Stephanie McMahon says safety is paramount.
McMahon and other WWE officials were in Tampa for a luncheon with business and community leaders at Raymond James Stadium, speaking with the Tampa Bay Times about growing concerns over the coronavirus pandemic. McMahon said WWE puts the safety of their performers and fans first but they’ll act if it comes to that point.
“The health and safety of not only our fan base, but also our superstars, really does come first. We don’t want to put anyone in a bad situation ever, regardless of the circumstance. Those are not risks worth taking.”
McMahon added that the company will “enact those measures” if necessary.
WWE Special Events EVP John Saboor and Tampa Bay Sports Commission’s Rob Higgins were also quoted about monitoring the situation, with Saboor noted that the company is “constantly monitoring global events.”
“There are active and ongoing discussions at play internally, like there are in any sector of American business,” Saboor noted, “and certainly families as a whole. So I think those will continue.”
“You’ve got to be nimble, and you’ve got to be ready,” Higgins said. “Thirty-six days is a long time, so it’s hard to predict. I think we just continue to information gather as much as possible, so that we are as prepared as possible.”
WWE has a number of events scheduled the first week in April for WrestleMania including a 5K fun run, a free block party at Raymond James Stadium, classroom, hospital and Boys and Girls Club appearances, in addition to all of the live wrestling events that week.
Related: New Japan Pro-Wrestling Cancels 11 Events In March Due To Coronavirus Outbreak
