In a decision that could affect both professional wrestling and mixed martial arts, Florida has now issued a statewide stay-at-home order.
The order goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern time on Friday, April 3 and will expire on April 30 unless extended by a subsequent order. Senior citizens and those with underlying medical conditions shall stay at home and take all measures to limit the risk of exposure to the coronavirus. The order also states that “all persons in Florida shall limit their movements and personal interactions outside of their home to only those necessary to obtain or provide essential services or conduct essential activities.”
WWE has already taped this Friday’s SmackDown, both nights of WrestleMania 36, and next Monday’s Raw. NXT also taped multiple episodes on March 22. A stay-at-home order for Orange County, Florida had already been put into effect from March 26 to April 9.
Dave Meltzer reported yesterday that AEW has moved their TV out of Daily’s Place in Jacksonville to an undisclosed location that’s believed to be in the Southeast. In that report, Meltzer wrote that it was believed AEW would be taping matches throughout yesterday and today for this week’s Dynamite and Dark as well as future shows.
Florida had also been mentioned as a potential location for UFC 249. The pay-per-view is scheduled for April 18 but doesn’t have a new location announced yet. It was originally supposed to take place in Brooklyn, New York.