TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – World Wrestling Entertainment is resuming its live touring schedule, with fans in attendance, this summer. One of its stops includes a visit to Amalie Arena in August.
WWE announced its summer 2021 touring schedule on Friday, including the “Biggest Party of the Summer,” SummerSlam on Aug. 21, which is notably a Saturday.
The venue will be revealed during the 2021 Belmont Stakes’ pre-race show on News Channel 8 next Saturday, June 5.
Former WWE Champion and Monday Night Raw Superstar Drew McIntyre spoke with 8 On Your Side’s Daisy Ruth last year about WWE moving operations from their training facility in Orlando, to first Tropicana Field, and then the Yuengling Center.
McIntyre again spoke with Ruth on Friday, saying that though he’s on another show, he’s excited for everyone to return and interact with their fans.
“I’m more than buzzing for us to return to our regular touring schedule, and more specifically getting shows back in Florida, back in Tampa, my hometown,” McIntyre said, a Scotland native who has resided in St. Petersburg for numerous years. “But you never know, there have been times Raw Superstars have shown up on SmackDown, I’ve shown up on Smackdown, before so I’ll be crossing my fingers, slash prodding everybody backstage to let me show up in Tampa that night because it’s going to be unbelievable.”
McIntyre also spoke on the upcoming SummerSlam announcement, though he currently himself doesn’t even know where it’s going to be held.
“But I do know it’s going to be very special. The way things are looking, fingers are crossed, we’re going to have a very large, loud crowd there that night. I know the card is going to be absolutely stellar. When I say everybody backstage is going to buzz like I’ve not seen for a long time, I’m not exaggerating,” he said. “We’re looking at some iconic locations. I’ll leave it at that, I’ll leave everyone speculating, I’m going to leave it at that.”
McIntyre also called WrestleMania, held here in Tampa Bay over two nights, a “tease” for interacting with fans, something he has been looking forward to for months and months, now. He participated in the event on night one, with a fiery entrance, and was the first person to walk down the ramp in front of a live crowd since the company closed its doors to live fans during the height of the pandemic.
The schedule for the tour is as following:
- July 24: Supershow – PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh
- July 25: Supershow – KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.
- July 31: Supershow – Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee
- Aug. 1: Supershow – Little Caesars Arena in Detroit
- Aug. 2: Raw – Allstate Arena in Chicago
- Aug. 6: SmackDown – Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla.
- Aug. 7: Supershow – Hertz Arena in Fort Myers, Fla.
- Aug. 8: Supershow – Stephen O’Connell Center in Gainesville, Fla.
- Aug. 9: Raw – Amway Center in Orlando, Fla.
- Aug. 13: SmackDown – BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla.
- Aug. 14: Supershow – Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C.
- Aug/ 15: Supershow – Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, S.C.
- Aug. 16: Raw – AT&T Center in San Antonio
- Aug. 20: SmackDown – Phoenix Suns Arena in Phoenix
- Aug. 21: SummerSlam, live in the United States on NBC Peacock
- Aug. 22: Supershow – Ball Arena in Denver
- Aug. 23: Raw – Pechanga Arena in San Diego
- Aug. 27: SmackDown – Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock, Ark.
- Aug.30: Raw – Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City
- Sept. 3: SmackDown – VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla.
- Sept. 6: Raw – American Airlines Arena in Miami
Tickets for the remaining live events go on sale on June 11. The current capacity of fans at Amalie Arena has not yet been announced, but the Tampa Bay Lightning announced Thursday that approximately 13,500 fans will be in attendance for the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
