WrestleMania 36 Cancellation Possible Coronavirus Backup Plans Revealed

With numerous sporting events being either canceled, postponed or forced to take place in empty arenas in the wake of the coronavirus spread, many WWE fans are waiting to learn the status of WrestleMania 36. The show is scheduled to take place at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on April 5. But between Florida’s current state of emergency for public health, the confirmed cases in Tampa and Florida governor Ron DeSantis’ suggestion that all mass gatherings in the state be either canceled or postponed, the show looks too be in jeopardy.

But instead of being outright canceled, it’s possible WWE simply moves the event from April 5 to a later month. According to TalkSport’s Alex McCarthy, one of WWE’s contingency plans is to move the show to either June or July.

As of now WWE doesn’t have any pay-per-views scheduled for June, and this year’s Extreme Rules event is booked for July 19 at the SAP Center in San Jose. If WrestleMania were to move dates, it would likely have an effect on any events scheduled around that time.

There’s also no word yet on the status of NXT TakeOver: Tampa Bay, the WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony or the episodes of Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown that are also booked for Tampa during WrestleMania week.

WWE released a statement last week saying it had no intentions of canceling the show. But if Tampa city officials decide the event would need to be canceled, the decision would be out of WWE’s hands.

“The health and safety of our fans, performers and employees are our top priorities and we are monitoring the situation closely with our partners and government officials in Tampa Bay,” WWE’s initial statement on the virus possibly canceling WrestleMania read. “We remain committed to hosting WrestleMania at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, April 5, and like other entertainment properties in the U.S., there are currently no plans to cancel or postpone our upcoming events.”