A WWE Hall Of Fame At Universal Orlando Resort Is All But Guaranteed
Universal Studios Florida is the perfect place for a physical WWE Hall Of Fame
WWE has a very lucrative relationship with NBC Universal and Comcast. A physical Hall of Fame would bring many new visitors to the Universal grounds. This would give them a huge new source of revenue outside of the actual theme parks.
It seems inevitable that a Hall of Fame will be coming to Universal Studios City Walk. Your first indication should be the new agreement with Peacock. The NBC streaming service is now the home of all WWE Network content in America. If anyone is to give the WWE the space they need for a HOF, it’s going to be Comcast/ NBC so they can fully capitalize on this partnership. It just so happens they own Universal Orlando.
Taking it back a bit, it’s not like these rumors of a physical HOF in City Walk are out of leftfield. When NBA City closed at CityWalk, the thought and belief were a HOF was set to be built there. Universal opted to build Toothsome Chocolate Emporium. Once again, when Emeril’s restaurant closed a few years later, the rumors started again. Universal again opted for a new restaurant, Big Fire.
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What’s changed now that would make the WWE Hall of Fame an even more real possibility? The former Nickelodeon/Blue Man Group Theater has closed. Blue Man Group left their Universal residency, leaving the area vacant. There’s no doubt in my mind a WWE Hall of Fame is the endgame. This isn’t just some old restaurant. This is a massive building that was built to be an attraction at the park.
WWE is basically run out of Orlando nowadays. While the physical headquarters is in Connecticut, with the pandemic, Vince McMahon has turned Central Florida into his TV Hotspot. Not only that but NXT, which is run by Vince’s son-in-law, Paul Levesque (HHH), films and has a training center in Orlando. In addition, many WWE talents live in the area.
Universal Orlando is a destination known around the world. With two theme parks, a Waterpark, a bustling entertainment district, numerous on-site hotels, and a third theme park on the way, the resort is bustling. How perfect would it be for Vince McMahon to set up his physical Hall Of Fame in the Tourist capital of the world? And given the expansion of Universal Orlando Resort, it just seems like a perfect fit.
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Who knows what an actual Hall of Fame would bring? Obviously, this is a way to showcase some of wrestling’s greatest. However, there is so much more that could be done.
Imagine interactive exhibits (similar to the NBA Experience at Disney Springs), the possibility of WWE trying their hand at the restaurant game again (they had a Times Square restaurant which has since closed), and maybe even live tapings (which Universal Orlando has done before with Impact Wrestling). The amount of real estate they have to actually build a tourist attraction is actually quite large.
At this point, a WWE Hall of Fame is just a rumor that won’t seem to die. Not a lot has been made of what will come of the Blue Man Theater. It won’t stay vacant for long. Universal Orlando has their hands full with the building of Epic Universe ( the third theme park) their newest attraction, VelociCoaster, and something in the works at Kids Zone in Universal Studios.
A WWE Hall of Fame is the perfect new attraction to welcome a new type of tourist to the resort. And gaining any sort of advantage in the crowded Orlando theme park scene will go a long way in establishing Universal Orlando Resort as the alpha dog.
Image Source: Universal Orlando Blog/ Universal Orlando Resort
Daniel is a guru of baseball and basketball prospects. He’s a very experienced Amusement Park traveler as well. Follow him and his hot takes on Insta @dgentleman9288
