WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia is already being hyped as the most over-the-top event in WWE historybut dont count on a ring full of legends just yet. Despite massive financial backing and ongoing efforts from Saudi officials to lure in iconic names, the reality behind the scenes paints a different picture.
While Dave Meltzer recently reported that Saudi Arabia is ready to put up an incredible amount of money to lock in legendary matches for the event, Ringside News can confirm this is nothing new. Names like The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker, and Shawn Michaels get floated around every year leading up to major WWE eventsand most of the time, it leads nowhere.
For The Rock, its not just about finding time before WrestleManiaits about what happens after. WWE has hesitated to give him a title run because hes typically locked into other projects immediately following the event. That kind of schedule makes post-Mania plans difficult.
Steve Austin has always been a maybe, depending on whether the story and money made sense. He came back for one more match at WrestleMania 38, but since then, theres been little movementdespite WWEs willingness to spend.
As for Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker, the outlook is even bleaker. Both men have shown little interest in another match, especially after their tag bout in Saudi Arabia years ago was seen internally as a disaster. Even Meltzer admitted no specific matches are confirmed:
That said, age is becoming the biggest roadblock. WrestleMania 43 is still two years away, and by then, all four men will be even further removed from in-ring shape. While The Rock could potentially make a non-wrestling appearance, any actual matches involving these legends are extremely unlikely.
At this point, WWEs list of credible legends who can return to the ring is shrinking fastregardless of how deep Saudi Arabias pockets go.
Do you think WWE should keep pushing for legends at WrestleMania 43, or is it time to focus on the current roster? Drop your thoughts in the comments.
