There's been chatter online about this for a while, but it does indeed look like WWE is taking WrestleMania to Saudi Arabia in 2027. This will mark the first time in history that the Show of Shows has taken place outside of the U.S., and the decision is one that's bound to split opinions.
According to Fightful Select, Saudi advisor Turki Alalshikh took to Snapchat with a now-deleted video stating, "For the first time outside of America, WrestleMania in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 2027."
While WWE has yet to comment on that, a press release was sent out in Arabic, also confirming that WrestleMania 43 will be held in Saudi Arabia. That's since been pulled, but the site has heard that "where there's smoke, there's fire."
PWInsider.com has since chimed in to say that the story is "100% legitimate" and that there will be an announcement "very soon." Multiple sources are reporting that the announcement is set to be made on Friday in Las Vegas, as part of TKO's build for the Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford boxing match.
You may recall reports that 2027 could see us get a regular WrestleMania in North America, with a "Super WrestleMania" then taking place in Saudi Arabia. Next year will see the country host one of the four big WWE PLEs in January with the Royal Rumble.
It's believed that Wrestlepalooza is being planned as a big yearly event for WWE that will allow the company to expand beyond the U.S. into countries eager to host its biggest events. If so, Wrestlepalooza could be the U.S. "WrestleMania" in 2027.
During a recent interview with Pat McAfee, Triple H hyped up WWE's role in changing how the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is perceived:
"That’s been their goal since the beginning, to change their perception, to change how they are, to open up that umbrella for women and with the country. It takes time. You can’t just do that stuff all at once, or you alienate all the people that are in front of it and have a long-standing belief. You have to do it over time."
"I truly believe that to initiate change, you have to be a part of it. You can’t just sit back on the sidelines and say, ‘We’re not going to participate in that and these people don’t do things right.’ You need to be there and be part of that change. We’ve been part of that change since the beginning."
Stay tuned for updates as we have them.