12 WWE Nightmares That Could Come True In 2026

1. Money Makes WrestleMania In Saudi Permanent

The Rock WWE Title 2026 Nightmares
WWE.com

This is a wild rumour, but the ever-churning conjecture mill suggests that money men in Saudi Arabia would love to make WrestleMania an annual supershow in their country. That’d clearly be a bit rubbish for the rest of the globe. WrestleMania shouldn’t exclusively belong to one place and one place only.

Hosting it most often in the United States is different, because that’s where WWE has always been based. Shifting it to Saudi permanently, or offering thinly veiled ‘WrestleMania World Tour’ imitations as side projects elsewhere hurts the brand’s legacy and would be a shocking show of corporate greed. Not to piggy back too much off the previous entry about soaring ticket prices, but it would.

This has been a worry ever since WWE promoted the so-called Greatest Royal Rumble mere months after the proper Rumble in 2018. The event held over in Jeddah failed to live up to the billing and was promoted in close proximity to a more traditional Rumble held in Philadelphia. That let to grumbles from fans that the McMahon family were selling the very soul of their operation.

As established, TKO aren't hiding how into making money they are. Yes, every business wants to rake in the cash, but brand protection is important. WrestleMania is a globally-renowned brand with a rich history and legacy, and it simply cannot be watered down with multiple variations on the same theme. That'd be a mistake long term.

'Mania 43 will take place in Riyadh come 2027, but some seem to believe there's a chance an announcement is coming in 2026 that WrestleMania belongs to Saudi Arabia from here on out. That'd likely destroy hopes of ever seeing one in the UK, Australia or elsewhere on the map, because any other 'Mania hangers-on WWE booked would presumably be held in the US.

Be very careful here. Yes, wrestling fans in Saudi definitely deserve the thrill of seeing WrestleMania come to town, but not every single year.

What other nightmares could come true for WWE in 2026? For more wrestling, check out 10 WWE Fates Worse Than Death and 10 Worst WWE Moments Of 2005!

Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.