Why WrestleMania 43 Is Locked Into Saudi Arabia for 2027

WrestleMania 43 heading to Saudi Arabia is no longer just rumor — and the reason it’s happening in 2027 instead of 2028 has now been revealed.

Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer explained that WWE originally wanted the Saudi-hosted WrestleMania to take place in 2028, but commitments forced the company to move it up to 2027. Meltzer said the shift came down to one man: Turki Al-Sheikh, who controls the money behind the deal.

“WWE wanted it in 2028. They had commitments for 2027,” Meltzer said. “The reason it had to be 2027… Turki (Al-Sheikh) is running the show – Ari Emanuel is the head of TKO, Nick Khan is the head of WWE, Dana White is the head of UFC, Dana White and Nick Khan are the head of TKO Boxing. However, the final boss is Turki, because he’s the guy with all the money in the world at his disposal.”

Meltzer added that Saudi partners aren’t just funding the event — they’re actively trying to shape it with their own requests.

“The Saudi partners have specific matches that they want for the event and are working really, really hard to get them,” Meltzer said. “Even though it’s a couple of years, I don’t know if they’re gonna be able to get them, but they’re gonna spend a lot of money to get what they want obviously. We’re talking about 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.”

That means WWE’s first-ever WrestleMania outside North America could also feature massive comebacks, with retired stars offered huge paydays to appear. It lines up with Saudi Arabia’s history of requesting specific marquee matches for its shows since WWE began running events there in 2018.

This comes as Saudi Arabia is also set to host the 2026 Royal Rumble, locking in back-to-back years of WWE’s biggest events. The partnership has already delivered multiple premium live events annually since 2018, but bringing both Royal Rumble and WrestleMania firmly establishes Saudi Arabia as the centerpiece of WWE’s global expansion.

With Ari Emanuel overseeing TKO, Nick Khan leading WWE, Dana White heading UFC, and both White and Khan managing TKO’s boxing division, Meltzer made it clear that the real decision-maker here is Turki Al-Sheikh — because he has the financial power to make it all happen.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.