It’s still over a year away, but Saudi Arabia has started preparations to host the most ambitious event in sports entertainment history: WWE WrestleMania 43.
According to a report from Andrew Baydala on The Final Bell podcast, stakeholders in Riyadh are making a monumental push to secure two of the greatest legends of the Attitude Era: The Rock and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. The vision for the event is to create an unprecedented spectacle that outshines every “Show of Shows” that has come before it.
While the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) has reportedly made Steve Austin and The Rock their top priorities, the logistics remain a significant hurdle. Baydala noted that there is considerable hesitation from The Rock’s camp regarding an in-ring return in Saudi Arabia.
One primary concern is that the Hollywood icon believes he has exactly one match left in him, and there is a internal debate about whether that final bow should take place in Saudi. Furthermore, his jam-packed film schedule, which is reportedly booked through 2026, could make the necessary training camp for an April 2027 match nearly impossible to manage.
The push for Steve Austin is equally aggressive, with Saudi officials always willing to offer record-breaking sums to lure the Texas Rattlesnake out of retirement one more time. Austin, who last competed against Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38, has previously been cautious about returns that don’t fit his physical capabilities.
Austin recently said he could have one more match, but he’s not going to push for it.
According to Nick LoPiccolo (who works for Paradigm Talent Agency, where a number of WWE stars are signed), WWE will receive $250 million from Saudi Arabia for WrestleMania 43 and $100 million for Royal Rumble 2026 in Riyadh. That would be a combined $350 million for just two events.
Saudi Arabia normally pays $50 million per PLE to WWE, but since these are the “Big 4” PLEs, they obviously will cost more.
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