Smooth’s Court is a column from Walter Yeates that will feature multiple weekly entries, including commentary from Walter on current and past events in the world of professional wrestling. This entry looks at professional wrestling in areas with major COVID-19 outbreaks. Walter Yeates is an accredited journalist with the World Health Organization. The previous column in the series can be found here.
COVID-19 (Coronavirus, 2019) has been a source of bane and despair around the world throughout 2020; leaving tens of thousands dead, left in financial despair, and panicking over loved ones. The international wrestling communities reaction to COVID-19 hasn’t always taken the virus as seriously the World Health Organization (WHO) would like.
New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) by far the leading promotion in Japan, second largest ticket seller in the world, and arguably thought of as providing the bell to bell in-ring action by a major wrestling promotion — suspended all events starting March 1st. Recently the company announced events through May 4th have all been canceled.
NJPW President Harold Meij, who handles the day to day operations of the company released a public message regarding their decision to cancel events during the global pandemic. A portion of his missive is below.
NJPW have been taking the ongoing global situation very seriously from an early stage. Currently over 90% of our employees are working from home as we continue to do our civic duty as a company to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We, like you, are disappointed and frustrated at not being able to present the best professional wrestling on the planet on a live basis at the current moment in time.
As a result, we want you to join us in preventing the spread of this disease. Please wash your hands and gargle regularly. If you’re in essential work, we sincerely appreciate you and ask that you take precautions to stay safe and healthy; otherwise, please stay home and watch the wealth of content available as part of the NJPW World Together Project, from archived matches with English commentary for the first time to the fantastic My Dad Is A Heel Wrestler movie. Together we can make a powerful tag team that can kick out of this, or any other crisis.
Since NJPW began canceling events Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), Lucha Libre AAA (AAA), and Ring of Honor (ROH) followed sort. Until recently All Elite Wrestling (AEW) was running live events without a crowd, before deciding to tape several weeks of events at once.
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) intended on running Wrestlemania live from Tampa, Florida with fans at the arena before local officials prevented the show from running as planned. At the time, COVID-19 was rapidly beginning to spread throughout Florida. Several days ago, reports leaked of a WWE employee testing positive for COVID-19. The company made the following comment regarding the positive test.
A WWE employee has tested positive for COVID-19. We believe this matter is low risk to WWE talent and staff, as the individual and a roommate became symptomatic in the days following exposure to two people working in acute health care on the evening of March 26, after WWE’s TV production on a closed set was already complete. The employee had no contact with anyone from WWE since being exposed to those two individuals, is doing well, and made a complete recovery.
On Monday, WWE returned to running ‘audience-less’ live events despite the United States dealing with increasing cases of COVID-19. Fans and wrestling journalists have questioned the safety of running events during the current climate, but earlier on Monday local officials in Florida claimed WWE was deemed ‘essential business’ regarding a memo from the office of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
“We are producing content on a closed set with only essential personnel in attendance following appropriate guidelines while taking additional precautions to ensure the health and wellness of our performers and staff. As a brand that has been woven into the fabric of society, WWE and its Superstars bring families together and deliver a sense of hope, determination and perseverance,” a WWE spokesperson said to ESPN regarding their decision to run live events in Florida starting on Monday.
Classifying WWE as ‘essential’ is an interesting usage of a term meant for medical professionals, grocery stores, and restaurants operating on a delivery basis. Without a question, WWE has more than enough money on hand to pay wrestlers (who are listed as ‘independent contractors’ to avoid the labor laws that accompany ’employee’ recognition), and despite reports of television licensing deals ‘forcing’ WWE into the situation — it’s highly likely the company could negotiate with carriers as COVID-19 is a unique situation, if they chose to do so.
When NJPW first made their decision to begin canceling events, it felt ‘early.’ However, in retrospect, NJPW’s handling of COVID-19 is the example of what AEW and far moreso WWE should have followed. Lives continue to be at risk, and there is no questioning WWE is putting their ‘independent contractors,’ staff, the family members, and the communities where individuals live at risk by continuing to run events in the middle of a global pandemic.