Report: WWE Is Treating ThunderDome As A Fresh Start

"Different but cool" changes are reportedly coming to WWE programming.

by Andy H Murray
Randy Orton Drew McIntyre
WWE.com

Significant changes are reportedly coming to WWE programming now that the new ThunderDome viewing experience has been implemented.

Advertised as a "state of the art" presentation with virtual fans, lasers, pyrotechnics, drone cameras, and "ceiling content" (!), with Kevin Dunn hyping it up as "bigger than WrestleMania," ThunderDome debuted with last week's SmackDown. It drew a largely positive response from fans bored of WWE's dingy Performance Center presentation, though concerns were raised on the relative lack of noise and overbearing nature of it all.

WrestleVotes claims that WWE is using the change as something of a fresh start, adding that "different but pretty cool" things are coming to the product:-

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Structurally, neither SmackDown nor SummerSlam 2020 were drastically different from what fans were being served from the PC, though last night's pay-per-view did play host to Roman Reigns' return for the first time since before WrestleMania 36, seemingly as a heel. The broadcast also brought an increased use of piped-in crowd noise to compensate for the lack of volume from the virtual fans.

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It'll be interesting to see what ThunderDome brings going forward. The concept is only two shows old, so it's perhaps too early to judge any "changes."

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.