WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia divides opinions: Eric Bischoff shares his disappointment

WrestleMania 43 is now official: the biggest spectacle of WWE will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2027. However, not everyone is happy with the decision. Eric Bischoff, former WCW director and key figure in the business history, has shared his opinion on the 83 Weeks podcast and has made it clear that, while he understands the business reasons, he feels some personal disappointment.

Bischoff explained that the decision is a result of WWE's evolution under TKO's leadership and its obligation to generate the highest possible profit for the shareholders: “It's the evolution of the business, it's reality. TKO is a public company and has the responsibility to offer the highest possible return on the balance sheet”. For him, taking WrestleMania to Saudi Arabia is an inevitable step from a financial perspective.

However, he acknowledged that a deeply rooted tradition is being broken: “Professional wrestling is, essentially, an American phenomenon. Yes, it has reached the whole world, but its roots and the history of WrestleMania are deeply American”. He even joked about Canada, stating that it "doesn't count" as international because "it's like another state that Americans can easily access".

The veteran also anticipated a wave of criticism: “There will be people disappointed with this decision. It will generate negative publicity, because that's how social media works”. Finally, although he accepted it was a logical move for a public company, he admitted it leaves a bitter taste: “It's inevitable, but at the same time, a bit disappointing. I understand the reluctance that Vince McMahon always showed towards this kind of changes”.

The announcement has also caused some discomfort among WWE fans. Last night, during the broadcast of Worlds Collide, WWE aired a video about the announcement, a moment that the audience attending the show took advantage of to boo.