Vince McMahon

WWE CEO Vince McMahon praised the on-screen performers who have continued to appear on Raw, SmackDown and NXT during the coronavirus pandemic on Thursday's Q1 investors call.

According to Wrestling Inc's Marc Middleton, McMahon said the following regarding the drive of his Superstars:

"I have to give kudos to all of our performers. They're working so hard, and when you're in the ring and you're normally playing off a live audience, and there's no one there [now]. It's different but our performers are stepping it up, and really, really working hard. We're trying to produce a great product given the consideration of where we are."

WWE has been holding its weekly shows at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, with no fans in attendance because of the COVID-19 pandemic for more than a month. That includes WrestleMania 36, which marked the first time in the history of WWE's hallmark event that no fans were present to watch it.

McMahon continued by suggesting that WWE's performers have taken it upon themselves to serve as an outlet for those stuck at home during the pandemic:

"Our only natural resource, obviously, is talent, and our talent have taken this as a challenge, have taken this almost as a duty, which has always happened with us. And they realize that, you know...people are sitting at home, they're bored...and the fact that we can entertain families together [audio error] entertain them like no one else can entertain them. So, I think that they look at this as a challenge and they've really risen to the occasion. It's amazing actually.

"And there are a few that are unable to come down due to...certain things that exist, but nonetheless, by and large, kudos to them. They are a very, very special people, they're extraordinary athletes. They love to give. That's what this business is about, that's why they got into it, is to give and perform for the audience. There's no live audience, but that's another kudos to them because you have to think about that when you're in the ring, as if the live audience [audio error]. So, all in all, I'm so proud of them."

While WWE has been able to continue running shows, the COVID-19 outbreak has put a halt to its touring live events, eliminating ticket revenue and hurting merchandise sales. WWE also lost a huge annual revenue stream in WrestleMania, which was supposed to take place in Tampa, Florida.

As a result, WWE made massive cuts earlier in April, releasing several wrestlers and furloughing many other employees, including backstage producers.

Despite the situation, WWE reported $26.2 million in earnings for the first quarter of 2020 compared to an $8.4 million loss in last year's first quarter, per Middleton. Much of that is due to WWE's television deals with Fox and NBC Universal for SmackDown and Raw, respectively.

The fact that WWE is profitable suggests that it will continue to run for as long as it is permitted to, which means the performers who wants to put on a show for those watching at home will have plenty of opportunities to do so.

Bleacher Report's David Gardner interviews athletes and other sports figures for the podcast How to Survive Without Sports.

WWE announced Thursday it will not release a WWE 2K video game this year, per Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet.

The announcement came on an earnings call for investors during which WWE CEO Vince McMahon offered numerous updates on his organization following the first quarter of 2020.

This year will mark the first time since the 1990s that a game in the WWE 2K series, previously known as WWE SmackDown!, will not be made. The series began in 2000 with the original WWE SmackDown!.

Per Marc Middleton of Wrestling Inc., WWE Interim Chief Financial Officer Frank Riddick broke the news on the call after being asked if a video game was in the company's budget. Riddick said the game was canceled but did not provide an official reason.

A report from ex-WWE SmackDown vs. Raw video game writer Justin Leeper said (h/t Jeremy Lambert of Fightful) on April 11 that he "heard from reliable sources" the game would be shelved:

Lambert also provided more information.

"Leeper continued, saying 2K is publishing a different kind of WWE game from a different developer that's not Visual Concepts. Leeper went on to say that WWE 2K22 won't be released on next generation consoles.

"Leeper previously reported that the budget for WWE 2K21 would be slashed and developers had quit after the release of WWE 2K20, which underperformed in sales and was heavily criticized by fans due to glitches. Yuke's and 2K split months before the game was set to release, which reportedly contributed to the problems in WWE 2K20."

Alex McCarthy of TalkSPORT reached out to 2K about the cancellation rumors on April 14 and received the following response: "We don’t comment on rumors and speculation."

WWE 2K20 was not well-received. Of note, Mitchell Saltzman of IGN.com gave it a 4.3 on a 10-point scale, calling the game a "buggy mess."

There isn't official word yet on the long-term future of the WWE 2K series. Per Middleton, Riddick was not asked about WWE2K22 on the call. 

Building on the success generated by WrestleMania, WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon confirmed Thursday during an earnings call the company will stage more pre-taped cinematic matches, according to Pro Wrestling Sheet's Ryan Satin.

The first night of WrestleMania ended with The Undertaker beating AJ Styles in a Boneyard Match, while the second night featured a Firefly Fun House Match between John Cena and "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt.

Heading into the show, fans were cautiously optimistic when it became clear the Boneyard and Firefly Fun House Matches were deviating from the typical script.

The House of Horrors Match at Payback 2017 was a failure, but Matt Hardy's Ultimate Deletion in 2018 was well-received at the time.

WrestleMania exceeded expectations as the cinematic encounters were two of the best matches on the pay-per-view. They also succeeded in delivering two contrasting experiences.

The Boneyard Match was ripped from the climax of an action movie, while the Firefly Fun House Match was far more cerebral and required a wider understanding of Cena and Wyatt's shared history in the ring.

With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to keep WWE events behind closed doors, carrying the idea over to future PPVs makes sense. Since fans can't attend shows, the need to keep every match confined to the ring isn't there.

It's also a way to delve deeper into unique characters such as The Fiend or The Undertaker.

The only worry from here is that the promotion relies on the approach so much the novelty begins wearing off, providing steadily diminishing returns with each new edition.

Former XFL commissioner Oliver Luck has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against WWE chairman Vince McMahon, according to The Athletic's Daniel Kaplan. 

The XFL ended its 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the initial expectation it would return in 2021. However, the league suspended operations April 10 and then filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy three days later.

According to Kaplan, the language in the lawsuit indicates McMahon may have fired Luck for cause: "Mr. Luck wholly disputes and rejects the allegations set forth in the Termination Letter and contends they are pretextual and devoid of merit."

ESPN's Kevin Seifert shared a statement from McMahon's attorney about the lawsuit:

"Oliver Luck's services as Commissioner and CEO of the XFL were terminated by a letter sent to him on Apr. 9, 2020 which explained the reasons for the termination. As to the lawsuit he filed, his allegations will be disputed and the position of Mr. McMahon will be set forth in our response to this lawsuit."

Placing any level of blame on Luck for the XFL's rapid demise would seemingly be unfair unless more information is unearthed as part of the lawsuit.

The league appeared to be laying the foundations for sustained success. The quality of play didn't match the NFL but was good enough to keep fans entertained. Television viewership and attendance were trending downward yet didn't crater to the extent they did during the XFL's first run in 2001.

In general, the XFL was positioning itself as a fun diversion during the NFL's offseason.

The rise of a worldwide pandemic isn't something anybody could've predicted, and the league apparently didn't have the cash reserves to sustain itself during a prolonged lull.

The specific damages sought by Luck are unknown and many of the contract details in the lawsuit have been redacted, per Kaplan. According to Sports Business Journal's Michael Smith, Luck was slated to earn at least $20 million from his contract, and his payout could've exceeded $30 based on incentives.

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio noted that due to the XFL's bankruptcy, suing McMahon directly might give Luck a better chance of being financially compensated.

Mandy Rose revealed the genesis of her ongoing storyline with Otis, which has become one of the most popular dynamics on SmackDown.

Rose told Kate McCrea of TV Series Hub she had approached WWE Chairman Vince McMahon with her proposal:

"Otis always was around in NXT and posting pics of me and talking about how much he liked me. In a cute way, not a creepy way. This continued on and I thought it would be great if this became a storyline, especially once Otis entered Wrestlemania. I actually went to Vince McMahon myself and pitched the idea and he loved it."

Rose and Otis also worked alongside Andrea Listenberger from the creative team. Listenberger announced she was among the cuts when WWE released a number of wrestlers and backstage employees amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

WWE has run similar angles before, but few connected with the fans in the organic way Rose and Otis have. The momentum behind the story was such that Otis earned a singles match with Dolph Ziggler that was built around his courtship of Rose.

Otis defeated Ziggler with some help from Rose. After the match, the couple embraced and shared a kiss.

For some fans, McMahon is responsible behind the scenes for helping stifle Raw and SmackDown creatively. Both Jon Moxley and Brodie Lee have expressed the level of frustration they felt toward the end of their WWE runs, which led to them leaving the promotion altogether.

In this case, however, McMahon may deserve a level of credit for allowing Rose, Otis and others involved the freedom necessary to see through a compelling on-screen dynamic.

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John Cena Had Input on Firefly Fun House

Whether you loved or hated the Firefly Fun House Match between John Cena and The Fiend Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania 36, it was definitely a spectacle that no one will ever forget. 

Per Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats), Cena had input on putting together the match, and his changes were “for the better.”

It's unclear what specific changes Cena made to the match, which was essentially a trip down memory lane for WWE fans. It also featured some alternate-world moments, like Cena being a member of the nWo. 

WWE had to get more creative with WrestleMania this year due to limitations posed by the coronavirus pandemic. The Firefly Fun House and Boneyard Matches were among the most unique events in the promotion's history. 

Considering those limitations, as well as Cena potentially not wanting to risk injury with his acting career taking off, being able to do a match that involved limited wrestling yet still be entertaining would require plenty of creativity.

If nothing else, the Firefly Fun House was creative and unique. 

Charlotte Flair Working Double Duty

Despite being the NXT women's champion, Charlotte Flair will reportedly continue to be part of the Raw brand. 

Per Meltzer (h/t Marc Middleton of Wrestling Inc.), WWE wants to keep Flair on Monday nights and use her on NXT in an attempt to beat All Elite Wrestling in the Wednesday-night ratings war. 

Flair's victory over Rhea Ripley seemed to take some in the WWE Universe by surprise. It would have been understandable to have Ripley go over to make her a bigger star, but WWE decided to put the crown on the Queen.

Normally, having a superstar work on two shows would be a monumental task because of the travel and increased potential for injury due to fatigue. 

Right now, though, with WWE having to tape all of its shows from the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, Flair won't have to fly to NXT from whatever city Raw happened to be in on a given week. 

WWE Schedules More TV Tapings

WWE will be able to resume taping upcoming shows despite a stay-at-home-order being put into place in Florida last week due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

As first reported by Fightful Select and confirmed by Meltzer, WWE is running closed-set tapings at the Performance Center starting Friday. 

The tapings are scheduled to run for one week with three episodes each of Raw and SmackDown being filmed. 

Meltzer also noted the belief is NXT will tape "several episodes" at its traditional home at Full Sail University. 

This is notable because when WWE did marathon taping sessions last month, the last episode that was filmed was the Raw after WrestleMania. Three weeks of tapings will get WWE through the April 27 episode of Raw and May 1 episode of SmackDown. 

The next scheduled pay-per-view is Money in the Bank on May 10.

Edge confirmed he was approached by another company following his appearance at SummerSlam last August.

Pro Wrestling Sheet's Ryan Satin reported in January the Hall of Famer had contract discussions with both All Elite Wrestling and WWE prior to securing his return to WWE.

While not identifying AEW by name during his WWE 24 documentary on WWE Network, Edge referenced the interest he received outside of his old employer (via Wrestling Inc.'s Marco Rovere).

"SummerSlam happens, and then from there another company within the industry contacted me," he said. "They said they were interested and wanted to know if I could wrestle and at this point, I didn't know if I could. So before I did anything, I decided I needed to go find out."

Edge went on to say he felt compelled to speak with WWE chairman Vince McMahon before making a final decision:

"Some discussions were had. The one thing that I told them through all of this is: when you give me your offer, I need to go talk to Vince. He's done right by me my entire career. He gave me my chance, he gave me my shot. Trusted me to be able to pull off a lot of things, be a pillar for his shows. To be counted on as one of his generals, that goes a long way with me. I reached out to Vince and said I need to come talk to you this weekend and it needs to be face to face. I don't want to do it through text or phone calls."

During the conversation, McMahon made it clear he wanted to sign Edge, assuming he received the necessary medical clearances for in-ring competition.

Edge retired in 2011 because of persistent neck injuries.

The 46-year-old made his shocking comeback during the 2020 Royal Rumble match. His first singles encounter in nearly a decade is scheduled for Sunday at WrestleMania 36.

The Rated-R Superstar is slated to face off with former tag team partner Randy Orton in a Last Man Standing match.

WWE is set to host WrestleMania 36 under the strangest circumstances ever.

Not only will the show be broadcast without any fans present amid the coronavirus pandemic, it will also take place over two nights and feature some new and unconventional stipulations.

With every other sport postponing or canceling the season, WWE could have more attention than it would have otherwise anticipated.

Let's take a look at what you need to know about this year's WrestleMania. 

Venue: WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida

Start Time: 6 p.m. ET (Kickoff), 7 p.m. ET (main show)

How to Watch: WWE Network and select PPV providers

Betting Odds

OddsChecker.com lists betting odds for some of the top matches set to take place this weekend. Here is a rundown of each bout:

• Aleister Black (1/14) vs. Bobby Lashley (6/1)
• Edge (1/12) vs. Randy Orton (11/2)
• Seth Rollins (9/4) vs. Kevin Owens (2/7)
• The Undertaker (1/5) vs. AJ Styles (3/1)
• Shayna Baszler (3/4) vs. Becky Lynch (19/20)
• Rhea Ripley (1/2) vs. Charlotte Flair (7/5)
• Drew McIntyre (10/29) vs. Brock Lesnar (2/1)

The Rest of the Card

WWE has stacked the weekend's events with 16 matches. Here is a list of the nine remaining bouts:

• Goldberg vs. Braun Strowman (Universal Championship)
• Bray Wyatt vs. John Cena (Firefly Fun House match)
• Bayley vs. Naomi vs. Tamina vs. Lacey Evans vs. Sasha Banks (SmackDown Women's Championship)
• Elias vs. King Corbin
• Sami Zayn vs. Daniel Bryan (Intercontinental Championship)
• Street Profits vs. Austin Theory and Angel Garza (Raw Tag Team Championships)
• The Kabuki Warriors vs. Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross (Women's Tag Team Championships)
• Otis vs. Dolph Ziggler
• The Miz and Morrison vs. The Usos vs. The New Day (SmackDown Tag Team Championship ladder match)

PPV Live Stream

The one-hour Kickoff will be available through most social media platforms, YouTube and WWE Network. 

A select few cable and satellite providers still carry WWE PPVs, but for the most part, people will be watching WrestleMania on WWE Network. Here is a list of the devices that support the streaming service, according to WWE.com:

• Apple TV
• Amazon Fire TV
• PlayStation 4
• Roku
• Xbox One
• Android devices with the WWE app
• iOS devices with the WWE app
• WWE.com
• Select Panasonic, LG, Sony and Samsung Smart TVs
• TiVo
• Supported browsers

Other Important Information

Most or all of WrestleMania has already been filmed, but WWE has done a good job preventing spoilers from leaking to the media. 

At least two of the matches will likely take place off-site. The Boneyard and Firefly Fun House bouts are the kind of contests WWE has likely built purpose-specific sets for.

What we don't know is which order WWE plans to air the matches. Nothing has been revealed about which matches will take place on either night, so everything will be a surprise.

Having a couple of weeks to prepare and film everything could lead to this being a much better PPV than anyone expects. Let's hope that ends up being the case.