WWE has done the unthinkable, says Vince Russo (Exclusive)

WWE held a press conference on Friday afternoon before SmackDown went live to make a major announcement. The company's Chief Content Officer, Triple H, announced that Saudi Arabia will host WrestleMania 43, which will be held in 2027, making it the first-ever WrestleMania to be held outside of North America.

This announcement has received major criticism from fans and members of the wrestling industry alike. WrestleMania is the biggest show that WWE holds every year, and many fans felt that the first-ever WrestleMania should've been held in countries where professional wrestling is more prominent, like England.

Former WWE head writer Vince Russo also spoke out against the Show of Shows being held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He was talking on BroDown on Sportskeeda WrestleBinge, where he compared WWE with the NFL and MLB, and stated that neither of these two organizations would go to Saudi Arabia for the Super Bowl or the World Series.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I would have to believe, and I could be wrong. If Major League Baseball or the NFL were paid by Saudi Arabia to have the Super Bowl in Saudi or the World Series, I can't imagine the NFL or Major League Baseball taking that offer. And I don't care how much they were offered," Russo said.

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The promotion has held a few shows in Saudi Arabia every year as part of their deal with the country. WrestleMania 43 will be the second of the company's 'Big 5' Premium Live Events to be held in the country. Riyadh is set to host next year's Royal Rumble as part of Riyadh Season, making it the first of the 'Big 5' PLEs to be held in the country.

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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