Stephanie McMahon Confirms New Sets For WWE Raw & SmackDown

WWE to introduce new stage setups as of tomorrow's SmackDown.

by Andrew Pollard
WWE Thunderdome
WWE

Following recent rumours that WWE will soon be introducing new Raw and SmackDown sets, Stephanie McMahon has now confirmed that, yes, new sets will indeed be introduced as soon as this Friday.

Speaking to Forbes, WWE's Chief Brand Officer revealed that this week's SmackDown - which is the company's first show back on the road - will see the debut of a new set.

While the Thunderdome days are now finally behind us, it looks like that virtual setup has left a lasting impression on WWE officials - with the new Raw and SmackDown sets to seemingly incorporate elements of what was served up with the Thunderdome.

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As Stephanie explained:

"We've learned a lot during this time utilising these different techniques, and we're really ready to merge the physical and virtual worlds in ways we never have done before. We're always looking to be slightly ahead of the curve. From a technology standpoint, I think we're constantly reinventing ourselves. While we were utilising some of these techniques, I think the key learnings during COVID absolutely sped up the adoption of those technologies in this way."

The new Raw and SmackDown sets will feature digital and augmented reality integrations, with wrestlers' entrances to be more "dynamic" due to the extremely high-resolution technology used for the Trons.

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How and what this all looks like, we'll have to wait for tomorrow's SmackDown - which takes place from Houston's Toyota Center - to find out.

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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 and Presenter, 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 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 and Eli Roth to Kevin Smith and the Russo Brothers, to Kevin Conroy and Frank Miller, to Bret Hart and Sting, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, and Brian Flynn, to many, many more. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is a long-standing season ticket holder and an FSA Award-winner for his time co-hosting the Fearless in Devotion podcast.