WWE ThunderDome Moving To Baseball Stadium

ThunderDome to emanate from domed Tropicana Field.

by Michael Sidgwick
WWE ThunderDome
WWE/Warner Bros.

As has been rumoured for some time now, per Ryan Satin of Fox Sports, the WWE ThunderDome is switching to a new location: out of the Orlando Amway Center and into Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Enforced by a scheduling conflict, the move away from the Amway does not represent much of a logistical challenge. WWE has primarily operated out of the Sunshine State since March. Much of the talent currently resides there.

The move however may present a logistical challenge in and of itself.

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The stadium is old, has been criticised historically for its aesthetic, and while it is domed, negating inclement weather, it is prone to power outages. This might prove problematic, given the expensive and excessive use of LED lighting boards and laser effects. It suffers from a poor reputation amongst baseball fans, not that the live experience is much of a factor in this new world.

If nothing else, it represents an emulation of a big-time atmosphere.

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This isn't a cosmetic take; for a time, the ThunderDome helped increased ratings across both RAW and SmackDown, in part because it looked so much more than the real thing than the drab surrounds of the repurposed Performance Center.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!