WWE is going ahead with its television tapings today at the Performance Center despite several positive COVID-19 tests in the company.
They will be taping tonight’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown and this Monday’s episode of Raw, along with 205 Live to air tonight on the WWE Network. They are set to tape the following week’s episodes on Saturday at the Performance Center.
We were told at POST Wrestling that The Undertaker tribute announced on Thursday night will take up a “good chunk” of tonight’s SmackDown episode. This includes the airing of the Boneyard Match from WrestleMania.
As of mid-day, on Friday, 205 Live was set to feature one match.
Earlier on Friday, Jamie Noble became the latest member of the company to reveal he has contracted the coronavirus. Noble revealed the news on his private Instagram account:
Not how we expect this month to go! Covid-19 has hit home. Prayers for me and my family will be greatly appreciated!
Noble joins Renee Young, Adam Pearce, and Kayla Braxton who have revealed they have COVID-19. For Braxton, it’s her second time with the virus after previously testing positive for it back in March.
Testing took place over the past two days with WWE adding that testing would be administered for the foreseeable future ahead of tapings. We were informed of at least one example where someone is off the tapings as a precaution after displaying one of the symptoms. [UPDATE: We were later informed this person had tested negative for the virus.]
On Friday, Florida reported a new single-day record with 8,942 new cases of COVID-19 after the previous record was set this past Wednesday with 5,500.
Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp revealed a memo that was sent Thursday morning requesting all NXT talent at the Performance Center be available for the tapings this week, which is something POST Wrestling was informed of, as well:
Per Vince, ALL Talent are needed for TV on Friday & Saturday. Please go to PC by 10:30 AM TODAY for drive-through COVID testing. if you took test yesterday, you don’t need to today. If you are in high level storyline, you will be off camera. Thanks. **IMPORTANT: after test, you will need to remain ISOLATED AND QUARANTINED until after the TV tapings.
