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Back in March 2020 in the United States, WWE and everything else throughout society ceased to operate as usual due to the global COVID-19 Pandemic. Audiences were not allowed at public shows, causing WWE and other wrestling promotions to either close shop or get creative. While WWE and larger companies like AEW and IMPACT had the money to keep going, not every promotion enjoyed the same luxury.
Not having a crowd has forced all promotions, including WWE, to switch things up. Now that fans are not allowed to be in attendance physically, how much different would the product look? How much would change?
While things have changed regarding protocols and operating procedures, the alterations brought on by a global pandemic also forced some WWE Superstars to change. That could be either in character or with promos. With the ability to have some segments taped, WWE and other promotions were able to try out "cinematic matches."
Another change brought on without crowds is the nature of promos. Without anyone in attendance, at least until the Thunderdome was introduced, promos became even more important. Mistakes were never more noticeable and became much more intimate, as several WWE stars proved.
The no-crowd era has forced a lot of changes to professional wrestling, but it has also brought out some great performances by particular WWE performers. Here are seven WWE Superstars who have excelled in this no-crowd era.
#7 WWE Superstar who has excelled in the era with no crowds - Edge
The Rated R Superstar has excelled in several eras, including the Attitude and Ruthless Aggression Eras. It's not really a shock that he's also been able to make an impact during the no-crowd era in WWE.
While his triumphant return to action came in front of a live crowd at the 2020 Royal Rumble, Edge kept that momentum going following the Rumble. His feud with Randy Orton eased him back into the swing of things and it featured a cinematic Last Man Standing match at the Show of Shows.
It was a long match and without a crowd, it allowed Edge to pace out his moves. In a live situation, it would have been much harder to pull off. It wasn't just in the ring, however, where Edge excelled without a live audience. His promos were among the best as he would speak directly into the camera as if he was speaking to each and every fan.
Some stars struggle to get over through promos even with an audience, but the best can do it in any form. Edge's passion and delivery during promos from a backstage seat were just as effective as if he was in front of 10,000 fans.
#6 WWE Superstar who has excelled in the era with no crowds - Drew McIntyre
McIntyre had quite possibly the hardest job of any WWE Superstar during the pandemic. He won an emotional 2020 Royal Rumble and challenged The Beast, Brock Lesnar, for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 36. Between winning the Rumble and the Show of Shows, severe restrictions were put forth across the globe regarding social distancing, the use of masks and other social protocols in a pandemic world.
Some countries faced more of a threat than others and the United States was among the places hit extremely hard. Because of that, McIntyre won the title from Lesnar in an empty arena. The biggest moment of his career might have fallen short of expectations for some, but don't go telling that to McIntyre.
The former Scottish Psychopath took the ball so to speak and ran with it, defending the title in feuds against Lashley, Seth Rollins, Randy Orton and even Goldberg. He was given more free reign in his promos, and since he would be speaking directly into the camera most nights, he came across much more as a person fans could root for.
McIntyre nailed his promos and his title matches during all of 2020. He also had to deal with the Miz and the Money in the Bank briefcase during much of the second title reign. McIntyre became one of the top stars in the industry during one of the toughest times in human history and has excelled as the torch-bearer for WWE in that time.
#5 & #4 WWE Superstars who have excelled in the era with no crowds - Alexa Bliss/The Fiend
By himself, The Fiend has been able to utilize both live-action and pre-taped segments to get over in WWE. It was those initial Firefly Funhouse segments that introduced the WWE Universe to his fractured psyche. These segments would later add the talents of Alexa Bliss to the fold.
The presentation with an audience in tow was haunting. Without one, despite losing a bit of his aura, The Fiend has been able to keep things fresh and entertaining during the no-crowd era. Adding Bliss to the proceedings showcases how special she is to WWE as a performer. Very few stars in WWE are able to pull off multiple characters, especially one as different as the fun-loving, child-like one she currently plays.
Her own playground segments have utilized a lack of crowd to allow her to switch from persona to persona in the middle of the ring. That isn't something that could be done logically with 15,000 screaming fans in attendance. The Firefly Inferno match is also a bout that would have been hard to pull off with a live audience. Without fans around, Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt were allowed to literally lean into the flames.
The Fiend works in both a live setting and a pre-taped one as evidenced by the Funhouse segments. Wyatt and Bliss have been able to keep their characters entertaining while offering fans an alternative type of WWE star and angle.
#3 WWE Superstar who has excelled in the era with no crowds - Bayley
Bayley's career renaissance in the WWE actually began when she turned heel, cut her hair and won the SmackDown Women's Championship back from Charlotte Flair. Gone was the somewhat naive WWE Superstar and the dancing Bayley Buddies. What replaced that version was a confident and smarmy character that held nothing back when trying to retain the title.
When she was in the ring, Bayley was often one of the most entertaining parts of SmackDown in the stages of the pandemic following WM 36. Her antics made fans want her to lose but she kept on winning and winning until she became one of the longest-reigning women's champs in WWE history.
While her matches with Lacey Evans, Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross happened over and over, Bayley still made the most of everything. Her rivalry with Asuka over the summer actually dated back to NXT. It was built on how the Empress of Tomorrow essentially sent Bayley packing to RAW. Along with Sasha Banks, the two women had a reign of terror in the WWE women's divisions due to restrictions around the amount of people available during a show.
Bayley's mic work has vastly improved during her heel turn and her title run. It improved so much that she got her own show titled 'Ding Dong, Hello!' Talk show segments in wrestling are usually similar to interview segments asking another star questions. While her show is basically that, it has still allowed the former Hugger to maintain her successful heel persona. Along with Asuka and Banks, Bayley was integral in carrying the women's division in 2020 and early 2021.
#2 WWE Superstar who has excelled in the era with no crowds - Bobby Lashley
When Lashley came back to WWE a couple of years ago, it was as a smiling juggernaut. He was still physically imposing but had trouble connecting with the WWE Universe. Promos were never Lashley's strong suit but once he was paired with MVP midway through 2020, he really took off.
He had his first shots at the WWE Championship after Money in the Bank last year and his bouts with McIntyre were physical and hard-hitting. As the year went on after those title shots during the no-crowd era, Lashley became more and more dominant. The dominance resulted in the US title and a dominant reign.
Lashley would win the United States Championship at Payback at the end of August. With MVP as his mouthpiece, all Lashley had to do was destroy people in the ring. That is exactly what the Almighty has done during the last year and a half. He would drop the belt to Riddle at Elimination Chamber but was not pinned in the affair.
That was done to keep Lashley looking strong. The Almighty was instrumental in Miz becoming a two-time WWE champ and he demanded a shot after the Miz cashed in his briefcase. Once he did, however, the writing was on the wall. The Miz tried to weasel out of giving Lashley a shot, but it was evident that his days were numbered. Lashley would destroy the Miz en route to winning his first WWE Championship.
It was apparent in the ensuing celebration that Lashley was holding back tears after his enormous win. The Hurt Business was formed during the no-crowd era and it has been one of the focal points of RAW and the WWE during that time. Lashley has been the centerpiece and is having the best run of his career. He certainly more than deserves it.
#1 WWE Superstar who has excelled in the era with no crowds - Roman Reigns
It was during this current no-crowd era in WWE that Roman Reigns' push and character finally met to make the career best version of himself. He was already booked like the top dog since the break up of the Shield. WWE pushed him to the moon as he won title after title and even a Royal Rumble. The reaction from the audience, however, was always mixed at best.
When he took time off prior to WrestleMania 36, fans wondered when the Big Dog would return. He shocked everyone by attacking both the Fiend and Braun Strowman at SummerSlam. It was during that time that Reigns finally underwent a heel turn. It was a turn that reinvigorated his character and put him on the best run of his entire WWE career.
Even if some fans still dislike Reigns and his pushes, this new character at least meets up with the results of constant pushes. The condescending and demanding Tribal Chief always wants validation from everyone from his allies to his opponents. Reigns has cut his best promos as The Head of the Table and thanks to Paul Heyman, he clearly doesn't lack the confidence to do so.
Whether some fans love him or hate him, this is the best character of Reigns' entire WWE run. It meets with what he has endured during his earlier WWE runs and growing up in a wrestling family. The heel turn gave the WWE Universe a different Roman Reigns during the pandemic and he in turn has provided the fans with his best work.
