The reported deal struck between WWE and Saudi Arabia for WrestleMania 43 is expected to be formally announced within the next 24 hours. According to Dave Meltzer of "Wrestling Observer Radio," WWE initially wanted to hold its first WrestleMania in the respective country in 2028 as the company already had another location in mind for 2027. Saudi Arabia, however, strongly pushed for a WrestleMania to take place on their grounds in 2027.
Turki Al-Sheikh, the Chairman of Saudi's General Entertainment Authority, is said to be the driving force behind the securing of WrestleMania 43, given that he is "the final boss" in his department and has a high amount of money at his disposal. As for his reasoning behind his push, Meltzer reports that it stems from a historical milestone, specifically the 300th anniversary of Imam Muhammad bin Saud finding the first Saudi state, also known as the Emirate of Diriyah. This occasion is now celebrated yearly on February 22 as Saudi Founding Day, an official holiday for the residents of Saudi Arabia.
"They, in the same way [as the United States' Independence Day], wanted it on the 300th anniversary," Meltzer said. "They're paying the money for it. They have matches that they want and that they're working really, really hard to get, so even though it's a couple of years [away], I don't know if they're going to be able to get them, but they're going to spend a lot of money to get what they want."
While rumors suggested that WWE may turn WrestleMania 43 into a two country event (one show in Saudi Arabia and one in the United States), recent reports indicated that is not the case, with WWE expected to go all in on Saudi Arabia in 2027. For such an event, a number of legends are believed to at least be making appearances something Meltzer corroborated on "Wrestling Observer Radio."
"This is Turki Al-Sheikh and [Saudi Arabia] are putting up an incredible amount of money, a ridiculous amount of money. The idea is to present the most star-studded show ever, by far," Meltzer said. "Everyone, anyone, money's no object. Any name you can imagine, obviously they're going to be after ... Anyone coming out of retirement that wants to come out of retirement, of big name value, will be able to get a lot of money for this show. That's what they want."
When co-host Bryan Alvarez brought up the idea of running back The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin vs Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Meltzer noted that he hadn't heard either of those specific matches floating around within WWE creative at this point. He does, however, imagine that all four of those legends will be contacted by WWE for plans related to WrestleMania 43 in the future. The exact date of the respective premium live event is unknown.
WrestleMania 42 will see WWE returning to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas in April 2026, one year after the company boasted record-breaking numbers with WrestleMania 41 in the same city. WWE Hall of Famer "Stone Cold" Steve Austin appeared on night two to announce the attendance numbers.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Wrestling Observer Radio" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
