Last week, it was announced that WrestleMania 43 will be taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Recently, a WWE Hall of Famer shared his disappointment about this announcement. It was none other than wrestling legend Eric Bischoff.
While speaking on a recent episode of the 83 Weeks podcast, Eric Bischoff mentioned that he is disappointed that the biggest WWE show of the year is going to take place on the opposite side of the world. Bischoff is convinced that professional wrestling is an ‘American phenomenon.’
“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.”
WrestleMania taking place in Saudi Arabia could lead to negative publicity
During the same episode, Bischoff shared that this decision could disappoint fans and could also lead to a lot of negative publicity.
“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.
“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.”
Eric Bischoff feels WrestleMania moving out of the United States of America could put an end to a family tradition
Bischoff fears that if it becomes a tradition of the Grandest Stage of them All taking place on a foreign land, many American fans may not be able to afford the trip in the future. Thus, it could put an end to the tradition of families coming to the arenas to watch WrestleMania every year.
“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.”
Read More: The Reaction To WWE WrestleMania 43 Is Overwhelmingly Negative
Do you agree with Eric Bischoff?
