On March 12, St. Petersburg, Florida City Officials announced that the city’s annual Grand Prix event would be closed to general attendance. This same day, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis advised all mass gatherings in Florida be postponed/canceled for the next 30 days.
WrestleMania could be canceled
One major event scheduled for Tampa is WrestleMania 36, slated to take place on Sunday, April 5. The wrestling spectacle brings in tens of thousands of attendees to its host city from across the globe, and generates millions in economic impact.
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Hillsborough County officials have yet to make a decision on whether or not the massive event should take place in the city this April. Officials are leaving the decision up to WWE.
Move to the summer
Some speculated that the event could move to the Summer. Others had suggested the event could take place in an empty arena, or at the WWE’s performance center.
Any mitigation effort will hopefully detour any COVID-19 community spread.
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The NBA, NHL, and MLB have all suspended their seasons amid the outbreak and confirmed cases amongst players. For the NHL, this could be a halt to the season entirely.
Would affect multiple events that week
Other major Florida events like Ultra in Miami have also been canceled.
WrestleMania is now more than just one singular event. Raw and SmackDown events are planned for Amalie Arena that week, in addition to a Hall of Fame Ceremony and a NXT Takeover.
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