ALL-PURPOSE COVID-19 SITUATION THREAD

[supersonic]

The NBA, NHL, ROH, and AEW have the set gold standard on how to run sporting event operations during the pandemic. ONLY A BUBBLE KEEPS THE SHIT FROM HITTING THE FAN. I'm actually shocked that considering how much leverage WWE yields over its talent, that they've opted not to enforce a bubble in Orlando too.

Forgot about the public health aspect, and look at the talent as business commodities. Talents that don't commit to bubble/quarantining jeopardize their availability. When they're not putting in the extra effort to make sure their bodies are available to perform during the pandemic, they are wasting the company's TV/creative resources that get invested in them, and they are risking the fan investment in their TV/creative direction to go to waste as well. Simply put, to not bubble and quarantine is immature, unprofessional, and shows that they don't actually prioritize their jobs/spots.

[Chrisvegas27]

Ian hinted at on his bubble update we will be getting final battle this year

[Montana]

While i'm all for keeping the talent as safe as possible.... these guidelines seem a bit excessive...especially compared to say.... The Baltimore Orioles. I'm pretty sure the Baltimore Orioles didnt need to spend multiple days in a hotel ; prior to their baseball game... pre-post multiple testings.

WWE & AEW isn't doing a fraction of this; and i realize it's Florida vs. Maryland... but seems like a bit much.

Nothing is excessive for keeping virus, which has killed millions of people, at bay.

When you look at how both major companies has love had multiple outbreaks, and for a country that has a high rate of infection that America has ROH doing what it is doing is fucking awesome and every company should follow suit. Much like I the sports should look to the NBA which manage a grand total of zero positive infections compared to the NFL, Baseball which has seen multiple positive tests.

The less you do with regards to this the more you should be held accountable and considered culpable. You are dealing with peoples lives and don’t give me this there athletes, young etc look at Bandido he’s having serious and hopefully none permanent issues. Every wrestler should look at his situation and go ok I need to take this more seriously.

Let me guess that 5g is to blame......

Again, all for keeping talent safe. I think the NBA had it most right. Sure, they have a much bigger budget/ operation. But like nba players were allowed to leave their rooms. I’m sure more than one person could be in the gym. I can’t think of any company in the world doing it like this right now... at least that I’ve heard of. Ain’t mad, but I just dont see other companies going to this extreme.

[BurningHammer]

While i'm all for keeping the talent as safe as possible.... these guidelines seem a bit excessive...especially compared to say.... The Baltimore Orioles. I'm pretty sure the Baltimore Orioles didnt need to spend multiple days in a hotel ; prior to their baseball game... pre-post multiple testings.

WWE & AEW isn't doing a fraction of this; and i realize it's Florida vs. Maryland... but seems like a bit much.

Nothing is excessive for keeping virus, which has killed millions of people, at bay.

When you look at how both major companies has love had multiple outbreaks, and for a country that has a high rate of infection that America has ROH doing what it is doing is fucking awesome and every company should follow suit. Much like I the sports should look to the NBA which manage a grand total of zero positive infections compared to the NFL, Baseball which has seen multiple positive tests.

The less you do with regards to this the more you should be held accountable and considered culpable. You are dealing with peoples lives and don’t give me this there athletes, young etc look at Bandido he’s having serious and hopefully none permanent issues. Every wrestler should look at his situation and go ok I need to take this more seriously.

Let me guess that 5g is to blame......

Again, all for keeping talent safe. I think the NBA had it most right. Sure, they have a much bigger budget/ operation. But like nba players were allowed to leave their rooms. I’m sure more than one person could be in the gym. I can’t think of any company in the world doing it like this right now... at least that I’ve heard of. Ain’t mad, but I just dont see other companies going to this extreme.

This really isn’t an extreme though with doing too much really, every company for the most part has made a mistake with, the WWE worst of all, but they are a different animal. ROH has put in measures that they feel are appropriate and for me they are especially for the current situation. Honestly if they had behaved this diligently and appropriately with many of the other issues the company has had to manage over the last couple of years. The image and opinion of the company would likely had been very different. Overall I believe this model should be carried on for a years to come with certain adjustments as the set up really suits ROH as a whole. I’ve always had a bug bare about cleaning the canvas especially, it’s one thing companies should be looking to do more often.

[Montana]

Concussion protocols is another area I’d like to see wrestling companies improve upon. Also minimizing the blading. I get it’s a rough sport.... but the NJPW strong style goes too far with hard shots to the head in my opinion.

[kovs27]

While i'm all for keeping the talent as safe as possible.... these guidelines seem a bit excessive...especially compared to say.... The Baltimore Orioles. I'm pretty sure the Baltimore Orioles didnt need to spend multiple days in a hotel ; prior to their baseball game... pre-post multiple testings.

WWE & AEW isn't doing a fraction of this; and i realize it's Florida vs. Maryland... but seems like a bit much.

Nothing is excessive for keeping virus, which has killed millions of people, at bay.

When you look at how both major companies has love had multiple outbreaks, and for a country that has a high rate of infection that America has ROH doing what it is doing is fucking awesome and every company should follow suit. Much like I the sports should look to the NBA which manage a grand total of zero positive infections compared to the NFL, Baseball which has seen multiple positive tests.

The less you do with regards to this the more you should be held accountable and considered culpable. You are dealing with peoples lives and don’t give me this there athletes, young etc look at Bandido he’s having serious and hopefully none permanent issues. Every wrestler should look at his situation and go ok I need to take this more seriously.

Let me guess that 5g is to blame......

Again, all for keeping talent safe. I think the NBA had it most right. Sure, they have a much bigger budget/ operation. But like nba players were allowed to leave their rooms. I’m sure more than one person could be in the gym. I can’t think of any company in the world doing it like this right now... at least that I’ve heard of. Ain’t mad, but I just dont see other companies going to this extreme.

The NBA bubble was a lot bigger than just one hotel. They had a whole land with golf course and other amenities just for the players, coaches and others who are needed for them to have a season. ROH wrestlers were allowed to leave their room with special permission I believe after two negative tests as there is a nice park by the hotel they could visit. I know Dalton Castle in his Youtube series documented going for a run.

AEW having all their talent tested the day of tapings was a good start but having multiple tests over a course of several days has shown to be far more effective. It is a bit harder for companies who run weekly primetime shows like WWE and AEW, we just don't know the logistics of how they could do it without separating talent from their families for an undetermined amount of time. ROH has a luxury of doing bulk tapings over a few days while quarantining everyone involved.

[IanRiccaboni]

Nothing is excessive for keeping virus, which has killed millions of people, at bay.

When you look at how both major companies has love had multiple outbreaks, and for a country that has a high rate of infection that America has ROH doing what it is doing is fucking awesome and every company should follow suit. Much like I the sports should look to the NBA which manage a grand total of zero positive infections compared to the NFL, Baseball which has seen multiple positive tests.

The less you do with regards to this the more you should be held accountable and considered culpable. You are dealing with peoples lives and don’t give me this there athletes, young etc look at Bandido he’s having serious and hopefully none permanent issues. Every wrestler should look at his situation and go ok I need to take this more seriously.

Let me guess that 5g is to blame......

Again, all for keeping talent safe. I think the NBA had it most right. Sure, they have a much bigger budget/ operation. But like nba players were allowed to leave their rooms. I’m sure more than one person could be in the gym. I can’t think of any company in the world doing it like this right now... at least that I’ve heard of. Ain’t mad, but I just dont see other companies going to this extreme.

The NBA bubble was a lot bigger than just one hotel. They had a whole land with golf course and other amenities just for the players, coaches and others who are needed for them to have a season. ROH wrestlers were allowed to leave their room with special permission I believe after two negative tests as there is a nice park by the hotel they could visit. I know Dalton Castle in his Youtube series documented going for a run.

AEW having all their talent tested the day of tapings was a good start but having multiple tests over a course of several days has shown to be far more effective. It is a bit harder for companies who run weekly primetime shows like WWE and AEW, we just don't know the logistics of how they could do it without separating talent from their families for an undetermined amount of time. ROH has a luxury of doing bulk tapings over a few days while quarantining everyone involved.

With permission and expected out/in times we could:

- Run/walk the park
- Exercise/lift in the hotel gym if we could avoid others. ROH paid to have the gym cleaned every hour, I think, after we worked out.

It wasn't too bad - Bobby Cruise and I, once negative, poked our heads out to say hi to one another. But a lot of it came with what everyone collectively was comfortable with and what the Maryland State Athletic Commission was comfortable with. One death was too many for this virus and we have a pretty responsible group - I genuinely believe many of us wouldn't have participated if it wasn't at least 90% as strict as it was.

Side note on the NBA and NHL bubbles: as noted above, they were testing golf course attendees, boat captains, ALL hotel staff, etc. While those athletes had activities, those activities were bubbled, too. ROH took on the expense of testing over 100 people, the wrestlers, crew, and maybe hotel staff (I can't remember if it was just those we may have 6 ft. distance contact with, which there were a few for deliveries and things). We controlled everything we could in addition to a generous per diem to order food everyday, etc. I've had two good experiences so far.

[BurningHammer]

Concussion protocols is another area I’d like to see wrestling companies improve upon. Also minimizing the blading. I get it’s a rough sport.... but the NJPW strong style goes too far with hard shots to the head in my opinion.

Concussions scare me more than mostly anything else in wrestling, to see how people land these days compared to when you see a real pro do it is like night and day and I don’t really think it takes away the drama. Instead of being gripped I generally feel uncomfortable the more I see people landing badly on their head. I’ve also yet (doubt I ever will) Okada vs Shibata, to know what he’s been through because of one match gets to me, although I was deeply entrenched in Brian and Nigel it still felt too much then even more so now.

I can’t deny I miss blood in wrestling (yep it’s barbaric to say I know), and I don’t mean death match wrestling or on the Indys, it just seems senseless and nonsensical. Generally it can add so much to a match, to a rivalry but like so many things the WWE destroyed any sense of what it means. I will say if ROH were to have to a have a blood war with Taven and the Righteous it would be compelling and give so much to the audience and to rivalry itself. I can completely understand how or why it won’t happen likely ever again.

[Montana]

Again, all for keeping talent safe. I think the NBA had it most right. Sure, they have a much bigger budget/ operation. But like nba players were allowed to leave their rooms. I’m sure more than one person could be in the gym. I can’t think of any company in the world doing it like this right now... at least that I’ve heard of. Ain’t mad, but I just dont see other companies going to this extreme.

The NBA bubble was a lot bigger than just one hotel. They had a whole land with golf course and other amenities just for the players, coaches and others who are needed for them to have a season. ROH wrestlers were allowed to leave their room with special permission I believe after two negative tests as there is a nice park by the hotel they could visit. I know Dalton Castle in his Youtube series documented going for a run.

AEW having all their talent tested the day of tapings was a good start but having multiple tests over a course of several days has shown to be far more effective. It is a bit harder for companies who run weekly primetime shows like WWE and AEW, we just don't know the logistics of how they could do it without separating talent from their families for an undetermined amount of time. ROH has a luxury of doing bulk tapings over a few days while quarantining everyone involved.

With permission and expected out/in times we could:

- Run/walk the park
- Exercise/lift in the hotel gym if we could avoid others. ROH paid to have the gym cleaned every hour, I think, after we worked out.

It wasn't too bad - Bobby Cruise and I, once negative, poked our heads out to say hi to one another. But a lot of it came with what everyone collectively was comfortable with and what the Maryland State Athletic Commission was comfortable with. One death was too many for this virus and we have a pretty responsible group - I genuinely believe many of us wouldn't have participated if it wasn't at least 90% as strict as it was.

Side note on the NBA and NHL bubbles: as noted above, they were testing golf course attendees, boat captains, ALL hotel staff, etc. While those athletes had activities, those activities were bubbled, too. ROH took on the expense of testing over 100 people, the wrestlers, crew, and maybe hotel staff (I can't remember if it was just those we may have 6 ft. distance contact with, which there were a few for deliveries and things). We controlled everything we could in addition to a generous per diem to order food everyday, etc. I've had two good experiences so far.

Thanks Ian... yeah that seems more reasonable. It's such a touchy topic today; especially with cases going up and school opening/closing week by week. I give credit to the ROH staff for going the extra mile to keep the staff safe. Plus the wrestlers too; for sacrificing their time to put on a great show.

[supersonic]

https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2020/ ... id-676078/

[monster mafia]

Baltimore Sun piece looking at ROH's most recent set of tapings and its extensive COVID-19 measures

The piece notes one performer was sent home after testing positive and three others that wrestled on other shows where someone tested positive.

https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/bs- ... story.html

[supersonic]

My slam dunk vote for Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic.

https://twitter.com/WWEPR/status/133385 ... 63137?s=20

[supersonic]

Observer:

Jose Contreras, best known as El Hijo de Anibal, who was the real life son of Anibal, passed away on 1/23 at the age of 50, another victim of COVID-19.

Contreras wrote on his Facebook on 1/12 that he was going to the hospital due to getting very sick from COVID, and never recovered.

In the last nine months, there have been 139 pro wrestlers from Mexico who have passed away, not all due to COVID. This is well beyond anything anyone has ever seen before.

[famicommander]

That adds some perspective to why a lot of Hispanic talent has been popping up in or re-signing with the big 5 US promotions. We know the big two are basically in a holding pattern but the Mexican indies seem to be even more outlaw than US indies. Hard to imagine many of the ones still running are even attempting proper safety protocols.

[supersonic]

Those of us in the Western world, this isn't going away any time soon yet.

In saying that, check your local grocery stores and pharmacies - you might be able to get vaccinated for free, even without health insurance. (And please aim for Pfizer or Moderna as they lack squalene, making them less cruel and more sustainable for the oceans.

While many of you are hearing about Japan due to puroresu, as well as breakouts and/or overwhelmed hospitals in Canadian provinces, here's what else is going on in the world:

India - https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/04/24 ... ine-threat

Africa - https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/04/24 ... ine-threat

Iraq - https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/04/24 ... d-patients

Noticeable quotes:

Funeral pyres have lit up the night sky in the worst affected cities, and India has set a global record of 350,000 new infections a day, which experts say could be a vast undercount.

India has also restricted the export of its domestically produced vaccines to meet Indian demand. That could halt the nascent vaccination campaign in Africa, which has 17 percent of the world’s people and relies on vaccines produced in India.

In the United States, county health departments that couldn’t keep up with vaccine demand a month ago have started closing some of their mass vaccination sites because they lack customers (some counties are declining vaccine shipments).

Even before India’s halt in shipments, Africa was experiencing the slowest vaccine rollout of any continent. As of Wednesday, African nations, with a total population of 1.3 billion, had acquired more than 36 million vaccine doses but administered only about 15 million, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Just six million doses have been administered in all of sub-Saharan Africa — fewer than in many individual U.S. states. The prospect of reduced supplies further complicates what was, for many African nations, an already daunting logistical challenge.

Iraq last week surpassed one million reported Covid cases since the pandemic began, and the country of 39 million is in the midst of a ferocious second wave of infections. New daily cases recently hit a record of more than 8,000.

[supersonic]

https://www.njpw1972.com/95828

As a result of the State of Emergency declared across Tokyo, New Japan Pro-Wrestling has arrived at the decision to cancel three events on the Road to Wrestle Grand Slam tour on May 8, 10 and 11 at Korakuen Hall.

All other events on our current schedule are set to proceed as planned, though New Japan Pro-Wrestling will be in constant contact with local authorities with regards to restrictions and regulations. Please check back on njpw1972.com for the latest event information.

[roacheyyy]

God it's good to live in Australia

[supersonic]

https://www.postwrestling.com/2021/04/2 ... this-year/

https://twitter.com/meltzersaidwhat/sta ... 78273?s=21

[supersonic]

https://www.njpw1972.com/96789

On Friday May 7, the Japanese government announced an extension to the state of emergency currently in place in Tokyo and other prefectures. In light of this announcement, as well as current COVID-19 infection status, and in order to prevent any potential further spread of the virus, New Japan Pro-Wrestling has arrived at the decision to postpone the Wrestle Grand Slam events in Yokohama Stadium and the Tokyo Dome previously scheduled for May 15 and 29 respectively.

https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2021/ ... -revealed/

AEW President & CEO Tony Khan appeared on Busted Open Radio this morning and revealed that the pay-per-view, scheduled for Sunday, May 30, will be held at Daily’s Place with a full capacity crowd in attendance.

AEW will make Double Or Nothing a weekend event as there will be a non-televised show on Friday night, and then a Fan Fest on Saturday.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/314 ... vaccinated

SAN FRANCISCO -- Golden State Warriors guard Damion Lee said he tested positive for COVID-19 despite being fully vaccinated.

Lee, 28, is considered one of the rare "breakthrough cases" -- one of only 6,000 or so people who have tested positive for the virus after going through the full vaccination process, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"I did test positive for COVID about two weeks ago," Lee said prior to Thursday night's 118-97 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. "I did get the vaccine the middle, end of March, but essentially this was just a rare breakthrough case. ... Right now, there's no timeline in the immediate future for me coming back and playing."

Lee, who hasn't played since April 19, said he received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which requires only one dose, on March 22. He tested positive for COVID-19 on April 21 and experienced a variety of symptoms.

"I had headache, chills, sneezing, congestion, soreness, body aches," Lee said while reading a list off his phone to keep track of everything he dealt with. "It felt like I was hit by a car. Like hit by two cars at once every step I took. It hurt, it was pain, soreness. It felt like there was a weight on my chest for a couple of days, like it was just hard to breathe."

Lee has been cleared to return to the Warriors' facility, and he was sitting on the side of the team bench during Thursday's game. He said he will get a chest X-ray and a variety of other tests this Monday as doctors continue to monitor his recovery.

Lee hasn't been able to resume basketball activities yet -- he is still experiencing some symptoms -- but said he is happy to be back around his teammates and out of the house.

[supersonic]

https://www.njpw1972.com/96799

As a result of PCR testing conducted across the roster following the May 4 Wrestling Dontaku event in Fukuoka, New Japan Pro-Wrestling has learned of seven positive tests for COVID-19.

As previously reported, two wrestlers who presented with a fever on the day of the May 4 event were immediately tested in accordance with COVID protocols, with the tests returning positive.

In light of this news, all those who had close contact with the infected parties, in addition to every wrestler on the roster, received PCR tests, with a further seven wrestlers testing positive.

All those who tested positive are experiencing mild symptoms or are asymptomatic. According to protocols and under medical advice, all are isolating and receiving appropriate treatment.

New Japan Pro-Wrestling has a strictly implemented COVID-19 policy drawn up under expert advice and guidance. This includes daily temperature and blood oxygen saturation checks, as well as regular PCR testing. All attendees are temperature screened on entry to venues, masks are required during training and backstage, and packaged food is provided in order to limit unnecessary movement outside. However, we take these developments extremely seriously, and are working to further strengthen our COVID-19 countermeasures in future.

NJPW deeply apologizes for the concern caused to fans and personnel and asks for your understanding.