In 2027, WrestleMania 43 will be held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and everyone has something to say about it. WWE made the official announcement on Friday at a special press event in Las Vegas. However, PWInsider broke the news earlier in the week when they got wind of a press release written in Arabic that was pulled shortly after the Saudi government accidentally released it.

Joe Tessitore moderated the event and was joined by the Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Charlotte Flair, Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan, Stephanie Vaquer, Logan Paul, Seth Rollins, and Triple H, who touted WrestleMania’s global success over the last several years, and put over Turki Al-Sheikh, whom he called his dear friend, and brought out to the stage as he announced WrestleMania 43 as part of Riyadh Season in 2027.

A couple of WWE stars spoke glowingly of their experience in Saudi Arabia. Undertaker said fans who usually travel to see WrestleMania will be pleasantly surprised by the passion of Saudi wrestling fans and how nice the people are. Bianca Belair said she is impressed with how Saudi Arabia evolves more for women every time she goes there. Triple H said Saudi Arabia is a new hotbed for WWE.

Turki Al-Sheikh commented on WWE’s eight-year partnership with the Saudi Arabia General Entertainment Authority. Turki also praised current WWE President Nick Khan for continuing “the legacy of Vince McMahon,” and said the record-breaking attendance at last year’s WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas influenced the decision to bring WrestleMania to Saudi Arabia.

Al-Sheikh also acknowledged the press release his office accidentally released. He said the press release was published for two seconds before they took it down, and fans went crazy with excitement. Triple H closed out the event, stating, “This doesn’t happen without his excellency, Turki Al-Sheikh and Nick Khan,” and ended by saying WrestleMania 43 will have “a level of stardom and spectacle like you’ve never seen before.” 

– Opinion Time

Well, folks, it’s official: WWE will hold its first WrestleMania outside of North America in Saudi Arabia. There are mixed reactions to this announcement. Some like it. Some hate it. Some have concerns. I can’t help but feel that this decision is somewhat unfair to British wrestling fans, as England has been campaigning for what seems like forever to host WrestleMania on its shores.

England is WWE’s second-largest fan base, and their passion for wrestling is well-documented. John Cena got fans even more excited about such a prospect when, at Money in the Bank in 2023, he made a strong pitch for WWE to hold WrestleMania in London, stating, “UK fans have earned the right.” The proclamation led many to believe such a landmark event was on the horizon. 

After all, wrestling promotions don’t usually tease something like this unless it’s happening, right?

While WWE did not announce a date for WrestleMania 43, they did officially announce a date for the 2026 Royal Rumble, which will be held on January 31st and previously announced for Saudi Arabia. WON reported that WWE originally wanted to hold off on holding Saudi-helmed WrestleMania until 2028. However, Turki Al-Sheikh had the money to push it through. 

WON also reported that holding the event in 2027 will coincide with Saudi Arabia’s 300th anniversary, celebrated annually on February 22, known as Founding Day. The money being thrown around for this event will make it the most money ever spent to put on a wrestling event. A good portion of the astronomical amount of money Turki Al-Sheikh is paying for the show will fund his penchant for having WWE bring in superstars from the past

The Rock is already rumored for the event, and he recently lost a lot of size and muscle, which means he will have under two years to get back into People’s Champion shape. The obvious opponents for Thebe Rock would be either Roman Reigns or Cody Rhodes.

Goldberg had his retirement match in July. Perhaps, another Saudi payday might motivate him to work another match. Goldberg’s retirement was self-imposed, so it’s not as if WWE will have to find a creative loophole around a loser-leaves-town stipulation.

Sting said he knows he’ll never wrestle again after announcing his multiyear legends deal with AEW in 2024. What if that deal expires just in time for Turki Al-Sheikh to make an offer too large for Sting to refuse?

Stone Cold Steve Austin is a proud wrestler who wants to put on a good show instead of coasting on his name in a subpar performance. It explains why it took him 19 years to come out of retirement for a match with Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38.

Rumors have persisted that another match is on the horizon for the “Texas Rattlesnake.” A little under two years to prepare, and the biggest payday of his illustrious career could convince Austin to lace up the boots come WrestleMania 43.

Can anyone say Steve Austin vs. CM Punk?

John Cena is in the final leg of his retirement tour, with the finish line set for December 13, 2025. Cena spoke candidly on Stephanie McMahon’s podcast about the pain he deals with, stating that his skills have regressed due to how badly his body is beaten up.

While wrestlers always return eventually, pain changes everything. Cena is making bank with a flourishing Hollywood career, which is less painful than the grind of the squared circle, making the 17-time world champion less susceptible to the allure of a big in-ring payday.

The streets say Chris Jericho will finish with AEW at the end of the year and will return to WWE at the 2026 Royal Rumble. I don’t know if Triple H sees Jericho as a big star due to their tumultuous history behind the scenes. Sure, they got along later, but with Triple H handling the book, can Jericho truly trust “The Game?”

For all we know, Jericho will resign with AEW; however, it feels that the time of “Demo God” or “The Learning Tree” in the promotion has run its course. If financially viable for him personally, Jericho might want to hold off on a return until WrestleMania 2027. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and more time away could equal maximum return on the investment of “Y2J.”

Shawn Michaels has repeatedly stated that he wishes he had never come out of retirement for his match at Crown Jewel 2018, where he teamed up with Triple H against Undertaker and Kane. The match was a trainwreck, and many would love to have it burned from their memory.

Micheals is another wrestler who is proud of his work in the ring and will be nearly 62 years old when WrestleMania 43 rolls around. Will the allure of a multi-million dollar payday be too strong for HBK to turn away?

Undertaker, Kane, Ric Flair (Please, no), and any retired/older wrestler with a big name will have an opportunity to score one more big payday. Turki Al-Sheikh is nostalgic for the stars of yesteryear. Reportedly, Turki requested that WWE book Yokozuna and the Ultimate Warrior for the inaugural event in Saudi Arabia, 2018’s Greatest Royal Rumble. The request went unfulfilled on account of both men being dead.

Turki Al-Sheikh’s desire to see stars from the past indicates the lack of big stars WWE has created in nearly two decades. Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes are the biggest stars in WWE’s contemporary landscape. Vince McMahon helmed Reigns’ ascension to the top of the card, and for most of Rhodes’ run to the top, which Triple H inherited.

Triple H has not yet developed a bona fide star from start to finish. He’s been WWE’s Chief Creative Officer in an uninterrupted capacity for only two years. There are rumors that Bron Breakker, Jacob Fatu, and Rhea Ripley are his top choices to elevate as main event attractions.

WrestleMania in Saudi Arabia was always going to happen. It was just a question of when. It probably would have happened sooner if not for the pandemic. Now, it’s a reality, and it’s conjuring a lot of bad feelings.

There are also many people who don’t care how their bread is buttered when it comes to WrestleMania offerings, and the majority of those who complain about the setting are going to watch it anyhow.

Still, feelings are understandable. Hopefully, WWE can create new marquee superstars between now and 2027 to avoid an over-reliance on the past and to set the table for the genre moving forward.