Report: AEW To Resume Florida 'Dynamite' Tapings, Possibly On A Weekly Basis

According to a new report, All Elite Wrestling is planning on returning to Florida for television production in the weeks ahead. This news follows AEW having taped several matches in advance for airing on their weekly TNT show, Dynamite, while in Georgia weeks ago. The company reportedly taped enough content at that time to carry them several weeks into the future. The news that AEW would return to Florida and consider live shows comes after WWE faced considerable criticism for making the same decision, only to later back off from those plans (weekly live shows) and decide on sporadically running live while also taping content. WWE and AEW had the chance to return to Florida after the state's governor declared national sports and entertainment "essential" during the state's stay at home ordered lockdown from the COVID-19 pandemic (the order expires on April 30th). That announcement from the governor was also met with substantial criticism.

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that AEW will return to their home base at Daily's Place in Jacksonville, Florida on May 6th. This is the location where the company was holding Dynamite live without a crowd prior to the Atlanta tapings and is located right next to the Jacksonville Jaguars' stadium. It's not known whether the shows will be weekly, bi-weekly, or something else, though the report mentions live programming as "likely." The company could begin taping a mass amount of content upon their return to Florida, or airing live every other week with taped matched in between, or something entirely different. The Observer report states "the plan right now is for AEW to go back either weekly or more often starting on 5/6 from Daily's Place in Jacksonville."

It will be interesting to see how this report is met among the same industry onlookers who were critical of WWE considering the move of resuming weekly television tapings in Florida. With the COVID-19 pandemic still very much a threat in the United States, weekly travel for production staff and performers is something that will always face criticism. We will continue to update as AEW's (currently unsettled) plans for the weeks ahead become more clear.

What do you think AEW should do as it relates to taping Dynamite? Let us know in the comments section below, and give me a follow on Twitter @ryandroste for all things AEW and WWE.