Coronavirus Updates: NXT/Full Sail, WWE, XFL, MLW, AAA, TJPW, & More Indies

Mar 14, 2020

Full Sail University Shuts Down Campus

Full Sail University announced that they are shutting down all group events on their campus until the end of April due to the growing concerns over the coronavirus outbreak. This ban on group events includes NXT, which is currently planning to hold all of their television tapings at WWE’s Performance Center during this time period, according to PWInsider.

TakeOver and WrestleMania 36 Update, More NXT House Shows Cancelled

The current status of NXT TakeOver: Tampa Bay on April 4th and WrestleMania 36 on April 5th in Tampa, Florida are in serious doubt.

In regards to NXT TakeOver, Dave Meltzer reported that the recent travel ban on Europe enacted by the United States government likely means the event itself is now off and the same for plans for a Finn Balor vs. WALTER match for the NXT UK Championship at this event.

In regards to WrestleMania 36, the United States government today added the United Kingdom and Ireland to their current travel ban list from Europe, meaning that several international fans would not be able to attend the show.

Friday’s NXT house show event in Venice, Florida and Saturday’s NXT house show event in Dayton, Florida have been cancelled.

XFL Player Tests Positive for Coronavirus, Several Teams on Alert

The XFL announced that an unnamed player on the Seattle Dragons has recently tested positive for the coronavirus and several teams have been put on alert as a result.

In an official statement to USA Today, the league stated that this player had participated in XFL games against the St. Louis Battlehawks on February 29th and against the Houston Rouchnecks on March 7th.

Official press statement:

“The league is alerting players, staff, vendors and partners associated with the Dragons, Roughnecks and BattleHawks. The XFL is monitoring the situation closely and taking every measure necessary in accordance with recommendations set forth by the CDC.”

ESPN reported that this player has been placed in isolation after developing symptoms and being tested for the disease.

MLW Fusion Not Expected to be Impacted, MLW Working on Contingency Plans

The status of Major League Wrestling’s weekly Fusion television series is currently not expected to be impacted by the coronavirus for the near future, according to PWInsider.

Mike Johnson reported that the company has enough episodes taped to continue to air new episodes on BeIN Sport for the foreseeable future. Johnson also reported that the company is currently working on several contingency plans ranging from the next six weeks to the next six months depending on the situation of the disease.

Lucha Libre AAA Announces Postponement of Rey de Reyes 2020 Event

Lucha Libre AAA announced that they have postponed their Rey de Reyes 2020 event, which was originally scheduled to take place on March 21st in Merida, Mexico, due to concerns regarding the coronavirus.

This event was to feature a match between Laredo Kid and Kenny Omega for the AAA Mega Championship and other talent affiliated with All Elite Wrestling.

TJPW Announces Status Update for Japan and United States Events

Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling announced that they will be returning to their normal schedule for events in Japan starting with their March 21st event in Tokyo, Japan. The company also announced that they will continue to monitor the situation and follow any new decisions made by the Japanese government.

TJPW also announced that an official decision regarding the status of their Coming to America with DDT event on April 3rd in Tampa, Florida will be made soon.

Upcoming Indie Events Impacted by Coronavirus

The following indie events have been canceled or impacted by the coronavirus:

Post Wrestling announced that their Live in Tampa Q&A event on April 5th in Tampa, Florida has been cancelled.
In a recent interview with VICE, both Game Changer Wrestling and WrestleCon revealed that they do not have insurance coverage for their WrestleMania 36 weekend events should it be cancelled.
World Wrestling Network and EVOLVE announced that any official decision regarding the status of their events for WrestleMania weekend in Tampa, Florida is entirely dependent on the official decision made for WWE’s WrestleMania 36 event. WWN announced (via Fightful) that EVOLVE’s tryout camp on March 27-29 in Port Richey, Florida is still currently planned to go on as scheduled.
ACTION Wrestling announced that their March 20th event in Tyrone, Georgia has been cancelled following the decision by the Fayette County School System to shut down all schools, which included the venue for AW’s scheduled show.
Alpha-1 Wrestling announced that their March 22nd event in Hamilton, Canada is still planned to go forward as scheduled although warned that some talent advertised may not be able to appear at the event due to coronavirus-related issues.
WrestleTalk announced that they will be holding an event on March 16th to help support indie wrestlers whose bookings have been impacted by the coronavirus.