WWE’s plans to bring WrestleMania 43 to Riyadh next spring remain one of the company’s most ambitious international commitments, but the developing security picture in Saudi Arabia has naturally raised questions about what happens if circumstances change. WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff believes an event of WrestleMania’s scale is far too important for WWE and TKO to approach without a contingency plan.
Speaking on 83 Weeks with Eric Bischoff, Bischoff addressed the uncertainty surrounding the planned Saudi Arabia event amid intensifying tensions involving the United States and Iran. Saudi Arabia has found itself in a particularly sensitive position in the wider regional situation. Over the recent weekend, Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched a major missile and drone attack directed at Riyadh, including the King Khalid International Airport, as well as the port city of Yanbu.
Those developments have added another layer of scrutiny to WrestleMania 43, which has been announced for Riyadh but does not yet have official dates. The prospect of WWE taking its biggest annual event overseas was already historic. It now also carries an obvious logistical and safety question: what alternative options could be considered if the situation makes holding a two-night stadium spectacular in Riyadh impractical?
“I can’t imagine that they don’t,” Bischoff said when asked whether WWE has a backup plan. “It’s a big company with a lot of smart people. ... Yes, there are realities that are geopolitically that we have to all kind of recognize, as it affects our business, even if it potentially affects our business in a situation like this. You’ve got all your eggs in a big basket called WrestleMania. Yeah, you got to have a plan B. And certainly, everybody’s smart enough to figure out why.”
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Why WrestleMania Requires A Different Level Of Preparation
Bischoff’s view reflects the massive operational stakes attached to any WrestleMania, particularly one being staged outside North America. WrestleMania is not simply a single premium live event. It is typically the centerpiece of a full week of WWE programming, media commitments, fan gatherings, sponsor activations, merchandise operations, travel arrangements, and extensive television production. The event also relies on a huge number of people arriving at the host destination, from WWE talent and production crews to international media, partners, vendors, and fans.
A Saudi Arabia-based WrestleMania would require even more detailed advance planning. WWE has successfully promoted major events in the Kingdom before, including Crown Jewel, but WrestleMania is a substantially larger undertaking in terms of global attention, expected attendance, and its importance to the annual WWE calendar. It is the company’s flagship event, the show around which storylines are traditionally structured for months and the event that receives some of WWE’s strongest mainstream coverage.
That means a potential Plan B would not be a minor production adjustment. It would require a viable alternative venue, the ability to move or rebook substantial infrastructure, and enough lead time to communicate any changes to ticket holders, broadcasters, commercial partners, and fans making travel plans. WWE would also need to account for the creative implications of any shift, even if the matches and stories themselves remained unchanged.
None of that means WWE has indicated that a change is coming. The company has not announced a cancellation, postponement, or relocation of WrestleMania 43. Bischoff’s comments are an assessment of what a major publicly traded sports and entertainment organization would logically need to consider while operating in an uncertain environment.
No Official WrestleMania 43 Dates Have Been Announced
One significant detail is that WWE has yet to confirm the official dates for WrestleMania 43. The event is expected to take place next spring in Riyadh, but the lack of confirmed dates means there remains flexibility in the public rollout. Until WWE reveals the precise two-night schedule, venue details, ticket information, and associated WrestleMania-week plans, much of the practical discussion remains speculative.
WWE President Nick Khan did indicate earlier this month that the company is already working through the creative direction for WrestleMania 43. That is a notable sign of how seriously WWE is treating the event internally. WrestleMania creative is ordinarily mapped out well ahead of time, with major championship programs, returning attractions, celebrity involvement, and long-term character arcs potentially taking shape months before the event itself.
Being “across the creative” does not reveal who will wrestle, which titles may be defended, or what matches are being discussed. It does, however, demonstrate that WWE is actively moving forward with WrestleMania planning. The company’s on-screen and creative preparation can continue even while broader event-planning contingencies are evaluated behind the scenes.
That distinction matters. A contingency plan does not necessarily mean abandoning a destination. In large-scale live entertainment, alternate plans can cover a wide range of possibilities: changed travel schedules, revised security procedures, altered event-week activities, production adjustments, or a different host location if conditions demand it. The existence of such planning, if it exists, would be a sensible form of risk management rather than evidence of an imminent relocation.
Crown Jewel Remains On WWE’s Schedule
WWE’s immediate Saudi Arabia commitment is Crown Jewel, currently scheduled for Saturday, November 7. As of now, WWE has not canceled its plans to bring that premium live event to the Kingdom. That event will likely be closely watched, not only as a major show in its own right but also as the next practical indication of WWE’s ability to continue operating in Saudi Arabia under the current circumstances.
The U.S. State Department has strongly advised Americans to reconsider travel to Saudi Arabia at this time. Such advisories are relevant to a global touring company whose workforce includes American talent, employees, contractors, and partners. At the same time, travel decisions surrounding a WWE event involve ongoing assessments from the company, local authorities, security personnel, insurers, and other operational stakeholders.
There is no publicly announced indication that WWE’s planned Crown Jewel event will be moved. Until the company says otherwise, it remains on the calendar for November 7. Still, the circumstances surrounding that show will inevitably be viewed through the lens of the larger WrestleMania 43 conversation.
TKO’s Broader Responsibility
Bischoff specifically pointed to WWE’s corporate resources in expressing confidence that there would be an alternative plan. Since becoming part of TKO, WWE operates within a larger corporate structure that has experience in worldwide sports and live-event business through both WWE and UFC. Major event planning at that level involves far more than television production. Security conditions, travel logistics, venue access, government coordination, insurance, sponsorship obligations, and broadcast commitments are all part of the equation.
WrestleMania’s value makes that preparation particularly essential. The event is not only a landmark night for WWE fans; it is a significant business driver. A change in location, if ever required, could affect nearly every component of the WrestleMania ecosystem. It would also be a major decision for WWE’s relationship with Saudi Arabia, where the company has staged a number of premium live events as part of its long-term partnership.
For now, there is no confirmation of a specific backup destination or any official acknowledgment that WrestleMania 43 is at risk of leaving Riyadh. It would be premature to treat possible alternatives as established plans. Bischoff did not identify a location, timeline, or internal WWE decision. His point was that the scale of the event makes contingency planning an obvious necessity.
The Road To Riyadh Continues, For Now
WWE’s public position remains unchanged: WrestleMania 43 is planned for Riyadh next spring. Creative work is underway, while Crown Jewel is still scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia on November 7. The important unknowns are the official WrestleMania dates and whether regional conditions will remain stable enough for the event to proceed exactly as intended.
Until WWE makes a formal announcement, the expectation remains that the company will continue preparations for Riyadh. Yet Bischoff’s assessment underscores the reality that WrestleMania is too consequential to leave without options. If the business environment or security situation changes, WWE and TKO would need to be ready to respond quickly.
That is the balance WWE now faces: advancing the creative and commercial vision for a historic WrestleMania in Saudi Arabia while ensuring the company has the flexibility to protect its performers, staff, partners, and audience. The next official updates on Crown Jewel and the dates for WrestleMania 43 should offer a clearer picture of how those plans are progressing.
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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.