Tropical Storm Isaias is forecast to approach the northern Gulf Coast on Friday, the same day WWE brings SmackDown to the Cajundome in Lafayette, Louisiana, and one day before Money in the Bank at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. We haven’t seen any WWE announcement changing either show as of Wednesday.
The National Hurricane Center had Isaias at 50 mph on Wednesday afternoon, moving east-northeast in the Gulf. Forecasters expect rapid strengthening, with Isaias becoming a hurricane by Thursday before it nears the coast Friday.
A hurricane watch covers the coast from Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, to Indian Pass, Florida. A tropical storm watch runs from the Jefferson/Plaquemines Parish line in Louisiana to just west of Bay St. Louis, and a storm surge watch starts at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Tropical storm conditions could begin in the watch areas by midday Friday, with hurricane conditions possible late Friday.
The center forecasts 3 to 6 inches of rain, with local totals up to 10 inches, from far southeastern Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle from Friday through the weekend. Lake Pontchartrain is listed for 1 to 3 feet of surge.
What it means for Friday and Saturday
Lafayette isn’t named in any of the current watches, which start at the Jefferson/Plaquemines Parish line and run east. Ticketmaster lists a 6:30 p.m. local start for SmackDown at the Cajundome on Friday. CM Punk, Cody Rhodes and Gunther are advertised, and Seth Rollins is advertised for a dark match afterward.
Money in the Bank is Saturday, October 10, at 6 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. CT, according to WWE. It streams on the ESPN App with an ESPN Unlimited plan in the United States and on Netflix internationally. Roman Reigns defends the World Heavyweight Championship against LA Knight, and Stephanie Vaquer defends the Women’s World Championship against Becky Lynch and Liv Morgan in a triple threat. Both ladder matches have six-person fields, and Oba Femi faces Bronson Reed. Our Reigns vs. Knight preview has the build.
WWE has moved a New Orleans date for a storm before. In August 2021, it postponed the October 1 SmackDown at the Smoothie King Center after Hurricane Ida and said original tickets would be honored for a 2022 date.
This show has already shifted twice. Money in the Bank was first set for August 29, then September 6, before WWE announced the October 10 date on June 8. It landed in New Orleans after WrestleMania 42 was moved out of the city.
The next word will come from NHC advisories and the National Weather Service in New Orleans, and from WWE and the venues if either changes plans.
