The WWE ThunderDome has been set up inside Tampa’s Tropicana Field since mid-December. But due to the upcoming baseball season for the Tampa Rays, there’s been a ticking clock on when WWE will have to move again. Spectrum Sports 360‘s Jon Alba reported via a source on Monday that the company’s residency inside the baseball stadium will end after the April 2 Friday Night SmackDown taping.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Alba reported last week via a series of tweets that the ThunderDome’s next location is expected to be the Yuengling Center (fka The Sun Dome) at the University of South Florida, also located in Tampa. As of today, those plans have not changed.
Source: #WWE‘s ThunderDome residency at Tropicana Field is set to end after the Smackdown taping on April 2, as of now. Conversion of the stadium back to baseball setup has already begun in some areas where possible.#Rays first home game is April 9. #MLB #RaysUp
— Jon Alba (@JonAlba) March 22, 2021
Alba also asked about the status of Raw (April 5) and SmackDown (April 9) the following week, which will serve as the go-home shows for WrestleMania 37.
I did ask about the possibility of #WWE extending the stay to April 5 to tape that night’s RAW, but was told the understanding is April 2 is a hard out.
So either the April 5 and April 9 pre #WrestleMania tapings would be pre-taped, or would be at a different venue. #Rays #MLB
— Jon Alba (@JonAlba) March 22, 2021
“The expectation among multiple people I have spoken to in #WWE is they will remain in the Tampa area after the Tropicana Field ThunderDome ends ahead of the #Rays season,” Alba wrote last week. “They all believe they are headed to #USF’s Yuengling Center (fka the Sun Dome) for at least a period of time. I requested comment from both #WWE and arena management but have not heard from either as of this time. It’s unclear if it would be a long-term residency or what the setup would be. But multiple people said travel is booked through Tampa going forward for the immediate future.
“The Yuengling Center is on the University of South Florida campus and hosts several of the school’s teams (Omos used to play basketball there),” he continued. “A few days ago a #USF said they wouldn’t be surprised to see the move happen and believed the schedule was open. I do not know the status of fans present, or if it would be the ThunderDome setup. The Yuengling Center is smaller than Amway Center or Tropicana Field, capacity is about 10,400.”
WWE officials have repeatedly stated that despite the plans for live fans at WrestleMania 37, the promotion will not start touring in front of live fans again until the second half of 2021.
