AEW may be considering how it can make an impact during WrestleMania 43 weekend in 2027, although nothing has been announced and the company’s eventual plans remain subject to several moving pieces.
WWE is scheduled to take WrestleMania 43 to Saudi Arabia in April 2027, a decision that will create a very different landscape from the traditional WrestleMania weekend in North America. For decades, WrestleMania has functioned not only as WWE’s biggest annual event, but as a destination weekend that brings independent promotions, conventions, fan gatherings, media activity and major events from across the wrestling business to one United States host market.
That familiar setup will not be in place if WrestleMania is held in Saudi Arabia. AEW President Tony Khan has already faced questions about whether his company could pursue an opportunity in the United States while WWE’s flagship event is overseas. AEW referee Bryce Remsburg has now indicated that the subject is being discussed internally.
During an appearance on The Certified Mark Show, Remsburg was asked what AEW might do during the WrestleMania 43 period. He did not reveal a specific event, city, format or announcement timetable, but confirmed that the possibility has been addressed.
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“I can say that conversations are being had around what we might do that weekend. How about that?”
Remsburg also stressed that any final decision will not rest solely with AEW. He suggested there are outside considerations that could shape how the company approaches that week.
“There are some factors out of our control that would contribute to our decisions. So we’ll kind of see what happens and then we’ll see what happens.”
The comments are notable because they offer the first direct indication from an AEW representative that WrestleMania 43’s international location has prompted active discussion within the company. They are not, however, confirmation that AEW has settled on a plan. Remsburg did not say whether the discussions involve a pay-per-view, television programming, a live special, fan events, a multi-day schedule or any other particular concept.
A Different Kind of WrestleMania Week
A WrestleMania outside the United States changes the normal competitive and promotional calendar in several ways. The traditional weekend usually gives wrestling companies an unusually concentrated audience of traveling fans, media and industry personnel in a single American city. Promotions that are not directly affiliated with WWE have often used that environment to stage shows, create crossover moments and reach fans who have arrived for WrestleMania but are willing to attend multiple events.
With WrestleMania 43 slated for Saudi Arabia, that central domestic gathering will be altered. The absence of the standard U.S.-based WrestleMania host city could leave room for another major promotion to present itself as a focal point for fans who would otherwise have planned a domestic wrestling trip around WWE’s biggest show.
That does not automatically mean AEW will run an event in direct opposition to WrestleMania, or even that it will pursue the same sort of weekend model. Remsburg’s wording was deliberately cautious. His acknowledgement of factors beyond AEW’s control underlines the number of logistical matters that can affect a major wrestling event well before it is publicly announced, including venue availability, scheduling, travel, television commitments and the wider events calendar.
Still, the fact that AEW is talking about the weekend is significant in its own right. WrestleMania week has long been a period when the entire wrestling industry receives added attention. An American-based AEW event, should one be finalized, could offer the company a chance to attract viewers and ticket buyers during a week when wrestling interest is traditionally elevated but WWE’s premier event would be taking place thousands of miles away.
WWE Already Has New York Events Planned
While WrestleMania 43 itself is scheduled for Saudi Arabia, WWE has announced two April 2027 events for New York City. AAA Eternal Glory and NXT Stand & Deliver are set for the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden.
Those announcements ensure WWE will still have a significant presence in the United States during the broader WrestleMania period. They also make New York City an important part of the conversation around that week, even with WrestleMania taking place internationally. NXT Stand & Deliver has become a key annual event on the WrestleMania calendar, while AAA Eternal Glory adds another announced piece to WWE’s April 2027 schedule.
The planned New York programming also illustrates why Remsburg’s comments about circumstances outside AEW’s control matter. Any company looking to capitalize on a uniquely structured WrestleMania week will have to account for WWE’s own domestic activity, fan travel patterns and the possibility that other promotions will seek to make announcements around the same timeframe.
For AEW, the question is not simply whether to hold an event. It is whether the company can identify the right location, presentation and scale for an occasion that could be unlike any prior WrestleMania weekend. The normal playbook may not apply when the headline WWE event is being held in Saudi Arabia while other WWE-branded programming is taking place in New York.
No AEW Event Confirmed Yet
At present, Remsburg’s remarks should be viewed as an indication of exploration rather than a formal announcement. AEW has not confirmed a WrestleMania 43-week event, and there is no confirmed date, venue, card, broadcast platform or participating talent attached to the discussions he referenced.
That distinction is especially important nearly six months before April 2027. Major wrestling events are often mapped out well in advance, but public rollouts can occur much later once venue arrangements, production needs and other logistical elements are finalized. Remsburg did not put a timeline on when AEW might make a decision or whether the conversations will result in a show at all.
His comments also do not establish that AEW’s possible plans would be designed as a direct counter-programming move. The company could choose to run something substantial, something smaller, or nothing connected to the weekend. Until AEW makes an official announcement, every option remains open.
What is clear is that the company is aware of the unusual opening created by WrestleMania 43’s location. Tony Khan has been asked about the prospect since WWE announced Saudi Arabia as the WrestleMania host, and Remsburg has now confirmed that AEW has been discussing what its response could be.
Why the 2027 Calendar Bears Watching
The eventual April 2027 schedule could become a major test of how wrestling promotions approach destination events in an increasingly international industry. WWE’s decision to stage WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia reflects the global importance of its premium live event business. At the same time, it creates a different opportunity for companies operating in the United States.
AEW has established its own identity through a mix of major arena events, pay-per-views and televised programming. A well-timed initiative during WrestleMania week could provide an opportunity to spotlight that identity at a moment when fans are already focused on wrestling. But the upside comes with uncertainty, and Remsburg did not minimize that reality.
For now, the most accurate conclusion is straightforward: AEW is discussing possibilities for WrestleMania 43 weekend, but no plan has been made public. WWE’s April 2027 events at the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden give the period an early domestic anchor, while WrestleMania itself remains scheduled for Saudi Arabia.
As the 2027 calendar develops, AEW’s next move will be worth monitoring. Remsburg’s brief comments have not answered what the company will do, but they have confirmed that the question is being taken seriously behind the scenes.
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.