WWE's New Deal Threatens WrestleMania's Dominance

WrestleMania has been World Wrestling Entertainment’s (WWE) flagship pay-per-view (PPV) event for decades and every wrestler on their roster would certainly have dreamt of headlining the event at some point in their careers. But only a few are granted the privilege of shining on the grandest stage of them all.

Even for the WWE Universe, WrestleMania is the most anticipated event of the year and to get a ticket for the showpiece event is certainly a major coup. The spectacle is unlike any other and in terms of revenue, there is no other PPV event that generates more for the promotion than WrestleMania.

But according to Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer, that has changed after WWE’s tie-up with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia in 2018. WrestleMania is no longer the most lucrative event on their calendar.

The larger than life shows that were held in Saudi Arabia are said to bring in more money for the promotion as compared to any other PPV run in the United States. And that is owing to a guaranteed fee that is paid by the Saudi Arabia organizers in advance of the show, which is not the norm at other PPV events.

WWE organized the Greatest Royal Rumble event in April last year in Saudi Arabia and then followed it up with the Crown Jewel event in November. The first event saw Triple H take on John Cena in one of the main events, while Shawn Michaels made his in-ring return in November to take on the Undertaker and Kane alongside fellow D-Generation X member Triple H in a tag team match.

There rumors rife that WWE could be looking at increasing the number of events they hold in the Arab nation especially since it is a very lucrative market. But despite the popularity, only male wrestlers are allowed to travel as the country does not allow women wrestlers to compete in the squared circle.

WWE’s executive vice-president of talent and live events Paul Levesque – in-ring name Triple H – admits it is a controversial topic. However, he defended their participation by claiming a different culture does not mean it is “irrelevant”.

Triple H revealed that they are holding discussions with Saudi Arabia about allowing women to compete and is hopeful that in the future the Women’s division will also be able to showcase their talent inside the squared circle.

“I understand that people are questioning it, but you have to understand that every culture is different and just because you don’t agree with a certain aspect of it, it doesn’t mean it’s not a relevant culture,” Triple H said in April prior to the Crown Jewel event, as quoted by TLR Wrestling.

“You can’t dictate to a country or a religion about how they handle things but, having said that, WWE is at the forefront of a women’s evolution in the world and what you can’t do is affect change anywhere by staying away from it. While, right now, women are not competing in the event, we have had discussions about that and we believe and hope that in the next few years they will be,” he added.