WWE has decided to once again switch up the way Raw, SmackDown, and NXT will be presented amid the Covid-19 pandemic, in order to assure the health and safety of it’s WWE performers and crew alike.
Initially, WWE had been taping the shows, though WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon made an abrupt decision this past week to return to live shows. Now, according to the latest reports, the promotion has decided to switch things up and go back to taping shows again.
The company plans to go back to taping shows beginning April 25, 2020, at which time they plan to schedule the taping of two shows per night on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of every other week, until further notice.
Below is a look at the schedule for upcoming WWE programming for Raw, SmackDown, and NXT through July 2020 as it stands now, of course everything is subject to change depending on circumstances during the Covid-19 pandemic.
- *SmackDown aired live last night, April 17th on FOX as scheduled.
- *Monday Night RAW will air on April 20th live on USA Network as scheduled.
- *NXT will air April 22nd live on USA Network as scheduled.
- *Next Friday, SmackDown will air live as scheduled
- *Saturday, April 25; two episodes of SmackDown will be taped (airing May 1 and May 8)
- *Monday, April 27; two episodes of Raw will be taped (one for that night and the other will air the following week on May 4)
- Wednesday, April 29; two episodes of NXT will be taped (one is for that night, the other will air on May 6)
- Monday, May 11; one episode of Raw will be taped for that night and one episode of SmackDown will be taped for May 15
- Tuesday, May 12; one episode of Raw will be taped for May 18 and one episode of SmackDown will be taped for May 22
- Wednesday, May 13; two episodes of NXT will be taped (one is for that night, the other will air on May 20)
- Monday, May 25; two episodes of Raw will be taped (one for that night, the other will air on June 1)
- Tuesday, May 26; two episodes of SmackDown will be taped (one will air on May 29, the other will air on June 5)
- *Wednesday, May 27; two episodes of NXT will be taped (one is for that night, the other will air on June 3)
- *Monday, June 8; one episode of Raw taped for that evening and another episode of SmackDown taped for June 12
- *Tuesday, June 9; one episode of NXT will be taped for June 10
- *Monday, June 15; one episode of Raw taped for that evening and another episode of SmackDown taped for June 19
- *Tuesday, June 16; one episode of Raw taped for June 22 and another episode of SmackDown taped for June 26
- *Wednesday, June 17; two episodes of NXT will be taped (one is that night, the other will air on June 24)
- *Monday, June 29; two episodes of Raw will be taped (one for that night and the other will air on July 6)
- *Tuesday, June 30; two episodes of SmackDown will be taped (one for July 3 and one for July 10)
- *Wednesday, July 1; two episodes of NXT will be taped (one is for that night, the other will air on July 8)
On April 9th, WWE was deemed “an essential business” by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Prior to the change in status, the promotion was filming episodes in bulk, but switched once their status change took effect.
WWE released this statement in regards to their responsibility to the public during the Covid-19 global pandemic:
“We believe it is now more important than ever to provide people with a diversion from these hard times. We are producing content on a closed set with only essential personnel in attendance following appropriate guidelines while taking additional precautions to ensure the health and wellness of our performers and staff. As a brand that has been woven into the fabric of society, WWE and its Superstars bring families together and deliver a sense of hope, determination and perseverance.”
