Last summer at Money in the Bank, John Cena thrilled WWE fans in the U.K. by saying he’d try his best to get a WrestleMania in London. While it was an idea that certainly played well to that crowd, it’s one that looks like it will have to wait, as WWE has no plans to host a WrestleMania outside North America any time soon.
The same goes for the other “Big Five” premium live events: Royal Rumble, SummerSlam, Survivor Series and Money in the Bank. Speaking at the CAA World Congress of Sports in Los Angeles on Wednesday, WWE president Nick Khan explained that the plan in place is to keep WWE’s biggest marquee events in North America while holding other PLEs in international markets where possible (h/t Sports Business Journal).
“We sat down together a few years ago and decided, so the big five premium live events … should be in the United States or Canada,” Khan said. “All of the other events, the goal is to have them from international locations.”
WWE made its first steps toward more international PLEs over the last two years, holding Clash at the Castle in Wales in the fall of 2022 and the aforementioned Money in the Bank in England last summer. Its strategy has really kicked into high gear this year, with three upcoming shows scheduled for international markets: Backlash in France in May, Clash at the Castle in Scotland in June, and Bash in Berlin in August. Those are on top of the two annual Saudi Arabian events WWE has done for several years, only one of which (King and Queen of the Ring on May 25) has so far been announced for 2024.
While WWE has been enjoying record-setting success almost every time its held an international PLE as of late, there are factors working against an overseas WrestleMania — not the least of which is the time zone factor, which would mean either using an unusual local start to keep the two-night event in its normal Saturday and Sunday time slot in the U.S. or seeing if fans would watch in the same numbers at an unusual time here.
WWE has yet to announce the location or date of WrestleMania 41, with Minneapolis and Las Vegas said to be among the cities under consideration.
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