Scott D’Amore, former president of TNA Wrestling, recently discussed WWE‘s plan to hold WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia in 2027 during an interview with Uncrowned. The decision has sparked significant concern and disappointment across the wrestling community, especially surrounding the impact on North American wrestling promotions during WrestleMania week.
Concerns Over WWE’s Shift and Its Effects on the Wrestling Industry
D’Amore noted the widespread negative reaction among fans since WWE announced the move. He said,
“Obviously, the announcement of WrestleMania going to Saudi Arabia in 2027 has not been warmly received by fans.”
He explained that Saudi Arabia has increased its financial investments in sports, particularly within the expanding world of TKO’s portfolio. D’Amore emphasized the uncertainty surrounding the format of WrestleMania 43, mentioning rumors that WWE might hold only one WrestleMania night in Saudi Arabia while keeping the other night in the United States. He added,
“This was probably inevitable — Saudi has been throwing more and more money at sports in general, and at TKO’s (ever-expanding) corner of the sports world in particular. We need to wait and see what this means for the biggest wrestling show of 2027 — there are rumors WWE will hold only one WrestleMania night in Saudi and hold the other in the U.S. That’s certainly the hope of much of the entire industry in North America. WrestleMania week has long been the biggest week of business for WrestleCon, the Collective and literally dozens of other promotions that have followed ‘Mania around the U.S. for the past few decades.”
Potential Opportunities for Other Wrestling Promotions
D’Amore pointed to a possible opening for competing organizations if WWE reduces its U.S. presence during WrestleMania week. He remarked,
“Again, we wait to see what the reality is, but if one night is in the U.S., that’s a huge void other promotions can fill. It would be ironic if someone else ran a major event and took advantage of WWE abandoning the traditional WrestleMania market.”
The move signals a significant shift in how one of the wrestling industry’s marquee events will be presented and raises questions about future business dynamics within North America’s wrestling scene during what has historically been a peak period for many promotions.
