On May 4, WWE announced that WrestleMania 41 would be held in Las Vegas. The news came as a departure from the buzz that Minnesota would host the show. Minnesota had been a front-runner. Las Vegas became the favorite in the weeks leading into WWE Backlash. A Minnesota group stated that the shift came due to a change in direction by new leadership.
Mike Johnson of PWInsider reports that, prior to WWE’s deal with Endeavor, the company had been eyeing New Orleans, Las Vegas, and Orlando, Florida as the front-runners to host WrestleMania in the next few years. Johnson stated that this had been the plan when WWE EVP of Live Events John Saboor was still with the company. Saboor left WWE in 2023.
Update On WrestleMania In Minnesota, London
The report notes that Minnesota made a “major bid.” It ooked likely to land WrestleMania before the Endeavor deal, but the new ownership wanted Las Vegas. Johnson writes that they felt that it was a “more prestigious market,” citing UFC’s strong relationship with the city.
Furthermore, Johnson notes that, per sources, Orlando and New Orleans are not guaranteed to host WrestleMania in the future, despite their previous standing as front-runners. The report states that, going forward, consideration for WrestleMania host cities will be mostly based on the amount of money WWE can get from rights fees and government bidding.
Additionally, Johnson writes that WWE President Nick Khan and his team would be “extremely receptive” to the idea of London potentially hosting WrestleMania, if the city is willing to pay the price. Johnson reiterates that the priority for WWE is to maximize profits.
WrestleZone will provide more information as it becomes available.
