Candice LaRae Talks About Performing Without Fans In Attendance

NXT star Candice LaRae spoke with PW Insider to promote this weekend’s NXT Takeover: In Your House event.

LaRae says she is very excited for Takeover. She remembers watching WWE’s In Your House pay-per-views with her brothers during the mid/late 1990’s.

NXT Takeover takes place from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. Even though fans are still not permitted to attend these shows, WWE has placed contracted talent in the audience to simulate crowd noise.

Candice LaRae gave her thoughts about WWE’s approach to live wrestling shows without fans in the audience.

“I am always trying to be aware of the fact that there are people watching at home,” she began. “So once I’m in a match and I’m physically in that moment, they don’t have to physically be there for me personally.”

She initially thought it was going to be very difficult to perform without fans in attendance. However, during her recent ladder match, she was not bothered by the lack of fans because there was something meaningful on the line.

LaRae said the most uncomfortable thing for her about performing without fans is her ring entrance. “I’m a little bit of a socially awkward person, so having to do an entrance and nobody’s there is very uncomfortable for me,” she said.

Even though WWE having NXT wrestlers stand around is not the same as paying customers, Candice LaRae says it’s still better than performing in silence.

“It’s uncomfortable for me a little bit, I’ll admit, when there are fans there. So having the NXT talent all be there and being rowdy or responding how they respond, is just, it helps my entrance. Nothing else. I appreciate that. I feel less awkward.”