UPDATEDx2: More On NXT COVID Outbreak, WWE Issues Statement, Concern About Spread to Main Roster

UPDATE 2: PWInsider reports that they’ve confirmed with multiple sources that training has been paused at the WWE Performance Center due to the COVID outbreak. The report notes that there’s been word among several of the sources that the outbreak started after an NXT talent threw a party that was attended by fellow trainees, which led to an asymptomatic transmission which then spread.

Both trainees and staff have tested positive, and talent have been advised to sequester themselves according to the report.

A WWE spokesperson issued a comment to the site noting:

“As part of ongoing testing protocols, WWE completed its second round of weekly COVID-19 testing on Tuesday. Individuals that tested positive will quarantine for 14 days, receive medical care, and then will only be cleared when they are symptom-free and test negative. Additionally, extensive contact tracing has taken place and other individuals have been placed in 14-day quarantine, and will then only be cleared after they test negative.”

Last night’s NXT, as well as next week’s, were taped yesterday and the next scheduled event would be NXT Takeover on October 4th which is ten days away. Talents working at the PC or at NXT tapings will not be allowed to work main roster tapings in order to prevent further spread; however, there is concern among several sources that NXT trainees were working as masked members of RETRIBUTION at Raw on Monday, which means there could conceivably have been spread of the virus. It is important to note that there’s no indication as of now that there has been such a spread.

UPDATE: Fightful reports that the spread of COVID recently in NXT happened due to an incident at the WWE Performance Center a couple of weeks ago. As noted below, it’s believed that one of the coaches at the PC got COVID, which is where it started. Trainees had been spending four days a week at a makeshift Performance Center training, with tests at least weekly. Talent are tested before any show that they are set to appear on. The original PC is currently being renovated.

WWE also implemented changes as yesterday’s tapings. A large number of wrestlers were kept off the taping. Several extras that were meant for the crowd were either sent home or worked the battle royal. The crowd was “limited” for last night’s episode due to this.

Original: It was reported earlier this week that multiple people tested positive for COVID-19 at the September 9 NXT tapings, resulting in several, “significant” changes to plans for the show.

According to the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, while the number is not as high as WWE’s latest outbreak (38), it’s not a small number of infected wrestlers either. The belief is that one of the coaches at the Performance Center got COVID, and this resulted in the outbreak. It also includes a few people on the main roster which could have an effect on this week’s TV. It had been previously reported that some people had been more relaxed about wearing masks to stop the spread of the virus.

The changes also included plans for future episodes. The match featuring Danny Burch and Roderick Strong vs. Fabian Aichner and Raul Mendoza was supposed to set up a match between The Undisputed Era (Strong and Fish) and Burch and Oney Lorcan. The match can’t happen next week, but may end up happening in two weeks. Fish was not on the show, but it has not been confirmed that he tested positive. Also absent were announcers Vic Joseph and Wade Barrett, but again, this doesn’t confirm anything.