I just finished watching WWE’s latest press conference, and honestly? I’m not sure whether to laugh, cry, or cancel every streaming subscription tied to wrestling at once.
Because what they basically admitted, without ever saying it outright, is that WWE has officially cashed out its soul.
It feels less like a wrestling company and more like watching someone bulldoze their childhood home while insisting it’s a “remodel.”
WrestleMania 43: London’s Loss, Saudi Arabia’s Gain
Triple H and company stood there with corporate smiles, proudly announcing the big news:
WrestleMania 43 is heading to Saudi Arabia.
Not London, despite John Cena practically begging for it on TV. Not anywhere accessible to the majority of fans. Instead, it’s Riyadh, because money talks louder than history or passion.
This isn’t about tradition, fan demand, or the “global stage.” It’s about Saudi Arabia offering a check so massive, reportedly in the hundreds of millions, that London, or any other city, never stood a chance.
If you needed proof that WrestleMania is now a corporate bidding war instead of a fan celebration, this is it.
Vince McMahon… the Soft One?
Here’s where things get even stranger. In a recent interview, TKO’s Mark Shapiro basically said Vince McMahon, yes, that Vince, was too soft on ticket prices.
Let that sink in. The man who spent decades being portrayed as wrestling’s cartoon villain is now apparently the one who “left money on the table” because he cared about families being able to afford tickets.
And WWE’s new strategy? “Optimize” pricing even higher. Translation: record-breaking stadium gates still aren’t enough. Fans will pay more because management knows they can squeeze harder.
From $9.99 to a Streaming Scavenger Hunt
Remember the glory days of the WWE Network? One app. $9.99. Done.
Now, in 2025, being a full WWE fan feels like a part-time job. Raw is moving to Netflix. Pay-per-views are stuck on ESPN+. Archives are buried on Peacock. SmackDown’s future? Probably Amazon.
It’s like McDonald’s selling the burger at one location, the fries at another, and the drink at a third. To follow WWE, you now need a spreadsheet, three credit cards, and maybe even a financial advisor.
John Cena’s Farewell: Sold to the Highest Bidder
John Cena’s retirement match should have been the easiest call in the world: Boston, his hometown, his fans. Instead? Washington D.C. gets the moment.
Why? Because D.C. wrote the bigger check. At this point, it feels less like booking and more like auctioneering.
WWE vs. AEW: Not Competition, Just Control
Lurking behind all of this is WWE’s obsession with AEW. The overlapping venues, the counter-programming, the talent raids, none of it screams “healthy competition.”
This is about monopoly. If AEW goes under, wrestlers lose leverage. Salaries drop. WWE can dictate whatever contracts they want while the billion-dollar payouts keep flowing to the top.
Legends for Sale
And then there’s Saudi Arabia’s other favorite trick: dragging legends out of retirement.
Shawn Michaels, who swore he’d never wrestle again, returned for Saudi. The Undertaker kept coming back. Kane dusted off the mask.
Now rumors swirl about The Rock and Steve Austin being tempted too, not because of fan demand, but because Riyadh is willing to pay $200 million. In WWE’s 2025, a “final farewell” only lasts until the next big check clears.
So What is WWE Now?
WrestleMania in Saudi Arabia. Higher ticket prices. Fragmented streaming. Cena’s farewell sold to the highest bidder. AEW being undercut just to tighten WWE’s grip. Legends returning not for the fans, but for the money.
At this point, WWE isn’t even pretending to be “for the fans.” The question they’re testing is simple: how far can we push before fans finally stop paying?
And bizarrely enough, in this new era of corporate WWE, Vince McMahon, of all people, looks like the good guy by comparison.
I grew up loving this company. Now, it feels like I’m watching them auction off every single piece of what made wrestling magical in the first place.