10 Weird (But TRUE) Facts For WWE In 2025
7. Taking The Rumble & Mania Overseas
If someone told you that both the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania would be headed outside North America for the first time in their history, most fans would assume that at least one of those shows would be destined for Europe which has been clamoring for a major WWE PPV/PLE for decades.
Indeed, the company announced this year that both shows would travel overseas for the first time… to Saudi Arabia.
Just before the Raw debut on Netflix, WWE confirmed that Riyadh would host the 2026 Royal Rumble, just the second time the event has left the United States (the other was the first event, which took place in Canada).
Not to be outdone, eight months later, the company announced that WrestleMania 43 (in 2027) would also take place in Riyadh, just the third Mania to emanate outside the US (WrestleManias VI and X8 took place in Toronto).
What makes this particularly of interest is that the Mania 43 announcement came after WWE pulled out of New Orleans for WM 42 (with a promise the city would host a future Mania), and while the company also has an active agreement with the city of Indianapolis to hold a WrestleMania there.
All of this is to say nothing about Saudi Arabia’s numerous negatives when it comes to human rights violations, treatment of marginalized populations and its campaign of sportswashing.