AEW star Bryan Danielson has pulled back the curtain on a unique and controversial practice employed by former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon during the company’s ThunderDome era. Speaking candidly in a detailed interview with Fightful and DownUnderTheRing, Danielson, who was briefly part of WWE’s creative team during the pandemic, explained that McMahon actively instructed production to adjust the artificial crowd noise levels to favor certain performers — sometimes cranking up cheers for some talent while deliberately lowering the noise for others[1][4].

The ThunderDome, WWE’s innovative virtual fan experience introduced during COVID-19 restrictions, relied heavily on piped-in crowd reactions to recreate the live arena atmosphere lost due to the absence of physical audiences. While the technology and concept were widely praised for maintaining WWE’s spectacle, Danielson’s revelation shines a light on how much influence McMahon wielded behind the scenes in shaping fan perceptions during this period.

Manipulating Crowd Noise: A WWE Insider Perspective

During the pandemic, WWE taped shows mostly at the WWE Performance Center before transitioning to the ThunderDome, which projected thousands of virtual fans on LED boards, supplemented with carefully engineered crowd noise. Danielson recalled that McMahon would often demand that the production team “turn up” the canned crowd noise for select wrestlers to amplify their perceived popularity. Conversely, McMahon would also instruct lowering the crowd noise for other talents — sometimes even complaining it was “too loud” for them.

Danielson admitted the logic behind this practice “didn’t quite make sense” to him, but emphasized it was a clear directive from the top. He described the experience as “really weird” but recognized that in the absence of a real crowd, such manipulation was a powerful creative tool in presenting superstars[1][3].

For instance, when Danielson pitched the idea to debut Damian Priest in a major feud against Universal Champion Roman Reigns on SmackDown, he made a point of recommending the crowd noise be “turned way up” for Priest. He believed that boosting Priest’s introduction with enhanced crowd reactions was necessary to establish the then-NXT star as a major player in WWE’s main event scene[1][4].

Contextualizing the ThunderDome Era Strategy

WWE’s extensive use of canned crowd noises during the ThunderDome was unprecedented. The company strove to replicate crowd energy in an empty arena—a monumental challenge given the live reaction is a vital part of pro wrestling storytelling. Besides the technological innovation of virtual fans, this volume and modulation of crowd noise became a tool WWE executives, especially McMahon, wielded to shape viewer perception.

Following WWE’s move to the Performance Center in early 2020, shows were noticeably quieter, until ThunderDome debuted in August 2020 providing immersive audio-visual crowd effects. WWE continued to pipe crowd audio even after live fans returned to arenas, but reportedly began “heavily leaning out of canned audio” after Raw’s move to Netflix in 2024[1].

Fans have long speculated about the authenticity of crowd reactions in WWE, especially post-pandemic when virtual audiences became standard. Danielson’s candid comments confirm that the company did not just simulate crowd noise neutrally; reactions were calibrated to favor creative agendas and key talent pushes with McMahon exercising granular control over these auditory elements[5].

The Fallout and Industry Implications

With Vince McMahon’s high-profile resignation from WWE leadership in 2023 amid allegations of misconduct, his former influence over WWE’s product has come under renewed scrutiny. McMahon’s hands-on approach to manipulating crowd reactions during the ThunderDome era arguably reflected his micro-managing style and desire to control all aspects of talent presentation.

Sources close to WWE creative have described these tactics as both a sign of McMahon’s obsession with presentation and a byproduct of producing wrestling content in an unprecedented environment. A WWE insider told Fightful, “Vince wanted the audience to feel a certain way about our stars—even if that meant engineering those reactions artificially. It was controlling, but it was his brand.”[1]

Bryan Danielson left WWE in 2021 and subsequently debuted in All Elite Wrestling (AEW) that September. His transparency about WWE’s behind-the-scenes realities underscores a broader conversation in the wrestling world about authenticity, production ethics, and the impact of corporate decisions on fan experience.

WWE’s Continued Evolution Post-ThunderDome

As WWE continues to transition beyond the pandemic era, the use of crowd noise and fan interaction elements remains a focal point of innovation and critique. Industry observers note that WWE’s reliance on canned audio has lessened significantly, emphasizing real crowd reactions and live engagement in their current programming to restore authenticity and fan trust.

This shift aligns with the arrival of new leadership at WWE following McMahon’s departure, aiming for a more organic product that respects audience intelligence without over-manipulation.

According to insiders, WWE has been exploring new ways to integrate audience participation with technology while maintaining greater transparency in production techniques. This evolution is crucial as WWE competes with AEW and other promotions that emphasize live fan energy as a key factor in their appeal[1][4].

In summary, Bryan Danielson’s revelations provide a rare glimpse into how Vince McMahon used technical controls like crowd noise volume manipulation as a subtle but powerful tool during the ThunderDome era to influence fan perception and boost favored talent. As WWE evolves in a post-McMahon landscape, fans and insiders alike will be watching how the company balances production innovation with authenticity going forward.

For continued updates on WWE and AEW news, interviews, and insider reports, stay tuned to Fightful, WWE.com, and other leading wrestling news platforms.