Backstage News On WWE Stopping ThunderDome Leaks

Staff risk losing their jobs over any further ThunderDome leaks.

Aug 21, 2020 August 21st, 2020

With intrigue high over WWE’s plans for WCW Thund... err, WWE ThunderDome, there’s now an update on the concept which will be debuting on tomorrow night’s SmackDown episode.

From Fightful Select, the Thunderdome setup is up and running at Orlando’s Amway Center, vigorous testing has taken place, and all is ready to go for ThunderDome’s big debut.

WWE has had the SmackDown ring up since Wednesday afternoon, and the company has run tests on how the giant video screens will work. The idea of having duplicate shots on multiple screens and seats was also trialled, rather than having a different individual featured in each spot.

Despite a few choice photos and videos of ThunderDome being put out online already, staff are being told that their jobs could be at risk if they leak out further glimpses at ThunderDome before this week’s SmackDown airs.

It’s worth noting that the previous ThunderDome previews that surfaced online have since been deleted by the original posters.

An official sneak peak at ThunderDome will take place later today, with at least one match to be featured as part of this early look at a concept that is scheduled to be in place for as long as WWE is housed at the Amway Center.

As it stands, all Raws, SmackDowns, and PPVs will emanate from the Amway Center from this Friday through until the end of October.

Andrew Pollard

Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.

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