Eric Bischoff Calls WrestleMania 43 Move to Saudi Arabia “Disappointing” – Eric Bischoff has shared his thoughts on WWE’s controversial decision to host WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia, marking the first time the company’s biggest event will take place outside of North America. While recognizing the business logic behind the move, the WWE Hall of Famer and former WCW President admitted he was “a little disappointed” and warned that the decision would likely come at a “cost.”
The announcement is part of TKO’s broader strategy to maximize revenue by encouraging cities and countries to bid for hosting rights to WWE’s major premium live events. While financially lucrative, the deal has sparked backlash among fans who view WrestleMania as a tradition deeply rooted in American culture.
Speaking on his 83 Weeks podcast, Bischoff reflected on the mixed emotions surrounding the decision and compared it to Vince McMahon’s reported reluctance to take WrestleMania overseas.
“It’s the evolution of the business. It’s reality. TKO is a publicly held company. They have a responsibility to the shareholders who are part owners of the company to deliver the biggest return they can to the bottom line. It’s just a fact of life, especially for a publicly held company, but it’s also breaking a tradition, and I can relate to Vince’s concern,” Bischoff said. “Professional wrestling truly is an American phenomenon. Yes, it’s taken place all over the world and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, technically speaking, but it really is an American phenomenon. It’s uniquely American. And to take it outside of the country. Canada doesn’t count. It’s just like another state. It’s just a big state, but it’s just another state, and it’s easily accessible by people in the United States for the most part. So taking it to the other side of the planet is a big move, and it’s going to come with a cost.”
Bischoff continued, “You’re going to have people disappointed in this decision. It’s probably going to get some negative publicity because, well, that’s just the way people are, particularly in social media. To me, really, it’s a little bit of both. It’s inevitable for a publicly held company for the reasons that Raj pointed out, but it’s also a little disappointing for me. I relate to Vince’s hesitancy. Let’s put it that way.”
The former WCW President also voiced concerns about rising ticket prices for WWE events, another revenue-focused strategy under TKO. Bischoff stressed that the long-term success of wrestling has been tied to its accessibility as family entertainment, and pricing out those fans could harm the business in years to come.
“One of the reasons that professional wrestling, as we know it, in the United States and around the world, has been as successful as it has since the beginning of television time, is because it’s family entertainment. It’s a generational experience… But what happens 15 years from now, when all of a sudden the kids that used to come to the events with their parents now have kids, and they can’t afford it? It’s just too much. So that would be my concern. I think again, I sound like a Vince McMahon agent here, but I think I would have voted with Vince on this one. I think you have to make a decision, in my opinion, to remain family friendly in the context of making it affordable so parents can bring their kids, and it’s something that you can all enjoy together, because there’s not a lot of that left.”
Eric Bischoff Calls WrestleMania 43 Move to Saudi Arabia “Disappointing”
