Flair and WrestleMania Continue in Face of COVID-19

Some wrestlers rely on the cheers of the crowd to hype them up before a fight, but Charlotte Flair found the lack of a crowd as an opportunity to entertain the millions of WWE fans at home.

Due to the global pandemic, WWE was forced to pre-tape WrestleMania 36 and air it over two days this past weekend. Charlotte and Rhea Ripley had an epic showdown on Sunday on Night 2 of WrestleMania 36. The two battled it out for the NXT Women’s Championship on WWE. Rhea had won the championship in 2019 from Shayna Baszler, who was the longest-reigning champion in the brand’s history.

The event took place in an empty WWE Performance Center, resulting in a loss of the theatrical magic that is heavily associated with professional wrestling. For wrestling fans, the crowd is a major part of the event. Still like her retired pro-wrestler father, Ric Flair, Charlotte put on a show, defeating Rhea to win the NXT Women’s Championship for the second time since 2014.

Known as “The Nightmare,” Charlotte celebrated her 34^th birthday on Sunday by eating birthday cake and watching her own match on TV. She beat Rhea in 20 minutes and 35 seconds, getting her to tap out while in a Figure Eight hold.

#AndNew.

Once again.@MsCharlotteWWE is your #WWENXT #WomensChampion! #WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/ShdV54oXZC

— WWE (@WWE) April 5, 2020

“Getting to actually eat cake on my birthday was surreal,” Charlotte told CBS Sports. “It was crazy. It was enjoyable. That part was definitely different, but it was also nice to really sit back and be proud of the company and proud of your co-worker and enjoy the show like everyone else sitting at home.”

WWE faced heavy criticism from many people in the wrestling community due to its decision to move forward with WrestleMania. The criticism centered around the fact that those on the roster could be exposed to COVID-19.

WWE is taking protective measures for WrestleMania while still providing entertainment. Wrestlers are able to stay home rather than travel around the world, allowing them to practice at a WWE Performance Center rather than random gyms across the country. So, while the experience is different, it is still an experience in itself.

Should other major sports follow the lead of the WWE by continuing to record sporting events in empty stadiums?