Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, fans have not been allowed to attend main roster WWE shows. There are a limited number of fans invited to the weekly NXT TV shows, but not for Raw and SmackDown TV events.
WWE originally hoped to have fans in attendance for SummerSlam in August then that got pushed back to the Royal Rumble. However, it was reported last week by Jon Alba that WWE’s desire to make this happen is no more and the wait continues to have fans back.
WrestleVotes noted today that one of the main reasons for not having this show with fans is due to the logistical nightmare of tearing down the ThunderDome set up for one night and then having to try to build it again in less than 24 hours for Raw the next night.
Still getting a ton of Royal Rumble / fan attendance questions. The fact of the matter is WWE views the stress, manpower and complete undertaking of removing the ThunderDome for one night as just too much to make it all work. Sad but true. The wait continues.
— WrestleVotes (@WrestleVotes) January 12, 2021
The other big reason for fans not being in attendance is due to a great increase in positive COVID-19 cases. Alba also added this:
As I reported on @theLTGpodcast
Patreon last week…no fans for the Rumble, and logistically, this is one of the main reasons why.Plus, as it's been reiterated: it's a closed set. https://t.co/hFd9DvVied
— Jon Alba (@JonAlba) January 12, 2021
WWE holds the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event on January 31, 2021 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.
