ROH Show Moved Due To COVID Spike In Florida
An unfortunate reminder of what rising COVID-19 cases in the US could mean for wrestling's revival.
Ring Of Honor has been forced to move the upcoming Death Before Dishonor 2021 out of Florida due to the state's recent surge in COVID-19 cases.
The show was originally scheduled to take place at Lakeland's RP Funding Center on Sunday 12 September. It'll now go down at a different location, though there's no word on where.
ROH released the following statement on Tuesday evening:-
"Due to the recent Covid surge in Florida, ROH is moving the site of the Death by [sic] Dishonor Pay Per View event. Details to follow shortly. Your safety, health, and well-being remain our top priorities. Thank you for your continued patronage."
Unattended Floridian shows helped many a wrestling promotion through the COVID-19 pandemic at its March 2020 onset, but the Delta variant's spread across the United States has been particularly troublesome in the Sunshine State. Per the New York Times, Florida is now reporting more daily cases than ever before, with hospitalisations exceeding their summer 2020 peak as well.
49% of Florida's population have been fully vaccinated, which is just below the national average of 51%.
Whether or not this latest COVID spike will force other wrestling promotions into action remains to be seen, though both AEW and WWE are believed to be working on contingency plans.