WWE personnel have reportedly been told that they are no longer required to take COVID-19 tests — and they’re not all happy about it!

WWE talent have been told that they are no longer required to undergo regular COVID-19 testing … and some people aren’t happy about it.

According to Sean Ross Sapp over at Fightful Select (subscription recommended) members of WWE’s main and developmental rosters were informed of the change via email. Several WWE Superstars are believed to be in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19 and the reported rule change didn’t sit well with everyone.

Fightful Select has learned that WWE informed their talent that COVID testing is no longer required

Full story, additional details on Fightful Selecthttps://t.co/9Mqd7VmM3w pic.twitter.com/kKLCJKcIaj

— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) December 27, 2021

Prior to the change of strategy, testing was mandatory and developmental talent at the Performance Center were required to submit two test results per week, while main roster talent on the road were required to submit one.

Fightful’s report comes the day after WWE was forced to make several last-minute changes to its Madison Square Garden house show card. Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair, and WWE Champion Big E all missed the show, and while the reason for the absences has not been officially confirmed, Rollins did seemingly confirm that he has COVID in a recent tweet.

Merry Covid Christmas to me!!!! I LOVE FOOTBALL!!!

— Seth Rollins (@WWERollins) December 27, 2021

WWE’s Day 1 pay-per-view is just a few days away and, as always, the card is subject to change. If Rollins tested positive for COVID over the weekend he will presumably have to quarantine for at least 10 days (unless he is a-symptomatic, in which case the CDC recommends a 5-day quarantine), which means he’ll likely miss the event at which he was initially scheduled to participate in a Fatal Four-Way match for the WWE Universal Championship with Kevin Owens, Bobby Lashley and WWE Champion Big E.

If, as some people suspect, WWE is currently dealing with an outbreak, its next few shows could be very interesting. But It wouldn’t be the first time the company has had to think fast and instigate last-minute changes in order to ensure its programming goes ahead. As you might recall, SmackDown was invaded by NXT talent when several members of the main roster became stranded in Saudi Arabia back in November of 2019.

Source: TheSportster

WWE reportedly had more talents and staff who tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday.

As noted, it was reported on Wednesday morning how several WWE wrestlers and crew members have tested positive for COVID-19, and how it’s very likely that the spread of the Omicron variant will lead to more schedule and/or talent changes. You can click here for that original report.

In an update, PWInsider reports that there were additional talents and staff members who tested positive throughout Wednesday. Those talents have not been identified for obvious reasons, but there were also a number of talents who were contacted and asked to get tested out of an abundance of caution.

As of Wednesday afternoon, WWE officials still expected to go forward with all live events and tapings planned for the United States, but there has been a lot of phone calls being made and “a lot of running around” as the company tries to stay ahead of the situation while receiving additional details on talents and staff who may not be cleared to travel this weekend.

One WWE source noted that they are dealing with the same issues that Broadway and other sports leagues have dealt with in recent weeks, and that it’s nothing they could have avoided as they have held regular COVID-19 testing before allowing people into venues.

While no schedule changes have been confirmed as of this writing, it was noted that WWE is working on alternative line-ups for live events just in case a talent isn’t able to perform this weekend. A worst case scenario would see WWE fill up the undercard slots with wrestlers from WWE NXT, if necessary.

There’s hope that if wrestlers are unable to perform on the annual post-Christmas Holiday Tour of live events, then the WWE Day 1 pay-per-view is far enough away that wrestlers would be cleared in time to perform on that show, which is now less than 10 days away.

The Holiday Tour is returning this year after being nixed in 2020 due to the pandemic, and there are still no plans to nix any of the tour dates in the United States next week. The tour kicks off this Sunday in Tampa and in New York City at Madison Square Garden, and wraps next Thursday with a show in Buffalo. Next Thursday’s show scheduled for Quebec has been postponed until March, but that is the only change as of now. The other Canadian date, which is Wednesday in Toronto, is still on as of now.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

The COVID-19 Omicron variant is forcing tighter restrictions around the world, and word now is that WWE is once again dealing with significant issues related to the pandemic.

A number of WWE talents and staff members were reportedly feeling run down coming out of last weekend’s live events and TV tapings, and some have since tested positive for the coronavirus, according to PWInsider.

While some have already tested positive, others are still waiting for their test results to return.

Friday’s Christmas Eve edition of SmackDown on FOX is already taped (spoilers here), but the COVID-19 positives could have an immediate ripple effect on the return of the annual post-Christmas Holiday Tour, which is set to return this year after being nixed in 2020 due to the pandemic.

It remains to be seen how widespread the issues are for WWE, but with the timing of the positive tests and quarantine requirements, it’s almost impossible that there will not be some repercussions as there is not enough time for some talents and staff to test negative and be cleared to return to work.

There are currently no plans to cancel any events in the United States, but next week’s events in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Laval, Quebec are up in the air due to COVID-related shutdowns and restrictions. Tickets for the Quebec show are no longer being offered, but the event is still listed as taking place as of this writing.

It’s interesting to note that due to the COVID-19 Omicron variant, FOX has canceled their “New Year’s Eve Toast & Roast 2022” special that was set to air next Friday night. This was the reason WWE SmackDown is being bumped to FS1 on New Year’s Eve. It’s been reported that due to the bump, WWE went with a Year In Review show for SmackDown that night.

FOX has not announced replacement programming for New Year’s Eve as of this writing, but WWE has no event scheduled for that night, which is the night before the WWE Day 1 pay-per-view at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, on New Year’s Day. It’s possible WWE could tape some SmackDown content at Sunday’s live events in Tampa and Madison Square Garden in New York City, Monday’s RAW in Detroit and Monday’s live event in Orlando, Tuesday’s live events in Pittsburgh and Washington, DC, Wednesday’s live events in Toronto and Baltimore, or Thursday’s live events in Buffalo and Quebec, but nothing has been announced.

Source: Wrestling Inc.