9 Ups & 2 Downs From WWE SmackDown (13 March)
No fans, no problem.
It was always going to be weird.
WWE's decision to plough ahead with programming and move episodes of Raw and SmackDown to the Performance Center should be greeted with open arms though. Whilst it's true they have corporate commitments with FOX to uphold, the company could've panicked over this Coronavirus outbreak, filled the next few weeks full of re-runs and left it at that.
Yes, they could have, but Vince McMahon and chums decided to try something totally different instead. They're moving all production to the PC until further notice, and it's certainly unique. In an era when WWE are bashed for every wrong move and barely credited for every right one, their dedication to WrestleMania build in the face of real-life adversity must be applauded.
This, unlike recent Draft attempts or international specials, was a true shake-up for the promotion. The 13 March 2020 edition of SmackDown will go down as a curious moment in WWE history, and it's nice to say that's for positive reasons rather than glaring negatives.
Here are all the 'Ups' and 'Downs' from an extraordinary night...