WWE announced that WrestleMania 43 will be held in Saudi Arabia in 2027, sparking significant disapproval from the live audience at a recent WWE event in Las Vegas. The revelation came hours before the September 12th editions of SmackDown and Worlds Collide: Las Vegas, but fans quickly expressed their frustration with loud boos and chants of “You sold out.”
The announcement occurred during the Worlds Collide show, a collaborative event between WWE and Lucha Libre AAA featuring an impressive lineup of matches. Despite the quality of wrestling action, the crowd’s reaction highlighted its displeasure with WWE’s decision to host its flagship event in Saudi Arabia, a location tied to controversial political and human rights concerns.
Following the announcement at the Norfolk SmackDown event, fans across the arena united in their protest, loudly booing the promotion and chanting in unison, signaling a strong pushback against WWE’s strategic move.
Footage of the live crowd at WWE & AAA Worlds Collide booing heavily and chanting You Sold Out at the video promoting WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabiapic.twitter.com/mn67NfzSLC— WrestleTalk (@WrestleTalk_TV) September 13, 2025
WWE’s Strategic Partnership With Saudi Ministry Continues Despite Fan Outcry
Although the backlash from the announcement was immediate and widespread, WWE appears committed to maintaining its partnership with the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Sport. This alliance has been an ongoing part of WWE’s global business strategy, focusing on expanding influence and tapping into new markets despite audience resistance in Western regions.
The decision to hold WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia reflects WWE’s priorities regarding international deals and governmental partnerships. It is evident that the promotion values direct cooperation with Saudi entities over appeasing certain segments of its fanbase, which has ignited debates about the ethics and business motivations behind such choices.
Triple H Shares Insight Into The Rock’s Reaction to John Cena’s Character Shift
Separately, WWE executive Triple H discussed the response of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to John Cena’s heel turn at WrestleMania 41 earlier this year, a pivotal storyline development. During a conversation on WWE’s Netflix series, Unreal, Triple H revealed the process behind conceptualizing Cena’s new role and how The Rock’s feedback played a crucial part.
“There are five people that I talk to with a move this big. It’s Rock, obviously it’s Cody, Cena, Travis Scott, who we wanna help build this idea around, and then WWE President, of course, Nick Khan.
Triple H explained that his initial consultation was with WWE President Nick Khan, who immediately supported the plan. Following that, Triple H reached out to The Rock to pitch the idea, uncertain of how it would be received.
“So my first call is to Nick, who’s also a (TKO) board member alongside The Rock. I run the idea by him, Nick basically says, ‘Love all of it.’ So my next reach out at that point is to The Rock. I hit him with ‘What if…hear me out on this,’ and he just listened, and every now and then, through the conversation, he would go ‘Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.’ I wasn’t sure if he was giving me the ‘Mm-hmm, just get to the end so I can tell you how much I hate it.’
After presenting the concept fully, The Rock surprised Triple H with positive feedback and enthusiasm, leading to a collaborative brainstorming session over the phone that lasted for half an hour.
“And I got to the end and he was like, ‘Wow, man I gotta tell you I think that’s genius.’ He immediately started riffing thoughts and ideas so we spent another 30 minutes on the phone together talking about this. The more we talked about it, the more we were both getting excited about it and into it.”
The Rock and Steve Austin’s Roles for WrestleMania 43 Remain Uncertain
Besides the controversy surrounding WrestleMania 43’s location and John Cena’s storyline, WWE fans are also awaiting updates regarding appearances by legendary wrestlers The Rock and Steve Austin for the 2027 event. There has been no official confirmation about their involvement, leaving speculation open.
The evolving storylines and high-profile announcements indicate that WWE is positioning WrestleMania 43 to be a major spectacle despite backlash, with strategic partnerships and star power playing key roles in shaping the event’s future.
