WWE is well-known for changing its mind on issues on a sometimes daily basis, and the latest is having wrestlers in the crowd during tapings. This is something we've seen All Elite Wrestling do for Dynamite each week, and fans have appreciated the noise they make as them cheering or booing has helped make shows feel more like a normal broadcast.
WWE, on the other hand, has kept RAW, SmackDown, and NXT a closed set, but Sean Ross of Fightful Select is now claiming that several developmental talents have been told that they need to be part of the audience for upcoming tapins. An internal memo reportedly confirms that these "audience members" will be mostly kept off camera, and the hope is that they'll create an environment which better fits the WWE brand.
It's said that these talents have been screened by medical offsite before being bussed to the WWE Performance Center (in a bid to make sure there's as small a risk as possible of spreading COVID-19).
Which wrestlers is WWE planning on using? Names like Dominik Dijakovic, Chelsea Green, Shotzi Blackheart, and Jessamyn Duke have been mentioned, but if they're going to be told when to cheer and boo, it's hard to say just how authentic a feel these shows will have from the addition of a live audience.
What do you guys think?