(Video) Massive WWE venue destroyed by Hurricane Milton
An iconic WWE venue, host to some of the company's biggest events, gets destroyed by Hurricane Milton at the coast of Florida.
Follow Us
Hurricane Milton destroys Tropicana Field (via WWE and @rawsalerts/X)
WWE tours extensively across the United States and, more recently, internationally for its episodes of Raw, SmackDown, and Premium Live Events. However, the promotion still has some iconic venues that have been the hosts of some of its most significant events. These include the Madison Square Garden in New York, Allstate Arena in Illinois, and TD Garden in Boston. One arena that often gets overlooked, though, is the Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Tropicana Field, a multi-purpose domed stadium, served as the WWE Thunderdome for WWE’s weekly television programs and Premium Live Events during a significant portion of the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020-21. Unforunately, this iconic venue recently faced significant destruction due to Hurricane Milton, which recently struck the Florida coast.
A video shows Tropicana Field facing significant damage, with its roof being torn apart by the storm. Pieces of the roof were flailing violently due to the strong winds, and most of it was torn apart by the end. The extent of the damage inside the stadium is not known at the moment. Furthermore, it is still unclear if there was anyone inside the venue during this tragedy. However, no injuries have been reported so far.
The Tropicana Field is the home of the Tampa Bay Rays of the MLB. Recently, it was acting as shelter for the National Guard troops and other first responders supposed to handle the storm’s aftermath. It was being used to plan operations to provide immediate rescue and relief efforts to the surrounding communities.
Exploring WWE’s history with the Tropicana Field during the Pandemic Era
WWE began the pandemic era by hosting its events at the WWE Performance Centre in Orlando, Florida. This venue soon changed to the Amway Centre in August. On November 19, 2020, WWE announced that moving forward, the Tropicana Field would be their new home for their weekly Raw and SmackDown broadcasts, as well as PLEs.
The December 11, 2020, episode of SmackDown became the first show to be aired from this new WWE Thunderdome. Each episode of Raw, SmackDown, and Main Event would take place at the Tropicana Field until April 9, 2021. During this time, TLC 2020 and 2021’s Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber, and Fastlane were also held in this venue.
While there were rumors that WWE would allow some fans to attend the Royal Rumble in 2021, the company was unwilling to dismantle the Thunderdome. Thus, the event was held with virtual fans in a way similar to their weekly shows. Shortly after, the company had to change venues again. They shifted to the Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida, so that the Tampa Bay Rays could use the stadium for the 2021 MLB Season. After the pandemic, the promotion returned to the Tropicana Field one more time for Royal Rumble 2024.
Stay Updated!
Mokshit Batra
(1355 Articles Published)