Report: Reason Why WrestleMania 43 Heading to Saudi Arabia in 2027—A Decision Sparking Global Fan Backlash
WWE’s biggest event of the year is officially going global—just not in the way many longtime fans had hoped. Multiple reports now confirm that WrestleMania 43 will take place in Saudi Arabia in 2027, marking the first time the Showcase of the Immortals leaves North America. But while TKO executives celebrate the move as a historic business deal, the fanbase reaction worldwide tells a very different story.
How Plans Shifted
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, the original idea was to stage WrestleMania 44 in Saudi Arabia. However, the country’s General Entertainment Authority chairman, Turki Alalshikh, pushed to move the event forward by a full year to align with Saudi Arabia’s 300th anniversary of its founding in 1727.
Meltzer explained on Wrestling Observer Radio:
“WWE wanted it in 2028. They had commitments for 2027. The reason it had to be 2027… Turki (Alalshikh) is running the show. Ari Emanuel is the head of TKO, Nick Khan runs WWE, Dana White heads UFC, but the final boss is Turki—he has all the money in the world at his disposal. He pushed for it because they wanted it tied to their 300th anniversary.”
This decision was reportedly fast-tracked after an Arabic press release announcing the move accidentally leaked earlier than intended. WWE has yet to formally confirm it, though speculation suggests the announcement could come as soon as this weekend during the promotion of the Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford superfight in Las Vegas.
Fans Across the Globe Are Furious
The reaction online has been swift and overwhelmingly negative—not only from fans in the United States, but also from supporters in countries that have been loyal for decades without ever hosting a “Big 4” WWE event.
The UK, Germany, France, Mexico, Italy, and Japan all boast rich wrestling histories and massive WWE followings. Each has hosted live tours and smaller PLEs, yet none has been awarded a WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, SummerSlam, or Survivor Series. Many fans in those countries are questioning why Saudi Arabia—a market with a far shorter WWE legacy—is getting the honor of hosting the company’s literal 'crown jewel' show.
Women’s Wrestling Concerns Fuel Outrage
The outrage isn’t just about geography. Many fans and wrestlers alike are highlighting Saudi Arabia’s restrictive history regarding women’s wrestling. Early WWE shows in the Kingdom forced female superstars to wear full-body suits in accordance with Sharia law and public modesty requirements. While those rules have loosened somewhat—by 2022, women competed in bodysuits—the attire is still dictated by Saudi authorities, not by WWE or the performers themselves.
For a company that has loudly pushed its “Women’s Evolution” over the last decade, fans feel it’s hypocritical to stage its most important event in a country where women’s presentation remains tightly controlled. This is seen by many as reducing women’s matches to spectacles allowed under state approval, rather than true equality on the grandest stage.
WWE’s Current Climate: Untouchable?
Between the new ESPN media rights deal, questionable creative booking, and declining weekly television quality, many fans feel WWE’s leadership under TKO is operating under the assumption that they are “too big to fail.” WrestleMania heading to Saudi Arabia reinforces that perception, prioritizing lucrative site fees and state partnerships over decades of fan loyalty across other parts of the world.
🗣️ Wrestling.news | Backstage Take
This move is one of the most controversial in WWE history. On one hand, it cements WrestleMania as a truly global spectacle, backed by the kind of financial guarantees only Saudi Arabia can provide. On the other, it alienates fans in markets that have carried WWE for generations and raises valid concerns about how women’s wrestling will be presented on such a stage.
If WWE and TKO aren’t careful, WrestleMania 43 could be remembered less for its in-ring moments and more as a turning point where business overshadowed the very fans who made the event what it is.
