The recent announcement that WrestleMania 43 will be held in Saudi Arabia has been met with a wide range of reactions from fans. WWE Hall of Famer and former WCW President Eric Bischoff has now weighed in, stating that while he understands the business reality behind the decision, he is “a little disappointed” and believes there will be a “cost” to taking WWE’s biggest event outside of North America for the first time.
The move is part of WWE’s larger strategy under TKO to maximize revenue by having cities and countries bid for the rights to host their major premium live events. While the deal is sure to be incredibly lucrative, it has also drawn criticism from fans who feel that WrestleMania is an American tradition.
Speaking on his 83 Weeks podcast, Bischoff explained that he can relate to the reported hesitancy of Vince McMahon to make such a move. “It’s the evolution of the business. It’s reality. TKO is a publicly held company. They have a responsibility to the shareholders who are part owners of the company to deliver the biggest return they can to the bottom line. It’s just a fact of life, especially for a publicly held company, but it’s also breaking a tradition, and I can relate to Vince’s concern. Professional wrestling truly is an American phenomenon. Yes, it’s taken place all over the world and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, technically speaking, but it really is an American phenomenon. It’s uniquely American. And to take it outside of the country. Canada doesn’t count. It’s just like another state. It’s just a big state, but it’s just another state, and it’s easily accessible by people in the United States for the most part. So taking it to the other side of the planet is a big move, and it’s going to come with a cost.”
He added, “You’re going to have people disappointed in this decision. It’s probably going to get some negative publicity because, well, that’s just the way people are, particularly in social media. To me, really, it’s a little bit of both. It’s inevitable for a publicly held company for the reasons that Raj pointed out, but it’s also a little disappointing for me. I relate to Vince’s hesitancy. Let’s put it that way.”
Bischoff also addressed the rising ticket prices for WWE events, another move that is part of TKO’s strategy to maximize revenue. He expressed concern that this could have a negative long-term impact on the business by pricing out the families that have been the bedrock of wrestling’s audience for generations.
“One of the reasons that professional wrestling, as we know it, in the United States and around the world, has been as successful as it has since the beginning of television time, is because it’s family entertainment. It’s a generational experience… But what happens 15 years from now, when all of a sudden the kids that used to come to the events with their parents now have kids, and they can’t afford it? It’s just too much. So that would be my concern. I think again, I sound like a Vince McMahon agent here, but I think I would have voted with Vince on this one. I think you have to make a decision, in my opinion, to remain family friendly in the context of making it affordable so parents can bring their kids, and it’s something that you can all enjoy together, because there’s not a lot of that left.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit AdFreeShows.com with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
