When Triple H promised a new-look NXT he was not joking, and tonight, NXT Takeover 31 will debut in the new Capitol Wrestling Center, a re-designed Performance Center specifically done to hold NXT tapings.
The Capitol Wrestling Center name is a tribute to the Capitol Wrestling Corporation that was founded by Jess McMahon in 1953 and run by Vincent J. McMahon.
“It’s a historic callback to where this all began,” Triple H told Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, which got the exclusive on the story. “We gutted the Performance Center and it’s now rebuilt, so it feels like we’re going back to the beginning. To me, it feels like we’re going back to 1953. Just like then, we’re doing something different and new, taking the business to a whole new level.”
The Capitol Wrestling Center will have a “mini” ThunderDome, with video walls around the ring but there will be something else inside the CWC tonight – fans!
Triple H confirmed that talent, friends, families, and fans will be in attendance for Takeover 31 with an estimated 100 people inside the building. Triple H stressed the importance of safety precautions and the whole thing was signed off by their medical team.
“Everybody that walks in the building will be PCR tested, take a questionnaire and be medically screened. There will be plexiglass pods with fans that are in groups, and the groups will vary in size. Everyone will wear masks, and each group will never be near anyone else,” The Game said.
Triple H added that the Capitol Wrestling Center will keep the feel and vibe of NXT while adding the technology of the ThunderDome. “It’s edgier, darker and raw – you’re walking into the ultimate heavy metal soundstage,” said Triple H. “The building is a throwback to Capitol Wrestling, a business that caused a shift in wrestling. That is exactly what we’re planning on doing again, starting today in NXT.”
