Safety Questions Hang Over WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia as WWE Heads to Crown Jewel
With Crown Jewel set for Nov. 7 in Riyadh, fans and former officials told USA Today they question whether WrestleMania 43 should stay in Saudi Arabia after Houthi strikes reached the capital's airport.
WrestleMania 43 is scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia in 2027, the first WrestleMania held outside North America, but safety questions now surround the event as WWE prepares to return to the country for Crown Jewel on Nov. 7, USA Today reported.
The questions follow increased Houthi strikes since the start of the U.S.-Iran war in February, USA Today reported. Houthi forces have pushed farther north from Saudi Arabia’s southern border with Yemen, and recent strikes at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh have resulted in deaths. Riyadh is the city where WWE frequently holds its events in the country, and where Crown Jewel 2026 and WrestleMania 43 are scheduled to occur.
A majority of the experts and fans interviewed by USA Today said WWE should not bring its largest event to Saudi Arabia under current conditions. “When it comes to the physical safety of an event,” said Daniel Benaim, a 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.”
Crown Jewel goes ahead, with a venue change
WWE has not said it will move Crown Jewel out of the country, and no star has spoken publicly about the event, USA Today reported. The only change for Crown Jewel has been moving to a different venue. WWE did not respond to multiple requests for comment from USA Today.
Ari Emanuel, chief executive of WWE’s parent company, TKO Group Holdings, told Fox News on Oct. 22 that the company has contingency plans in place and is handling “daily monitoring” of the situation, according to USA Today.
Crown Jewel is also where WrestleMania 43 is expected to be confirmed. No date has been set yet, USA Today reported, though a person with knowledge of the situation who was not authorized to speak publicly said WWE will announce during Crown Jewel that WrestleMania 43 will take place April 10-11, remaining in Riyadh.
Fans weigh the trip, and other sports pull back
The conflict has already changed other sports plans in the region, USA Today reported. The NBA reportedly decided against holding its annual Middle East games, and the “Six Kings Slam” tennis tournament set for October was postponed to Dec. 27-30. On Oct. 21, the State Department ordered non-emergency U.S. government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia to depart, and it has issued travel advisories encouraging people to reconsider travel.
Some fans told USA Today they have changed their plans. Matthew O’Donnell, a Canadian resident who attended WrestleMania 42, said he would not go to Saudi Arabia at this point. Brian Katulis, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute who wants to attend WrestleMania 43 with his son, said, “Right now, when they blow up their airport, no. I mean, it wouldn’t make any sense right now, if the security conditions hold.”
Others are still weighing it. Joe McCormick, who attended WrestleMania 41 and 42, has done preliminary work on a trip but has not committed, citing fears of cancellation. Minnesota resident Ben Davis, who has been to 18 WrestleManias, hopes Saudi Arabia will mark his 19th.
Philadelphia resident Samirah Thompson, who has been to five WrestleManias, told USA Today she will not go because of the traditional and cultural customs women must adhere to in the country, and because WWE’s female stars are required to cover up from the neck down when performing there.
The stakes for WWE are large. 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, USA Today reported. People from every U.S. state and more than 69 countries bought tickets for WrestleMania 42.
Reporting based on coverage by USA Today.
