"You take advantage of it" - WWE Hall of Famer says AEW should host a huge PPV to combat WrestleMania in Saudi Arabia (Exclusive)

AEW has a huge opportunity to take advantage of one of WWE's biggest decisions, according to a WWE Hall of Famer. The Stamford-based promotion recently made the major decision to relocate WrestleMania away from North America and Canada, with the 2027 edition of The Show of Shows scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The decision has left the majority of fans with a sour taste in their mouths, but it provides WWE with significant financial firepower. WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long was speaking on a recent edition of The Wrestling Time Machine on Sportskeeda WrestleBinge, where he stated that AEW should take advantage of this opportunity.

The former SmackDown General Manager stated that when WWE hosts WrestleMania in Saudi Arabia, the Tony Khan-led promotion should host its own pay-per-view in the United States. He said that AEW should give the fans their own version of The Show of Shows.

"You take advantage of it, brother. You got the whole market and ain't got no competition, and then you damn right. You still give people their WrestleMania, even if it's not WWE's WrestleMania. But you know, you make it feel that way. Yeah, you take advantage of it. Well, I mean, I don't know, I would," Long said.

With WrestleMania 43 being held as part of Riyadh Season in 2027, it will become the first-ever Showcase of The Immortals to take place outside of North America and Canada. The last time it took place outside the United States was in 2002, when it occurred in Toronto, Canada.

Many stars are expected to be part of WrestleMania 43, with speculation suggesting that fans may also witness the long-awaited match between The Rock and Roman Reigns.

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About the author

Faiz is a WWE writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling. He is a BBA graduate who is passionate about sports and wants to make a career in that field. This passion led to a postgraduate degree in Journalism, which helped him pivot into becoming a sports writer. When writing, he puts the utmost importance on accuracy and thorough research.

Faiz has six years of work experience across four companies. He started his career with Zomato and then moved to Amazon. He shifted to becoming a football writer at TV9 Digital and is now with Sportskeeda. He covered the Wrestling Xtreme Mania event in Gurgaon in 2025, where he had the opportunity to interview Raj The Maharaja, fka Jinder Mahal. At the same event, he also got quick interviews with former WWE Superstar Dijak and Japanese Joshi legend Emi Sakura.

When it comes to his favourite wrestlers, Faiz has two names in mind. He loved to watch Triple H before the current WWE CCO retired, and he is a huge fan of Roman Reigns. Being a loyal fan since the Tribal Chief's SHIELD days, Faiz credits Roman's mic skills and unmatched in-ring storytelling for his mega success. When he was young, one in-ring story left a lasting impression on his mind and eventually got him hooked on WWE. That match was Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair at WrestleMania 24. Apart from that, he is also a fan of RAW.

When Faiz is not writing for Sportskeeda, he loves to keep up with other sports. He is an avid cricket and football fan, a huge gamer, and loves playing some RPGs on the PlayStation.

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Edited by Faiz Ahmed