WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia faces a problem WWE can’t wish away - USA Today

WrestleMania is the biggest wrestling event in the world, drawing fans from across the globe not only for WWE’s flagship spectacle, but for an entire weekend celebrating sports entertainment.

“The best part is just the community that you're around,” said Ben Davis, who has been to 18 of them. “The only thing I can really compare it to is like Christmas.”

Now, there are questions about whether that celebration can, or should, happen next year.

WrestleMania 43 is scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia in 2027, marking the first WrestleMania held outside North America.

But safety concerns surrounding the country have added uncertainty ahead of the event amid conflict involving Saudi Arabia and Iran-aligned Houthis in neighboring Yemen. The questions come as WWE prepares to return to Saudi Arabia for Crown Jewel on Nov. 7, where it is expected to announce the dates for WrestleMania 43.

Concerns already surround WWE moving forward with Crown Jewel. But an even bigger question looms beyond November: Should WWE bring its biggest event to Saudi Arabia in five months?

A majority of experts and fans interviewed by USA TODAY say no.

“When it comes to the physical safety of an event,” said Daniel Benaim, former top U.S. State Department official for the Gulf and Middle East, “it's something that the WWE and their advisors and the Saudi government have to take seriously.”

WWE did not respond to multiple requests for comment from USA TODAY about the situation.

Backlash has surrounded WWE’s relationship with Saudi Arabia since its partnership with the country’s Ministry of Sport began in 2018. The deal has largely been viewed by critics as part of Saudi Arabia’s sportswashing efforts, with scrutiny intensifying after the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi inside a Saudi consulate that same year.

Despite that criticism, Benaim said WWE’s presence in Saudi Arabia has played a positive role in helping modernize the country while giving its citizens a greater sense of connection to the rest of the world.

Fans who have attended WWE events in Saudi Arabia have also described positive experiences.

Andrew Leber, a nonresident scholar in the Carnegie Middle East Program and an assistant professor in Tulane University’s Department of Political Science and Middle East & North Africa Studies program, attended the first Crown Jewel in 2018 and recalled the enormous excitement surrounding the event.

Liverpool resident Michael Stuart made a last-minute decision to attend the 2026 Royal Rumble in January. He called it a “surreal experience” and said attending the event ultimately didn’t feel much different from going to a WWE show in another country.

“Everyone else there’s just super friendly,” Stuart said. “I didn't really come into any trouble when I was out there. Thinking about it, it took a bit getting used to, but by the second or third day, it was quite normal, to be honest.”

Criticism resurfaced when WWE announced in Sept. 2025 WrestleMania 43 would be held in Saudi Arabia, but there was still significant interest among wrestling fans in making the trip.

Minnesota resident Joe McCormick attended WrestleMania 41 and 42 and wants to make it three straight. Davis, meanwhile, hopes Saudi Arabia will mark his 19th WrestleMania.

A person who works for an international wrestling tourism company that focuses on WrestleMania said there was an uptick in interest in traveling to Saudi Arabia compared to recent years. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

At WrestleMania 42, Canadian resident Matthew O'Donnell even went to the Saudi tourism booth at WWE World to find out more information about going. He liked what representatives were saying, but when he mentioned he’s Canadian, the entire tone shifted. 

“I'm paraphrasing, but one of the ladies basically told me that I should do some more research on visiting Saudi Arabia before I decide to go over,” he said. “It was kind of like a flag in my head. It kind of wasn't the answer I was looking for.

“I started kind of second guessing at that point, and then fast forward to now with everything that's happening,” he added. “There's absolutely no way I would go to Saudi Arabia at this point.”

Since the start of the U.S.-Iran war in February, Houthi forces have increased military strikes, increasingly pushing farther north from Saudi Arabia’s southern border with Yemen.

The latest attacks include a series of strikes at King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, which have resulted in deaths. Riyadh is the city where WWE frequently hosts its events in the country, and where Crown Jewel 2026 and WrestleMania 43 are scheduled to occur. 

Already, the conflict has changed other sports plans in the region. 

The NBA reportedly decided against holding its annual Middle East games due to the war. The "Six Kings Slam" tennis tournament originally scheduled for October featuring Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic was postponed to Dec. 27-30 “following an assessment of the organizational and ​logistical challenges.”

The escalation has led the State Department to issue travel advisories for the country, encouraging people to reconsider travel and the U.S. Embassy encouraging American citizens in the region “to exercise heightened vigilance.” 

On Oct. 21, the State Department ordered non-emergency U.S. government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia to depart.

Meanwhile, the only change for Crown Jewel has been moving to a different venue. 

There have been varying reports about WWE’s plans. Ari Emanuel, CEO of WWE's parent company, TKO Group Holdings, told Fox News on Oct. 22 that the company has contingency plans in place as it handles "daily monitoring" of the situation. 

There have been no indications from WWE it will move Crown Jewel outside of the country, nor has any star spoken about the event that will feature the company’s top champions. 

“(WWE) are going to be very hesitant to cancel it,” Leber said. “We've seen again and again with other events that they've held. They've done everything in their power to avoid saying we're canceling this event.”

Crown Jewel is also supposed to be where WrestleMania is confirmed. Typically, the location and date are announced at least a year in advance, but no date has been set yet, raising more doubt if it will happen.

However, a person with knowledge of the situation not authorized to publicly speak said WWE will announce during Crown Jewel that WrestleMania 43 will take place April 10-11, remaining in Riyadh. 

The show is likely to go on, but that doesn’t mean people are happy about it, with O’Donnell calling it “irresponsible” to bring stars, workers and fans to the region.

“I'm a lifelong wrestling fan. I love wrestling, but sometimes things are more important than pro wrestling,” he said. “There's people dying. The airport is getting struck multiple times. It just doesn't seem like a safe situation, even in the best of circumstances.”

The person working for the international wrestling tourism company said “since the geopolitical situation has changed, especially in the last month, we have seen a drop off” in interest. However, there haven’t been any cancellations from people who have paid for the trip already, and the announcement of the date and WrestleMania ticket sales may increase interest.

Even though WrestleMania is five months away, and the situation can change by then, uncertainty is working against it.

WrestleMania attracts fans from nearly every continent to not just be inside the venue, but take part in events surrounding the area, such as WWE World, the famed WrestleCon that features all generations of talent and other independent shows. 

People from every U.S. state and more than 69 countries bought tickets for WrestleMania 42, WWE reported. For WrestleMania 41 in 2025, 90.2% of attendees were non-local and 22% were international, with 85.4% of attendees coming to Las Vegas specifically for the event, according to TKO Group Holdings.

Given the global spotlight it draws, the sheer thought of a Houthi-led attack is a problem. Interest within Saudi Arabia would likely help the event still sell out, but there likely wouldn’t be the large international presence accustomed to coming together for the universal language of wrestling.

The chances of attack could be small, but the threat alone gives Saudi Arabia's enemies a form of extortion that could deter all parties from heavily promoting the event.

“For Iran and the Houthis, making sure that Saudi Arabia can't hold an event like this where they attract global fans,” Benaim said. “That's a win for Saudi Arabia's enemies, and I know it will be one that Saudi Arabia would be reluctant to grant.”

That threat is what’s causing concern for people who want to continue experiencing WrestleMania.

“It's very hard to immediately signal to people like, ‘Don't worry, don't worry about those bombs and rockets that were dropping last week,” Leber said.

The safety concerns are a gigantic layer on top of the doubts some already had about traveling to Saudi Arabia. 

Philadelphia resident Samirah Thompson has been to five WrestleManias and has been hard set on not going from the jump because of the traditional and cultural customs women must adhere by, as she is a Black woman with tattoos. WWE’s female stars are required to completely cover up from the neck down when performing in the country. 

All of which leads to: should WrestleMania 43 still be in Saudi Arabia?

“Right now, when they blow up their airport, no. I mean, it wouldn't make any sense right now, if the security conditions hold,” said Brian Katulis, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute who wants to attend WrestleMania 43 with his son.

“It would make no sense to risk anyone's lives, especially the lives of the spectators, right? Because if ordinary people are getting killed in Saudi Arabia because of the actions of Houthis or Iranians, you don't want to do that,” he added.

While most people said they would attend WrestleMania 43 if it is moved to the U.S. or other country, there are people holding out hope things can change in the Middle East. After attending Royal Rumble, Stuart said he still is considering going and will likely wait to decide until the last minute.

McCormick wants to experience the good in Saudi Arabia, which many experts say there is, and thinks there is a chance for tension to be eased. He has done preliminary work into planning a trip, but hasn’t fully committed due to fears of things getting canceled. 

“(It’s) a lot of time for things to calm down, for developments to happen, for treaties and peace agreements to happen. It's definitely worth looking into and keeping an eye on,” he said. 

Leber relayed unless there is a clear political agreement or ceasefire in place, people traveling to Saudi Arabia for WrestleMania could have disrupted travel plans that cause difficulties and possible danger. Katulis added even though he wants to go, it’s not smart investing in a trip at present.

The State Department said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports the “U.S. embassies and consulate around the world closely track security developments and provide Americans with the information they need to stay safe abroad.” It recommends Americans traveling overseas review travel advisories, entry and exit requirements, local laws and tips from U.S. authorities.

“The Trump Administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans,” the department said. 

Yet, no matter how many red flags are raised, WrestleMania 43's future comes down to the fact money talks. Saudi Arabia and WWE have a billion dollar deal and the country is paying millions of dollars more for WrestleMania. There’s an established relationship and Saudi officials would be reluctant to give up such a high-profile event.

That includes all the money that will come with it being held in Riyadh. WrestleMania 41 was the most successful and highest-grossing event in WWE history with a total economic output of $322.2 million for Las Vegas.

“I don't think it should be happening, but I just feel like the machine's too big for it not to happen at this point,” the person working in the travel company said. “There's too much at stake, and WWE have tied themselves too much in with Saudi Arabia, unless there's a literal war that breaks out or the stadium gets attacked or something happens to a WWE performer. I don't see any situation in which they come out of it.”

It also can play into why WWE has been so publicly vague about its plans. The company hasn’t addressed the situation in Saudi Arabia, continuing to announce matches for Crown Jewel, with four scheduled for the night.

Multiple experts pointed out even if the wrestling company is looking at contingency plans, it would not want to spoil its partnership. Saudi Arabia wants to portray an image of normalcy in the kingdom and that there should be excitement and a desire to attend.

The wrestling world will be focused on the action inside the ring during Crown Jewel just as much as everyone else will pay attention to what’s going on outside. The card that features WWE champions facing off against each other for the Crown Jewel title won’t have tremendous impact in terms of storyline, but it will be a pivotal role in whether WrestleMania 43 goes on as planned.

When the WrestleMania 43 date is officially announced, it will kick off the journey toward the premier extravaganza of sports entertainment, no matter how it’s perceived. No one knows if the situation in Saudi Arabia will change between now and April.

Many just hope when the time finally arrives, it’s not putting an entire industry in danger.

“It's just unfortunate that right now, it's just very uncertain, and it just really sucks,” Thompson said. “I just hope (WWE) makes the right call.”

If you purchase through our links, the USA Today Network may earn a commission. Prices were accurate at the time of publication but may change.