WWE ThunderDome is fine

WWE debuted its grand new idea, ThunderDome, with this week’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown. It was basically just an upgrade from the Performance Center, a smaller venue that severely limited the promotion in terms of the pomp and circumstance it’s so well known for, to the Amway Center, a much larger venue where pyro and ballyhoo can thrive.

Oh, and there would also be a bunch of screens set up in the crowd where real life fans can partake in the show digitally.

Granted, it was just one episode, and perhaps there are even grander plans for a much bigger presentation, but as far as first impressions go?

It was okay.

It felt more like a “normal” WWE show than anything has in months, simply by upgrading to the bigger venue. To that end, it was a success, and a nice return to some semblance of normalcy in what has been a raging tire fire of a year. So that’s cool.

My only issue, and this may just be me, is the screens serving as a backdrop. It’s a real eyesore. That’s the best way I can put it. It’s unpleasing to look at.

I didn’t really notice much difference as far as crowd reaction, at least as far as my own expectation for what that would sound like. It was fine.

That’s my general feeling coming out of the first ThunderDome show. It certainly wasn’t anything special, but it’s definitely preferable to the Performance Center. Considering our current situation in this country, that’s good enough for today.