WrestleMania In Saudi Arabia Moved Forward One Year... Why? Money... (WWE News)
A brand new "Final Boss" made sure that WWE did business in 2027, not 2028.
Originally, WWE told Saudi Arabian officials that they already had plans for 2027, so the country's bid to host WrestleMania would have to wait until 2028. That's when money did that thing...it talked! Wrestling Observer chief Dave Meltzer told fans via Wrestling Observer Radio that Turki Al-Sheikh (who serves as an ministerial advisor to the Royal Court and is Chairman of Saudi's General Entertainment Authority) flexed his financial muscle.
WWE and TKO were willing to listen after that.
Meltzer says they were talking to "the guy with all the money in the world at his disposal". Similar reports suggest that Saudi Arabian ministers will stop at nothing to make WrestleMania 43 "the most star-studded show ever" - they'll try to coax star names like The Rock, Steve Austin, The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels out of retirement for spots on the card(s) in 2027.
Dave also described Turki Al-Sheikh as a "Final Boss" kind of character. He was willing to pay through the nose to get 'Mania 43 rather than 'Mania 44, largely because the event would tie in with the 300th anniversary of Saudi Arabia. So, WWE/TKO sat up and took notice of the figures being brandished around if they took their biggest PLE powerhouse over to Saudi and did business.
It's believed to be a staggering amount of money.
This isn't the first time that cold hard cash has pushed WWE to alter initial plans. 'Mania 42 was originally slated to happen in New Orleans (the company even announced it on TV), but has since been moved to Las Vegas. It seems events in New Orleans and Indianapolis are still scheduled at some point, but Saudi money has thrown a spanner in the works.