WrestleMania 43 Saudi Arabia has stirred strong reactions among veteran wrestlers after WWE and the Saudi General Entertainment Authority announced that the event will take place in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in 2027. The announcement comes as the 2026 Royal Rumble event is scheduled to be held in the same location, marking the continuation of an eight-year partnership between WWE and Saudi Arabia that has been lucrative but controversial within the wrestling community.
Background of WWE’s Partnership with Saudi Arabia
Since 2018, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has collaborated with Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority (GEA) through a 10-year strategic agreement to host multiple premium live wrestling events annually in the region. Turki Al-Sheikh, the GEA Chairman and Royal Court adviser, played a key role in promoting this alliance, initially teasing plans for a Royal Rumble and WrestleMania in the Kingdom. The historic 39th Royal Rumble event is set for Riyadh on January 31, 2026, promising WWE a significant financial gain.
Building on this momentum, WWE executives, including Triple H, joined Al-Sheikh in Las Vegas to formally confirm that WrestleMania XLIII will also be held in Riyadh in 2027. This extended the reach of WWE’s presence in the region by including an entire week of festivities. These are expected to feature flagship shows such as RAW, SmackDown, NXT Stand & Deliver, the WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony, and the WWE World convention—all hallmark events tied to WrestleMania celebrations elsewhere.
Overlap with Riyadh Season and Entertainment Integration
The WrestleMania 43 weekend will coincide with the ongoing Riyadh Season, a months-long festival featuring numerous entertainment offerings across the city from October through March. Within Riyadh Season is the WWE Experience, an indoor theme park attraction filled with wrestling-themed exhibits and activities similar to those of the WWE World convention. Organizers may integrate WrestleMania 43 into the festival’s closing events, potentially extending Riyadh Season in 2027 or scheduling WrestleMania before April to align with the festivities.
Concerns from Independent Wrestling Promotions
Wrestling companies beyond WWE have traditionally followed WrestleMania Week to its host cities, using the massive audience to stage their own events and conventions. These independent wrestling promotions and activities, while sometimes criticized, have drawn large crowds during WWE’s marquee weeks such as WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and the Royal Rumble. However, recent reports from POST Wrestling by Brandon Thurston and John Pollock highlight uncertainties among some of these regular participants regarding their plans for WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia.
Game Changer Wrestling (GCW) leads independent wrestling’s major events during WWE’s big weeks, particularly through its “The Collective” series. GCW’s owner, Brett Lauderdale, has been approached by two Middle Eastern promotions proposing to host GCW events during WrestleMania 43 Week. Though plans remain unconfirmed, Lauderdale acknowledges challenges, especially concerning content restrictions in Saudi Arabia. GCW regularly features performers who are women, LGBTQ+, and transgender—elements potentially at odds with Sharia Law enforcement in the Kingdom. Still, a Saudi official overseeing the country’s World Cup bid previously claimed LGBT individuals would be welcome in the country.
Similarly, WrestleCon, another large fan convention held during WWE and AEW events, is unlikely to relocate to Saudi Arabia for 2027. Promoter Michael Bochicchio cited increased operational costs and higher talent fees for international shows as deterrents, indicating that WrestleCon might instead opt for an unannounced U.S. location that year.
Wrestling Legends Express Frustration Over Event Changes
Booker T, former wrestling star and current NXT commentator, spoke openly about the discontent among wrestling veterans regarding the lack of WrestleCon events during WrestleMania 43 Week and the 2026 Royal Rumble weekend in Saudi Arabia. He revealed on his Hall of Fame Podcast that many wrestlers feel frustrated about missing out on valuable booking opportunities traditionally tied to the WrestleCon weekend.
“It’s gonna be crazy, man… no WrestleCon. No WrestleCon, that’s what a lot of guys are really ticked off about, that WrestleCon is going to be preempted for two big shows, so it’s a lot of upset people out there right now, but hey, i get it. I get it… it is about dollars and cents at the end of the day, it is about the talent, and being able to create a lot of revenue to pay these guys, you know what I mean? Hopefully they’re making the most money that they’ve ever made in their lives because the thing is… it didn’t last forever, and you want to make as much money as you possibly can out of the thing, and be ready to parlay it into something else. So, for me… I get it, for the people that’s upset, you know… I understand their gripe, but for me, as a businessman, this is what I say: what will you do?,” Booker T said.
His comments underline the tension between financial opportunity and the absence of traditional fan events during these landmark weekends. Booker’s co-host suggested that All Elite Wrestling (AEW) could seize the opportunity by holding a major event in the United States during WrestleMania 43 Weekend to attract fans who might not travel to Saudi Arabia. However, Booker T rejected this idea, citing the risks involved with running such a large-scale event.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah… from a business perspective, that may sound good but if it flop, you got egg all over your face. Me, personally, I wouldn’t even want to try to venture in doing something like that, me, personally, just because I wouldn’t want to take the risk of losing, and there again, looking a certain way because I was just trying to do something because of. That’s just me,” Booker T said.
Business Dynamics and Cultural Challenges Ahead
WrestleMania 43 Saudi Arabia and the expanding relationship between WWE and the Kingdom present a complex scenario where excitement, economics, and cultural considerations collide. WWE’s ongoing partnership continues to generate significant revenue, but it is also reshaping the wrestling landscape, sidelining some traditional activities important to wrestlers and fans alike.
The impact on independent promotions and fan gatherings raises questions about the future accessibility and inclusivity of wrestling events during WWE’s big weeks. Saudi Arabia’s regional policies and societal norms, particularly concerning gender and LGBTQ+ representation, create limitations that could affect which acts and performances are able to take place.
As WrestleMania 43 draws closer, the wrestling world will be closely watching how these high-profile events are managed within Riyadh’s cultural context, how independent companies adapt or pivot their plans, and what this shift means for the broader wrestling ecosystem globally. For now, the dispute underscores the growing tension between global expansion efforts and the desire of wrestling veterans to maintain the status quo of fan-driven experiences and events surrounding WWE’s biggest showcases.
