Eric Bischoff believes the Sphere in Las Vegas is WWE’s backup plan for WrestleMania 43, which is scheduled for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in April 2027.
Bischoff discussed it on the latest episode of 83 Weeks after co-host Conrad Thompson raised the idea. Thompson said he noticed three or four posts from Triple H over the weekend about visiting the Sphere, including a Metallica concert and The Wizard of Oz, and pointed out that Riyadh Season sponsored UFC’s 2024 event at the Sphere.
“It makes all the sense in the world, so much so that it’d be hard for me to believe that that’s not happening as we speak,” Bischoff said. “It’s too easy. It’s just too easy and too smart, and it’s certainly not a less than because you’re going to get a whole different vibe. So, very freaking cool.”
Bischoff said he isn’t hoping WWE has to use it.
“I don’t hope it happens. Obviously, for business reasons and all that, and you know, world peace and all that stuff. Throw that in there too, just as a side note,” Bischoff said. “But I hope this doesn’t happen. But if it does, and this ends up in the Sphere, it’ll be outstanding.”
Eric Bischoff: ‘You Have To Have A Plan B’
“I’ll be shocked if it’s not the case. I mean, you got to have a backup. We don’t know what’s going to happen,” Bischoff said.
Bischoff said Real American Freestyle, the freestyle wrestling league he launched with Hulk Hogan, is keeping an eye on the situation ahead of its upcoming event in Abu Dhabi because of concerns about missiles from Iran, and that he has read things may be even more active in Saudi Arabia.
“So it’s a scary situation, but you have to have a plan B,” Bischoff said. “And in the case of WrestleMania, I mean, this sounds like a perfect plan B. If it happens, it won’t be a bad thing.”
When Thompson said Triple H doesn’t usually post personal things like that over and over, Bischoff answered, “Pattern recognition, my friend. Pattern recognition.”
Eric Bischoff on visiting the Sphere
Bischoff said he and his wife, Lori, went to the Sphere about a year ago to see its showcase film from Darren Aronofsky, who directed The Wrestler. He said the experience was so immersive that he told Lori, “Somebody is going to have to do professional wrestling here.”
“It just lends itself to the larger than life characters, and also because the physicality is suitable,” Bischoff said. “You could produce it, make it look amazing. So I hope it happens in my own way.”
WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia
WWE announced in September 2025 that WrestleMania 43 will take place in Riyadh as part of Riyadh Season. WWE has not announced the exact dates.
Fightful Select reported this month that WWE has a backup plan, with a U.S. venue the likely option, if Crown Jewel can’t take place in Saudi Arabia. A new US intelligence memo on Iran has added to the security concerns ahead of Crown Jewel on Saturday, November 7, in Riyadh. WWE has not announced any change to that show.
WWE has not commented on any backup plan for WrestleMania 43.
Analysis:
The Sphere makes sense as a backup on paper. WWE already knows Las Vegas, the building is a tourist attraction on its own, and the production possibilities would make it feel like a special event rather than a fallback.
The catch is size. The Sphere seats about 17,600, a fraction of a stadium crowd, and WWE would need months to build graphics for those screens. Triple H’s posts prove nothing on their own, but if WWE ever needs to move WrestleMania out of Saudi Arabia on short notice, this is the kind of venue that could work.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit 83 Weeks with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
