Plexiglass Walls Could Become "New Norm" In WWE?
Are the days of high-fiving your favourites over long-term?
Dave Meltzer claimed via his Wrestling Observer Newsletter that plexiglass walls could become the "new norm" around ringside in WWE for the foreseeable future.
Anyone who tuned into this past Monday's Raw or Friday's SmackDown, for example, would've noticed that the NXT crew drafted in to provide a "live crowd" feel were positioned behind the glass. That, according to Meltzer, is a preventative measure and something WWE are trial running for when fans are eventually allowed back in arenas.
It could become common practice.
The general idea is that nobody would be able to reach out and physically touch the wrestlers when they were brawling around ringside or near the safety barriers. It also has the knock-on effect of ensuring that fans can't slap or high-five their favourites when they're walking down the ramp during entrance routines.
Some fans online are already comparing these plexiglass walls to ones seen in the NHL. That's a good comparison, although nobody is exactly getting smacked with stray pucks at WWE shows...yet.
Seriously though, WWE are exploring as many options as possible to prepare themselves for eventually running shows in front of proper live crowds again.