WWE WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia: Why I’m sick of the fake outrage
This will be a polarizing column, but I’ve got to say it: I really don’t care at all that WWE is going to Saudi Arabia for WrestleMania in 2027—just like I don’t care that WWE is going to Saudi for the Royal Rumble next year. Quite frankly, I’m a wrestling fan, and I don’t mix politics with entertainment. For me, as long as the show is entertaining and I had fun watching, that’s all that matters.
But for a lot of fans, they immediately condemn WWE for doing business with Saudi Arabia. These are the same fans who, before WWE started its partnership with the Saudi government, couldn’t have cared less about what was going on in that country. The only reason they suddenly care now is because WWE is involved—and because some wrestling reporters decided to mix politics with wrestling. So, no matter how good these shows are, some fans will ultimately crap on them simply because they can’t separate entertainment from politics.
I could understand the outrage when this first started, because the country was dictating who could sit where and who could attend. But now, eight years into the partnership, we can clearly see that real WWE fans are the ones showing up to those events. I wouldn’t even be surprised if they eventually allow fans from outside Saudi Arabia to buy tickets, as the government has been pushing hard to attract more tourism.
Also, let’s be real here: wrestling fans are one of the most toxic fandoms in the world. How many other sports or concerts have held shows in Saudi Arabia without their fans throwing a fit about it? Plenty—and those fans didn’t care because they know how to separate entertainment from politics. They just enjoy the show, even if they don’t agree with the country’s politics.
In the end, Saudi fans deserve WWE in their country just like any other fanbase around the world. And I’ll end with this question: if you were in WWE’s position, would you have taken the deal? Anybody who says “no” is being a hypocrite, because let’s face it—anyone trying to run a successful business would have taken the deal, regardless of politics. So let’s stop pretending this is about “outrage” and just enjoy the product for what it is: entertainment, no matter where it comes from.