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RING FENCED

WWE named ‘essential service’ alongside hospitals and can break coronavirus lockdown rules as Raw returns live

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A LIVE edirion of RAW returned on Monday night as the WWE was declared an "essential service" in Florida.

Vince McMahon's pro wrestling promotion has been deemed to be in the same bracket as hospitals and can break coronavirus lockdown rules.

 WWE have been named an 'essential service' in Florida amid the coronavirus pandemic
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WWE have been named an 'essential service' in Florida amid the coronavirus pandemic

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Professional sports in Florida are now able to resume after the state's Governor's Office said they are critical to their economy, CNN report.

Food shops, banks, utility companies and restaurants have also been given the green light to continue conducting business.

WWE returned to a live show on Monday after weeks of pre-recorded events, which included their flagship pay-per-view WrestleMania 36.

As well as not going out live, all of these were staged behind closed doors.

The company had been using the WWE Performance Center in Orlando to record and perform editions of Raw, SmackDown and NXT.

Florida's Governor's Office agreed that employees of professional sports and media with a national audience can continue if the production is closed to the general public.

In a statement to CNN, the WWE said: "We believe it is now more important than ever to provide people with a diversion from these hard times.

"We are producing content on a closed set with only essential personnel in attendance following appropriate guidelines while taking additional precautions to ensure the health and wellness of our performers and staff.

"As a brand that has been woven into the fabric of society, WWE and its Superstars bring families together and deliver a sense of hope, determination and perseverance."

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