Wrestling during the COVID pandemic has deprived performers of the instant crowd feedback they've become accustomed to, but some are finding ways in which to adapt.
Speaking with Justin Barrasso of SI, Kevin Owens spoke at length about the build-up to his TLC match with Roman Reigns and shared his newfound substitute for cheering fans.
"For me, since we started the ThunderDome, and even before that in the Performance Center, with no actual live crowd to feed off of or take feedback from after hearing their reactions, my thing has been recognizing the production crew. They?ve been here for a long time, and they?ve seen it all. So when I do something and hear some of our camera guys, or some of our guys from production say, "Hey, that was really good," it?s been really rewarding. I?m using them as a barometer for what I?m doing now. If they like what I?m doing, after seeing everything they?ve seen, then I?m doing something good."
It goes beyond simple reactions, though. According to Owens, the crew is offering feedback and he's hoping to entertain them every time he goes to the ring.
"The immediate response you usually get from a crowd is not there, but I can get a pretty immediate response from those guys now, and they?re great at letting talent know if they?re doing well or what they can do better. Their experience is unparalleled, so I?m going into this match hoping to give them and everybody at home an entertaining night."
Owens - and Reigns - have been creating meaningful moments both inside and outside of the ring and he hopes to continue doing so beyond TLC.
You can check out Fightful's coverage of TLC by clicking here.
Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp recently interviewed Kevin Owens. That discussion can be seen in the video above.