WWE To Use NXT Developmental Wrestlers As Crowd Tonight on RAW

PWInsider reports that for the first time since WWE started their empty arena shows at the WWE Performance Center, NXT developmental talent will be seated around ringside tonight on RAW to help create some energy and atmosphere in place of a crowd, as AEW has been doing with some of their talent forming a crowd of sorts on Dynamite and Double or Nothing.

Fightful adds that an internal memo noted that the “audience members” will be intentionally kept off camera, and that they are being used to create an environment, presumably meaning crowd noise. The talent that will be in the audience was screened by WWE medical this morning and then bussed to the WWE Performance Center. Some of the talent that are reportedly around at the taping include Dominik Dijakovic, Chelsea Green, Shotzi Blackheart, Jessamyn Duke and others with air conditioned tents being provided. The dress code for the audience members are reportedly black pants, black shoes, and t-shirts that WWE provides. The plan is apparently to use the crowd for RAW and Smackdown this week.

WWE had resisted putting talent or staff in the crowd because they feared getting bad publicity in the current social distancing era, as well as because they thought it would not look professional.