Why did WWE hold off on announcing WrestleMania 43 dates at Crown Jewel 2026?
(Courtesy : WWE)
WWE Crown Jewel in Riyadh was the best opportunity to make the announcement.
Speculations were made that the dates of WrestleMania 43 could finally be revealed at Crown Jewel 2026. While the PLE on November 7 was a significant event, where Roman Reigns would go up against Sami Zayn, Cody Rhodes would fight Randy Orton in a Last Man Standing match, and other championship matches, there was no mention of ‘Mania’ dates.
Although Riyadh was the original venue declared for WrestleMania 43, the announcement during the November 7 PLE made much sense. Reporter Dave Meltzer gave his opinion about the possible delay as fans are eagerly waiting for the ‘mega announcement’.
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Possible reason WWE did not announce WrestleMania 43 dates
Reporter Dave Meltzer discussed the missing announcement during the November 8 edition of Wrestling Observer Radio. While Bryan Alvarez questioned why the TKO-owned firm had not revealed the dates despite holding Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia, Meltzer suggested that the delay could be connected to AEW and its plans for a competing event.
Meltzer explained that WWE might be deliberately keeping the dates private to limit the time available to AEW President Tony Khan to organise a rival show during WrestleMania weekend.
“It’s the same reason why we didn’t have a Royal Rumble date until a couple days ago. It’s all political jockeying. You want to not confirm it until.
Especially now, because it’s like, they don’t have to sell tickets. So it’s like, what’s the point in confirming it months ahead? Normally you would give the date so you could sell tickets and people can make arrangements to go and all that.”
Meltzer further explained that the Stamford-based promotion might want to keep AEW guessing for as long as possible, considering the possibility of Tony Khan organising a competing event.
“So it’s just a question of, you know, they don’t want it out and keep people guessing because obviously everyone expects Tony Khan to do a, you know, a competitive show head to head, and they want to give him as little. I mean, they’re going to have to announce it a couple months ahead, but they don’t. Maybe they don’t want to announce it six months ahead. Who knows?”
The veteran wrestling journalist also pointed out that the company does not face the same immediate ticket-selling pressure for the mega event that it would normally have for an event in the United States. Since the show will take place in Riyadh, international travel arrangements may not begin immediately after the dates are announced.
Discussing the possibility of April 10 and 11, 2027, as the event dates, Meltzer added:
“If they announced. Let’s say they announced April 10th and 11th, which is probably when it’s going to be. How many people do you think in the United States, Canada, Mexico, even Europe are going to be Russian tomorrow to set up their plane flights to go to Saudi Arabia April 10th and 11th. The number isn’t going to be large. So there’s no point in announcing it right now.”
While the company has not publicly stated that it is delaying the announcement to restrict AEW’s planning, it could be one of the reasons, considering their rivalries and clashing events in recent weeks.
Dates when WWE and AEW schedules could clash
The TKO-owned promotion recently opened up a plan till February 2027. The upcoming wrestling calendar already features several dates when WWE and AEW events will take place on the same day or in close proximity. With WrestleMania 43 expected in April 2027, Tony Khan could use these opportunities to test the market for a competing show.
During the December schedule, Australia Live Tour by the Stamford-based promotion is colliding with AEW Dynamite/Collision on December 9. Then there are New Year’s Day events that have matching dates, impacting the Wrestling fans’ distribution.
The most interesting scheduling window will be February 6 and 7, when the Stamford-based promotion will present the 40th annual Royal Rumble at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, followed by AEW Dynasty at M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool the next day. Although the two events will not take place in the same city or on the same date, the back-to-back schedule will create a busy weekend for wrestling fans.
The bigger question remains WrestleMania 43 weekend. There is confirmation over the venue as Riyadh was named the host city for its 2027 show, with significant commercial profits already in news. .
Why did WWE not announce WrestleMania 43 dates at Crown Jewel 2026?
According to Dave Meltzer, the Stamford-based promotion could be holding back the announcement to limit the time AEW President Tony Khan has to organise a competing event during WrestleMania weekend. However, WWE has not confirmed this as the reason for the delay.
When is WrestleMania 43 expected to take place?
April 10 and 11, 2027, are the dates suggested by Dave Meltzer and previously reported as a likely weekend. However, there is no official announcement on the dates.
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