WrestleMania 36 Rumors: WWE Considering Holding Event Without Fans

The WWE is reportedly considering its options for the upcoming Wrestlemania 36 event on April 5, including holding it without fans, but pro wrestling's biggest event has not yet been canceled or postponed.

Per TMZ, local officials near Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, have asked Vince McMahon to cancel the event. The WWE is looking at all options, including staging it in an empty arena and broadcasting it live.

According to the report, the event was expected to draw a crowd of 70,000. Health officials across the world have advised the use of "social distancing" to combat the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended against gatherings of over 50 people.

Major American sports leagues like the NBA, MLB and NHL have shut down their games, and UFC Fight Night 170 in Brazil took place in an empty arena. 

The UFC is still hoping to keep its shows going:

Sportswriter Chamatkar Sandhu doesn't think their resolve will hold out, however, and Wrestlemania is in danger of getting canceled as well:

The latest edition of SmackDown took place in an empty Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, and while it made for a surreal atmosphere, radio host Bully Ray praised the organisation and its talent for the tremendous effort:

Brock Lesnar and Drew McIntyre are set to headline the Wrestlemania 36 event with a match for the WWE Championship. Other likely or confirmed matches include Goldberg vs. Roman Reigns, Becky Lynch vs. Shayna Baszler and AJ Styles vs. Undertaker.