With the coronavirus pandemic in full effect and major organizations and companies closing up shop, the WWE is in quite a predicament. While the organization currently remains committed to carry on WrestleMania 36, its host city Tampa Bay ultimately has the power to cancel the event and prevent the arrival of thousands of fans from across the nation into its community.
The situation has put WWE to work thinking about possible contingency plans, one of which may have been leaked by WWE superstar Bray Wyatt. Wyatt was scheduled to face off at WrestleMania against wrestling legend and actor John Cena, but with the event possibly not happening at Raymond James stadium, the "Fiend" has proposed the two square off at Hooters.
If WrestleMania gets delayed The FIEND hereby challenges @JohnCena to a Bar Fight Deathmatch™?. This will take place at @Hooters. Not kidding.
The tweet has since been deleted, but has since circulated the web via other outlets like ComicBook.com. Wrestling fans are unsure of what to think of the tweet, and whether or not this was one of the contingency plans discussed by WWE in lieu of the event's stadium cancellation. The WWE has had a long history of filming backstage brawls or matches at a specific location, and the branding of the locale being a Hooters would make sense given the advertising exposure being showcased during WrestleMania 36.
Bray Wyatt's tweet may have also been a poorly-timed joke, and the WWE superstar may not have been aware of how quickly his tweet would gain traction when fans are hungry for updates on WrestleMania 36. This may explain why the tweet was deleted, and why John Cena (who has seen recent delays in other projects) did not respond to the tweet. After all, could a WrestleMania 36 match really go down in a Hooters?
While it's doubtful the WWE would relocate the entire proceedings of WrestleMania 36 to a Hooters, there is a history of the organization holding WrestleMania at multiple venues. Considering the event may have to go forward without an audience, it's not hard to imagine another scenario similar to WrestleMania 2 in which matches take place in various locations to keep at-home viewers engaged. Of course, Vince McMahon and company would much rather run the event the way they originally planned, but if Tampa Bay decides to cancel, this could be a glimpse at how the event is eventually run.
Reports say that Tampa Bay or the WWE could reach a decision on what to do about WrestleMania 36 in the coming week, and fans will soon know whether the event is delayed, cancelled, or will run in various chain restaurants nationwide. Until then, folks can only wait and see if yet another high-profile event will be postponed or cancelled due to coronavirus.
WrestleMania 36 is scheduled to take place Sunday, April 5 at 5:00 p.m. ET. Continue to stick with CinemaBlend for more on what's happening in television and movies, especially at a time when things are always changing.
