Backstage Rumors on Lack of Communication With WWE and Talent Roster on COVID-19, Superstars Becoming ‘Frustrated’

UPDATE: More details on yesterday’s Raw TV taping are being reported by WrestleTalk.com from their own sources. According to the report by Louis Louis Dangoor, WWE talents at the Raw taping were unaware about “fans” being allowed into the Performance Center until news of their attendance leaked earlier that day. You can read more the fan situation for yesterday HERE.

WrestleTalk is also reporting that the wrestlers were unaware about the positive test until the report surfaced yesterday. The roster was notified about the last positive test for a staff member “a few days before” the news was leaked later on.

There’s been a great deal of controversy regarding WWE only performing a temperature check on people when they enter the performance center. However, WrestleTalk’s report stated that some talents have still been allowed into the PC even if they have a high temperature to film segments “in special circumstances.”

Additionally, WrestleTalk reports that roster members are becoming “increasingly frustrated” with the lack of communication from WWE higher-ups during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Some WWE Superstars are said to be looking to ask for time off.

ORIGINAL: As noted, news broke yesterday of a WWE developmental talent testing positive for the coronavirus. The talent was last onsite at the WWE Performance Center for a set of NXT TV tapings on Tuesday, June 9. More details on what happened, and the WWE roster allegedly not finding about the news until yesterday has surfaced today. According to a report by Fightful, WWE talent speaking to reporter Sean Ross Sapp revealed they were not aware about the positive test before the story started surfacing online yesterday.

F4WOnline.com’s Bryan Alvarez also reported that “nobody,” audience members included, knew about the COVID-19 failure until the news was started popping up on social media. Dave Meltzer also addressed this issue with Alvarez on today’s episode of Wrestling Observer Radio. According to Meltzer, no one was allegedly informed about the positive test until the story started to hit. Meltzer stated, “Nobody knew until we knew. Yeah, I was told that they knew when we knew. Well, they sent out a memo to me — I believe it was probably — As soon as Raw was over, I got it. So, I presume that it was sent out right after Raw ended about somebody testing positive.”

When a WWE staff member tested positive for the coronavirus last April, the roster was notified using an an internal talent relations app. The staffer who tested positive in April has since made a full recovery and was able to return to work.

On top of nobody finding out about the COVID failure until it hit social media, I was told by multiple sources that WWE would not allow anyone in the crowd at the RAW taping Monday to wear masks.

— Bryan Alvarez (@bryanalvarez) June 16, 2020