Keith Lee recently sat down with Gamespot to discuss a variety of topics, one of which was his views on WWE shows currently going ahead without any fans in attendance. According to the NXT North American Champion, the absence of the crowd has had a negative effect on the product, and he finds performing more challenging under the circumstances.
Lee believes that the crowd is an essential component of wrestling shows as they not only bring an atmosphere to the events, but they also help motivate the in-ring talent during their matches.
“[T]here’s a bit of a void when it comes to not having the crowd for that initial level of adrenaline. So not having them there takes away a little bit of electricity. It makes it slightly difficult and a little different experience. So there’s that lack of adrenaline. Things often hurt even more than usual because I don’t have such a wide array of people kind of uplifting me. I tried to explain to fans how much they mean to me, but I don’t know if it gets across.”
Lee has continued to be involved in NXT shows from the Performance Center, having defended his title against Damian Priest on the latest episode. WWE appears to be adamant about producing weekly programming all through the pandemic, having recently been deemed an essential business by the government.
At the time of this writing, it’s unknown when shows will return to normal. However, as The Inquisitr reported this weekend, the company — along with All Elite Wrestling — could allow some fans to attend events in Florida later this month.
The state plans on hosting small public gatherings through a series of phases. Before WWE or any other company can bring in fans again, the experiment must pass some tests involving small gatherings of people. Furthermore, the results must prove that no participant tests positive for COVID-19 afterward.
During the Gamespot interview, Lee also discussed social distancing. He said that he’s been getting through lockdown by watching anime and playing video games that resonate with him on a personal level.
According to the superstar, his favorite anime shows align with his own beliefs, as most of them are all about characters who overcome obstacles and grow as a result. That mindset has served the superstar well throughout his wrestling career so far.
Lee is one of several WWE superstars who just wants sports entertainment to return to normal as soon as possible. However, it remains to be seen if that will happen in the coming weeks.
