WWE apparently isn’t putting all its eggs in the Saudi Arabia basket when it comes to WrestleMania 43. While the company still plans to hold its biggest event of 2027 in the country, a new update confirms WWE has a backup plan ready to bring WrestleMania back to the United States if world events force a change. But anyone expecting The Sphere in Las Vegas to be part of that plan can forget about it.
According to WrestleVotes on Fightful Select, sources have confirmed that The Sphere is not being considered as a backup location for WrestleMania 43 if WWE is forced to move the event out of Saudi Arabia. Despite WWE having internal interest in using the venue, the two sides haven’t gotten anywhere close to putting a deal together. The update also revealed that WWE’s interest in The Sphere hasn’t translated into serious discussions with the venue.
“WrestleVotes on Fightful Select was told, as of this writing, that The Sphere in Las Vegas is not a backup plan for WWE in case they move WrestleMania 43 away from Saudi Arabia.”
“While WWE has expressed interest internally in utilizing The Sphere, meaningful negotiations between the two sides have not transpired to our knowledge.”
This isn’t the first time WWE and The Sphere have had trouble getting on the same page. Fightful Select previously revealed in March that the two sides couldn’t reach an agreement during WrestleMania 42 season over displaying Danhausen promotional material on the outside of the venue. But the biggest development from this latest update is that WWE apparently already has another option lined up if Saudi Arabia becomes too dangerous or difficult to host WrestleMania 43. The company just isn’t telling anyone what that plan involves.
“We’re told WWE does have a backup blueprint for hosting WrestleMania domestically, should world events require a change of plans. However, those details are being kept secret.”
That revelation comes after Dave Meltzer addressed the possibility of Las Vegas stepping in during the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Meltzer noted that sources in Las Vegas had already ruled out the city as an easy replacement because of scheduling conflicts and financial limitations.
“Regarding rumors of Las Vegas as a back-up plan, sources in Las Vegas who have basically tipped us off on all the Mania decisions as well as issues with the dates that had to be taken care of the past two years well ahead of time, said that the city does not have the dates available in April and is not able to spend the kind of money they have in the past to bring the event in.”
WrestleMania 43 is officially scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia, although WWE has yet to announce the exact dates for the April 2027 event. For now, the company intends to move forward with those plans despite ongoing travel concerns.
There’s also an enormous amount of money involved. It was previously stated that WWE’s November 7 event in Saudi Arabia is worth approximately $60 million, while WrestleMania 43 is worth well over $100 million. That gives WWE plenty of financial incentive to keep its Saudi Arabia plans intact unless circumstances make that impossible.
The fact that WWE already has a domestic backup blueprint is a major development, especially with so much uncertainty surrounding the situation. The Sphere isn’t part of it, Las Vegas has its own obstacles, and WWE is keeping the actual details under wraps. For now, Saudi Arabia remains the destination, but WWE clearly has another option in mind if things go sideways.
Where do you think WWE is planning to hold WrestleMania 43 if Saudi Arabia falls through, and which U.S. city would make the most sense as a backup location? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
