinda shift what was happening and how to make it, so I think what [fans] are gonna see moving forward is going to be a lot cooler of a process because the first two days, they didn’t have time to turn it around but now they’ve had time to sit there and give something back to everybody to get their minds off of what’s going on, and, as long as we can, I’m 100% sure it’s gonna keep going.”
With WrestleMania 36 fast approaching, “The Show of Shows” will now take place across two dates. It will also be hosted in multiple locations. Despite these pivots, Rome shared how he believes it’s great that WrestleMania is still happening.
“Yeah, I think wrestling in general, wherever it’s coming from, it’s great that it’s still continuing. I mean, the thing is everybody wants to sit on one side or the other, whatever it is, but any kind of wrestling happening right now or anything going out to the people is great for wrestling in general and great for everybody, and I think it’s cool and I love the fact that WrestleMania is two days now.”
He continued, “I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s gonna be insane,’ and I, literally, what’s even crazier about it is, I know, besides the matches and stuff, I literally know nothing about what’s happening for those two days. So I’m just sitting here going…’What’s gonna happen?’
WrestleMania 36 takes place on April 4 and 5. It will take place from multiple locations including the WWE Performance Center and will be pre-recorded.