WWE is packing their ThunderDome and moving north of Tropicana Field and into the third different location at The Yuengling Center on the campus of the University of South Florida in Tampa.
With the MLB season starting next month, Tropicana Field was required for the Tampa Bay Rays and the ThunderDome setup could not stay there. This was already well-known when WWE started their residency on December 11 after it moved the ThunderDome from the Amway Center.
The first WWE show at The Yeungling Center will be on April 12, which is the Raw after WrestleMania.
“WWE has always been a highlight of our event mix and bringing this world-class residency to Yuengling Center only strengthens our relationship,” said Kevin Preast, Executive Vice President of Event Management at Vinik Sports Group. “Hosting WWE ThunderDome is another step towards a full return of hosting more events in the area.”
The Yeungling Center is a much, much smaller location than Tropicana Field with a capacity of 10,500 fans. Built in the late 70s and opened to the public in late 1980, The Yeungling Center last underwent renovation in 2011. The arena, under its old name of the Sun Dome, has already hosted WWE events in the past, including a few Saturday Night Main Event shows in the 80s as well as the Royal Rumble in 1995.
While stadiums and arenas in Florida have the permission to run at 100% capacity, WWE has opted not to have fans for their television shows.
