Plenty of people miss sports, but sports also misses its fans. That’s definitely the case for the WWE, which really feeds off live audience reaction and interaction, but the show must go on, so we grappled with one of the stars of Friday Night Smackdown.
This is what WWE Friday Night Smackdown looked like a few short weeks ago.
Right now, it’s like this.
Commentator: “The WWE Performance Center in Orlando is the site of Friday Night Smackdown!”
An empty building with no fans thanks to COVID-19.
Otis, WWE superstar: “It’s always fun for me to entertain and be able to whoop some ass, but at the same time, we really miss that reaction of the crowd.”
But WWE is still serving up entertainment through these tough times.
We dished with Otis about it. He’s one of Smackdown’s rising stars.
Otis: “Now, it’s like we’re getting to do what we love to do, putting smiles on people’s faces at home through the TV screen.”
Tonight’s Smackdown is the final episode before WWE’s big Money in the Bank event.
The company’s getting creative to keep things interesting while there are no live crowds.
Commentator: “It starts in the lobby, but from there, anything goes!”
A bunch of wrestlers will brawl through WWE headquarters in Connecticut until they make it to the roof and grab a briefcase that gives them a title shot whenever they want.
Otis: “I’m just chomping at the bit, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I had butterflies in my big power belly. I apologize now for anything I might break. It’s very expensive in the headquarters of the WWE.”
And while there weren’t fans in the building to see it, Otis got his big Wrestlemania moment last month.
Commentator: “Whoa! Go to break! We don’t have commercials?!”
Oh yeah, there’s romance in wrestling, folks!
The months-long story line of Otis finding the confidence to pursue his love interest, Mandy Rose, finally paid off.
Otis: “My phone after that happened exploded. I couldn’t keep up with any of the text messages, any of the social media posts.”
Ah, nice guys do get the girl.
Otis: “Some people say the inner beauty’s more beautiful than the outer beauty. I got em both, baby.”
The trash talking, the action, the romance, it’s all coming up on Smackdown right after Deco, right here on 7.
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