WWE’s decision to take WrestleMania 43 to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2027 has created one of the most unusual calendar questions modern professional wrestling has faced: what will the rest of the industry do during the traditional WrestleMania weekend?
WrestleMania has long been more than a single WWE event. The days surrounding it have become an annual gathering point for fans, wrestlers, conventions, independent promotions, reunion shows, meet-and-greets and major events across the wrestling landscape. With WrestleMania 43 scheduled to be held outside North America for the first time, the expectation is that there could be a considerable opening for wrestling companies and promoters to create a major domestic alternative.
One idea now being discussed publicly is an expanded AEW Forbidden Door weekend. WrestleCon and Highspots owner Michael Bochicchio raised that possibility during a Highspots Sign-it-Live session with Mick Foley, suggesting AEW President Tony Khan could turn the crossover pay-per-view into a broader international celebration of wrestling.
“That’s the question. I need to get ahold of Tony,” Bochicchio said when asked where WrestleCon may take place. “Here’s my idea. I’m gonna pitch it to you. He does this pay-per-view called Forbidden Door where he brings in other groups. I think we should make a global weekend out of that pay-per-view.”
For more background on this topic, read Gabe Kidd Reflects on Emotional Jon Moxley Moment at AEW’s PAC Tribute Show.
The concept would be a natural extension of what Forbidden Door has represented since its launch. The AEW and New Japan Pro-Wrestling collaboration has been built around cross-promotional matches that are otherwise difficult to book, bringing talent and fans from multiple wrestling organizations together under one banner. A full weekend built around that identity could potentially include the pay-per-view itself alongside conventions, autograph sessions, fan events and programming involving partner promotions.
Bochicchio did not identify a location, and no AEW event or Forbidden Door date for WrestleMania 43 weekend has been announced. He made clear that any decision on a host city would belong to Khan.
“Well, I mean, I’ll let Tony decide where he wants to hold it,” Bochicchio said. “I think the fans want something like that.”
A Different WrestleMania Week Landscape
The discussion carries added significance because WrestleMania 43 is expected to alter a tradition that has become central to the wrestling business in North America. For years, WrestleMania week has drawn large numbers of fans to a single market, creating an environment where promotions of every size can run shows for audiences already traveling for WWE’s largest event of the year.
Independent wrestling companies have used that traffic to stage some of their most prominent cards. WrestleCon has become a major fixture through its convention activity and wrestler appearances. Fans often plan entire itineraries around wrestling events rather than attending WrestleMania alone, while performers can take advantage of a packed schedule of bookings in one city.
Riyadh hosting WrestleMania means the familiar North American convention-and-independents ecosystem will not automatically be attached to WWE’s event in the same way. That does not mean there will be no wrestling activity around WrestleMania, but it does create uncertainty around how many fans, promotions and independent performers will make the trip and what the broader week will look like.
Foley, who was speaking about plans to reduce his outside appearance schedule in 2027 and prioritize his work with AEW, agreed that the situation creates an opening.
“They do,” Foley said of fans wanting a large wrestling weekend. “I mean, it’s tradition that we have this week-long celebration of wrestling.”
Foley then addressed the prospect of that celebration not taking place in Saudi Arabia.
“No. I know the money might be good but, man, it’s just leaving a very wide space for someone to fill that void.”
His point reflects the potential opportunity for a promoter capable of establishing a substantial North American event during the same period. AEW has the scale, television presence and relationships with other organizations that could make it a leading candidate to attempt something ambitious. Forbidden Door, specifically, is one of the few existing wrestling brands whose purpose already centers on collaboration rather than a single company’s roster.
Why Forbidden Door Fits the Discussion
Forbidden Door’s appeal has always been rooted in possibility. The event offers matchups between wrestlers who generally operate in separate promotions, allowing fans to see clashes that would not be available on typical weekly programming. That makes it especially suited to a weekend intended to attract a broad cross-section of wrestling audiences.
An expanded version of the concept would not necessarily need to duplicate WrestleMania week directly. It could instead lean into the international character suggested by Bochicchio: a gathering that brings together companies, talent and fans from different wrestling cultures. The format could also give participating promotions exposure to audiences that may not ordinarily follow their programming closely.
At this stage, though, the proposal remains just that: a proposal. Bochicchio’s comments were framed as an idea he hopes to pitch to Khan, not confirmation that AEW and WrestleCon have reached an agreement. There has been no announcement regarding a location, participating promotions, a convention partnership or a complete event schedule.
There are also major logistical questions that would need to be answered before such a plan could take shape. A large-scale wrestling weekend requires a host market with sufficient venue options, hotel capacity, travel access and infrastructure for fan events. It would also require calendar coordination among AEW, potential promotional partners and the many wrestlers who could be involved.
The timing itself would be important. Forbidden Door has historically been positioned as a significant AEW event, and moving it to coincide with WrestleMania 43 weekend would represent a notable strategic choice. It could give AEW an opportunity to capitalize on a period when wrestling fans are accustomed to traveling and spending heavily on live entertainment. At the same time, it would mean building an attraction strong enough to stand on its own rather than simply benefiting from the nearby presence of WWE’s flagship show.
AEW Conversations Reportedly Underway
The possibility is not limited to Bochicchio’s public pitch. AEW referee Bryce Remsburg has said that conversations are underway regarding what AEW could do during the period WWE is in Saudi Arabia in April 2027. That comment does not confirm Forbidden Door as the direction AEW will take, but it does indicate the company is considering how to approach a rare change in the wrestling calendar.
That planning matters because WrestleMania 43 is still well in the future, leaving AEW and other promoters time to evaluate their options. The company could choose to run a pay-per-view, a television event, a series of live shows, a fan convention tie-in or something entirely different. It could also decide that Forbidden Door is best left in another part of the year. Nothing has been formally locked in publicly.
Still, the reason the Forbidden Door idea has drawn attention is clear. It offers a recognizable event identity, a history of collaboration, and a premise that can be broadened beyond a single card. If AEW were to build a weekend around it, the event could potentially serve as a destination for fans who want the communal experience traditionally associated with WrestleMania week but do not plan to travel to Riyadh.
For WrestleCon, the issue is equally significant. Its annual presence around WrestleMania has made it part of the wider festival atmosphere, and a domestic wrestling gathering backed by a major promotion could provide a logical setting for conventions and appearances. Bochicchio’s interest in connecting the idea to AEW reflects how closely the convention side of wrestling has become tied to major event weekends.
An Opportunity, Not an Announcement
For now, the key takeaway is that the industry is openly considering the space WrestleMania 43 may leave behind in North America. WWE’s Riyadh event will be historic, but it will also test how much of the traditional WrestleMania-week ecosystem depends on the show being held in the United States or Canada.
AEW has not announced Forbidden Door for that weekend, nor has it confirmed any WrestleCon involvement. Khan has not publicly endorsed Bochicchio’s pitch. The idea nevertheless highlights a potentially major business opportunity: creating a destination wrestling weekend at a time when one of the industry’s most reliable annual gathering points is moving overseas.
If AEW chooses to pursue it, Forbidden Door could be positioned as more than a crossover pay-per-view. It could become the centerpiece of a new kind of wrestling celebration, one built around cooperation between promotions and aimed at fans looking for a major live experience during an unprecedented WrestleMania season.
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.