WWE dealing with possible COVID-19 outbreak heading into New Year’s Day pay-per-view

The WWE is set to will ring in 2022 this weekend with its Day 1 pay-per-view coming live from State Farm Arena in Atlanta on New Year’s Day. Like several other leagues across the sports world however, the rising number of COVID-19 cases across the country could alter what they have planned.

The wrestling company could be dealing with a potential outbreak after several wrestlers were pulled from holiday shows in New York City and Tampa over Christmas weekend. Some of the superstars taken off the shows included Roman Reigns, Big E, Bianca Belair, Becky Lynch, and Seth Rollins, who implied that he tested positive during his weekly Sunday tweet about the Chicago Bears. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted on Sunday that some of these stars were kept off the shows as a precaution to minimize the risk of exposure before Saturday’s ppv.

The WWE has been forced to audible out of plans numerous times throughout the pandemic, having scheduled matches for an event go by the wayside due to COVID departures. Unlike other sports leagues, the company doesn’t typically announce which performers are in protocols because of the virus, so it’s a guessing game for the audience of which performers will turn up for the show.

And that will be the case for tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw from Detroit, where they were supposed to be putting the finishing touches on the build towards the Day 1 event. It will be telling who will make an appearance and who won’t as the WWE moves its creative plans around on the fly.