Turki Alalshikh Pushes for Legendary WWE Returns at WrestleMania 43 in 2027

WrestleMania 43 could feature legends like The Undertaker and The Rock as Turki Alalshikh hopes to bring the event to Saudi Arabia in 2027.

Turki Alalshikh Pushes for Legendary WWE Returns at WrestleMania 43 in 2027

Triple H, Turki Alalshikh and WrestleMania 43 (via WWE and USA Network)

WWE’s landmark partnership with Saudi Arabia, which began in 2018, now looks set to reach an unprecedented milestone. After staging blockbuster events like The Greatest Royal Rumble, Crown Jewel, and Night of Champions, Saudi GEA chairman Turki Alalshikh is reportedly pushing to bring WrestleMania to the Kingdom. 

If confirmed, WrestleMania 43 in 2027 would make history as the first edition of WWE’s biggest annual spectacle to be held outside North America, a groundbreaking shift for the Stamford-based promotion. WWE has yet to officially announce the news, but Alalshikh revealed it during a Snapchat live on Wednesday, September 10. 

The claim was further backed by veteran insiders Mike Johnson and Sean Ross Sapp, who confirmed that a major announcement is indeed coming this week, a week already buzzing with the Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford mega-fight on Netflix under the TKO banner. Adding to the hype, Triple H himself teased the reveal on social media. 

We’ll be making a huge announcement on @WWE’s YouTube channel this Friday at 3:00pm ET / 12:00pm PT. I told you we’d change the game. And we’re just getting started.

Triple H via X

For what it’s worth, WWE’s YouTube channel has listed several major names set to appear during the special announcement. The lineup includes HHH, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Seth Rollins, Logan Paul, Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan, Stephanie Vaquer, and Charlotte Flair.

Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer shed more light on WWE’s potential plans for WrestleMania 43 if the Saudi Arabia rumors were true. According to him, the company was looking to load the card with the biggest names imaginable, backed by a reported budget of over $100 million. 

WWE is prepared to spend heavily on dream matches, even exploring the possibility of luring retired stars back for one final appearance. Names like The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker, and Shawn Michaels have all been pitched, though nothing has been confirmed. 

If these legends do agree to step into the ring, they could command the biggest paydays of their careers. Meltzer also noted that Alalshikh is expected to serve as the driving force behind organizing the historic event.

Turki is running the show…the final boss is Turki, because he’s the guy with all the money in the world at his disposal…..They’re paying the money for it. They have matches that they want, and that they’re working really, really hard to get. Anyone coming out of retirement that wants to come out of retirement, of big-name value, will be able to get a lot of money for this show. Yes, that’s what they want.

Dave Meltzer via WOR

WrestleMania 43 has quickly become a massive “what if” scenario. Could fans witness a fourth showdown between The Rock and Steve Austin? Might Ric Flair lace up his boots for yet another farewell match? Or could John Cena, whose retirement tour is set to end on December 13 later this year, extend his run for one last WrestleMania moment? For now, the answers remain uncertain, but all will be revealed in due time.

WrestleMania 44 was the original event planned for Saudi Arabia in 2028

In a surprising twist, it has been revealed that WrestleMania 43 was not originally pitched to be held in Saudi Arabia. According to Dave Meltzer, WrestleMania 44 was originally planned to be the first edition of ‘The Showcase of the Immortals’ held in Saudi Arabia. 

Those plans, however, quickly changed. Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer revealed that Turki Alalshikh pushed to move WrestleMania forward by a year. WWE had originally targeted 2028 for the event in Saudi Arabia, but Alalshikh’s influence ensured it would happen in 2027 instead. 

Triple H and Turki Alalshikh
Triple H and Turki Alalshikh (via WWE and USA Network)

Meltzer once again emphasized that while figures like Nick Khan, Triple H, Ari Emanuel, and Dana White all play major roles, Alalshikh is the true boss with the financial power to make the event exactly how he envisions it. Meltzer further noted that the decision to move WrestleMania to 2027 was tied to a historic milestone for Saudi Arabia. 

The country traces its origins back to 1727, the year that marked the foundation of the First Saudi State, a date now celebrated annually as Founding Day on February 22. With 2027 marking the 300th anniversary, Saudi officials wanted WrestleMania to coincide with the celebrations.

WrestleMania 43 won’t be the first major ‘Big 4’ event to come to Saudi Arabia, as next year’s Royal Rumble is already confirmed for the Kingdom, along with two additional shows in 2026. With TKO COO Mark Shapiro signaling plans to raise ticket prices to maximize profits, it seems only fitting that Saudi investment is now driving WWE’s biggest events, culminating in the company’s apex spectacle potentially heading to the Kingdom.

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