4 Ups & 5 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Aug 21)

Ups...

4. The ThunderDome's Look

Vince McMahon Thunderdome
WWE.com

LED boards > real fans.

No, that's not a serious statement, but WWE's ThunderDome set up did look damn good. It was a massive step up from the lifeless Performance Center (trainee "live crowd" extras and all) and gave the presentation a much grander scope. The production team did a wonderful job during wrestler entrances too.

This is where we're at with live entertainment in August 2020. It's hardly ideal, and nothing can ever replace an in-person audience, but it's the best anyone can do right now. WWE don't make the rules, so all they can do is try their best to make programming resonate through your telly box.

ThunderDome achieves that without much fuss. It is curious that the company didn't wait to unveil this at SummerSlam though - perhaps they thought they'd draw more attention to FOX than they would on the Network. Perhaps they're right.

Ratings aren't great, and need all the help they can get.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.