Report: WWE ThunderDome Leaving Tropicana Field On 2 April

WWE must find a new home for its ThunderDome before WrestleMania 37 week...

WWE ThunderDome Tropicana Field
WWE.com

WWE will end its ThunderDome residency at Tropicana Field in Tampa, Florida after the 2 April episode of SmackDown.

This is according to Spectrum Sports 360's Jon Alba, who has confirmed that current plans call for WWE to move on from that date, as the Tampa Bay Rays need the building for the upcoming MLB season.

Per Alba, work on reconfiguring the Tropicana Field for baseball has already commenced. The Rays are set to play their first home game at the building on 9 April.

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The 2 April date was described as a "hard out."

As reported on 12 March, WWE is expected to stay somewhere in the Tampa area for its next ThunderDome location, with the nearby Yuengling Center pinpointed as a potential location. Alba's sources have confirmed that this is likely still the case.

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The ThunderDome has been located at Tropicana Field since debuting at the baseball stadium on 11 December 2020. It had previously been housed instead Orlando's Amway Center, a smaller basketball arena. The Yuengling Center is a 10,411-capacity facility located on the University of South Florida's campus that should theoretically be available now that USF's college basketball season has finished.

Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. 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.