WWE Not Allowing AEW Shirts In ThunderDome, May Fine Fans For Inappropriate Behavior
It seems that WWE may have its hands full with regards to controlling both fan attire and behavior inside the ThunderDome, which debuts this Friday night on SmackDown.
According to several reddit users, who attended the special invite-only rehearsal of ThunderDome at the Amway Center on Thursday evening, the entire post-production meeting could be heard [during audio standby] and there was talk of not allowing AEW shirts.
"The reason the AEW talk happened was because they [producers] were discussing what can be shown on screen, and that they have ability to quickly click and boot someone [out of the screen]. They also talked about a list of shirts or what can be [allowed] on screen," wrote reddit user Carbonsilkthread.
Another reddit user going by the handle subdude_ actually recorded parts of the post-production meeting, which can be heard at this link. The talk of AEW starts at the 48-second mark.
"Pretty funny hearing the producers talk about removing people with AEW shirts," he wrote on reddit.
Furthermore, Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet noted on Twitter that WWE may fine fans for inappropriate behavior inside the ThunderDome.
In response to a fan who wondered, "how long until inappropriate content makes it on-air for the Thunderdome," Satin wrote, "There are a lot of things you have to agree to saying you're responsible for any fines they may incur if you act inappropriately."
As reported earlier, fans are required to sign-up to be a part of ThunderDome, which includes a new set, video boards, pyrotechnics, lasers, graphics and drone cameras, plus rows of virtual fans on almost 1,000 LED boards. The sign-ups for SmackDown quickly hit capacity when registration opened late on Tuesday night, but registration for SummerSlam should be announced soon. Registration for Monday's RAW will likely be opened this weekend some time.
WWE will utilize state-of-the-art viewing experience for upcoming RAW, SmackDown and pay-per-view events while under the residency at the Amway Center. However, it is going to be interesting to see how it controls fan behavior and if any notorious fans try to disrupt the live shows.
You can view Satin's tweet below:
There are a lot of things you have to agree to saying you're responsible for any fines they may incur if you act inappropriately. https://t.co/9puKEImOtM
? Ryan Satin (@ryansatin) August 20, 2020