WrestleMania is ready to make history in Saudi Arabia. WWE today announced that WrestleMania 43 in 2027 will take place at the new Riyadh Stadium, which is set to open this year. The news will see WrestleMania 43 become the inaugural show to take place over the Atlantic Ocean, having only previously travelled outside of America twice. The other two international events were WrestleMania 6 in 1990 and WrestleMania 18 in 2002, which both took place in Toronto.
The news immediately sparked widespread discussion among fans, particularly around the potential involvement of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. As WrestleMania was heading to one of WWE’s most high-profile international markets, the story-and the ensuing speculation-boiled down to whether one of the company’s top stars could do business in that same market.
The Rock Speaks
Johnson recently spoke out about those rumors on Raffi Boghosian’s show Raffi Talks. While he stopped short of confirming any plans, The Rock shared clear enthusiasm for WrestleMania’s global significance and its impact on WWE talent. “I’m excited for the brand of WrestleMania, I’m excited for the Kingdom because that is a big show. I’m also excited not only for the brand, but I’m excited for our athletes to be able to participate in an event like that, and that is a global event,” Johnson said.
He continued by touching on his discussions surrounding the event. “And so I can’t wait. In terms of the conversations I’ve been having, it’s all good. It will always be good.” The comments were positive but carefully worded, leaving fans without a definitive answer and only adding to the intrigue.
Legends in Saudi
Some of WWE’s biggest legends in history have appeared in Saudi Arabia, including Goldberg, Kane, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels and others. Therefore due to the phenomenon, attraction over seeing The Rock competing within the region is still very high. His latest comments will just add further fuel to the speculation as we head deep into the build for WrestleMania 43.
Saudi Arabia is also getting ready to host another big WWE event before that. The 2026 Royal Rumble will be held on January 31 at the King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh during Riyadh Season. These events reinforce our commitment to the region.
