TKO's Shapiro Says WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia Is Not at Risk
Summary: TKO President Mark Shapiro said on the company's Nov. 4 earnings call that WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia is at "no more risk than it ever was," and that half the payment is already in.
The quick version
- Shapiro spoke during the question-and-answer part of the TKO earnings call on Nov. 4.
- He said WWE has been paid half of the Saudi fee up front and would still collect the rest if the show moved.
- He said a long list of mostly U.S. cities is ready as a fallback. No WrestleMania 43 date has been announced.
TKO Group Holdings President Mark Shapiro told investors on Nov. 4 that he does not see WrestleMania 43 leaving Saudi Arabia. WWE's parent company held its earnings call that day, and Shapiro was asked directly whether the war in the Middle East puts the April 2027 show at risk.
First reported by Fightful, which transcribed the call. Wrestling Inc. followed on Nov. 5.
What he said
Shapiro gave a short answer first: "I would tell you that the risk is extremely minimal," according to Fightful's transcript. He added that TKO has "staged all of our events in the Middle East flawlessly" this year and that three events are left in 2026, starting with Crown Jewel on Saturday, Nov. 7.
On money, he said: "we have already been paid half upfront and received the funds from our partners in Saudi." He also said the show "would never be cancelled," and that if it had to move, TKO would still receive the second half of the payment.
On a fallback, he said there is "a long list of cities, primarily in the U.S., that we would move a WrestleMania to." He said a last-minute move would not bring the usual sponsorship money, "but nonetheless, we'd get the sell-out." His closing line was: "frankly, we're not concerned."
Shapiro also pointed to remarks that day from the Vice President about wrapping up the conflict in Iran as a reason for his confidence, according to the transcript.
What is not known
- No date or venue has been announced for WrestleMania 43. Fightful notes the dates are still to come.
- Shapiro did not name any backup city.
- We have not seen a separate WWE statement on WrestleMania 43 plans.
Where this sits
Crown Jewel is the next test. WWE's own preview page lists the show for Saturday, Nov. 7, at noon ET, and the event has already moved indoors (see our story on the Crown Jewel card). Shapiro's comments are the first time we have seen TKO address WrestleMania 43 directly since that move.
What to watch
Watch for a WrestleMania 43 date announcement and for how Crown Jewel plays out this weekend. Both will tell fans more than an earnings call can.
Source: Fightful's transcript of the TKO earnings call, with Wrestling Inc.'s report. Quotes are from Fightful's transcript. Nothing in this story is a rumor.
Sources
- Fightful (Andrew Thompson), "TKO President Speaks About Chances Of WWE WrestleMania 43 Moving From Saudi Arabia: 'We Have Already Been Paid Half Upfront'", Nov. 4, 2026 (transcript of Shapiro's answer). https://www.fightful.com/wrestling-news/tko-president-speaks-about-chances-of-wwe-wrestlemania-43-moving-from-saudi-arabia-we-have-already-been-paid-half-upfront
- Wrestling Inc. (Eric Mutter), "TKO's Mark Shapiro Addresses Chances Of WWE WrestleMania 43 Moving From Saudi Arabia", Nov. 5, 2026. https://www.wrestlinginc.com/2308453/tko-mark-shapiro-wwe-wrestlemania-42-moving-saudi-arabia-half-upfront/
- WWE.com, "Roman Reigns to battle Sami Zayn at WWE Crown Jewel" (Crown Jewel 2026 preview page), for the Nov. 7 date and time. https://www.wwe.com/shows/wwe-crown-jewel/crown-jewel-2026
- WrestlingNews.com staff reporting: compared the two reports and checked that the quotes match Fightful's transcript. We did not hear the call ourselves.
How we credit sources: Editorial standards.