As we all know, WWE’s WrestleMania is the biggest event on the wrestling calendar drawing in tens of thousands of fans every year.
Over the past 40 events, all have taken place in North America (38 in the United States and twice in Canada) but could recent moves indicate the event may cross the Atlantic?
Sadiq Khan sure hopes so.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan Backs WrestleMania In The UK
During his 2024 re-election bid for the London Mayoralty, incumbent Sadiq Khan asserted his support for WWE bringing WrestleMania to the UK. In the election, Khan would be re-elected by a wide margin.
It comes as part of a broader pledge to reinvigorate the arts, including hosting the SuperBowl and increasing the visibility of women’s football; he notes the last time the UK had a Labour government and mayor, it won its bid for the Olympics and wants to do so again for 2040.
A statement from Khan’s office told The Daily Star: “London has great pedigree in hosting the biggest international sporting events from around the globe – and I’m determined to cement our city’s reputation as the undisputed sports capital of the world, as we work together for a better London for everyone.”
Speaking more broadly the Shadow Culture Secretary Thangam Debbonaire (who would go on to lose her seat in the general election), highlighted the importance of sport in boosting the economy.
She remarked: “I can’t wait to work alongside Sadiq Khan if he’s re-elected as mayor and if there is a Labour Government, championing culture and sports, which do so much to grow the economy, but which also benefit when the economy grows, and people have more money in their pockets to spend on the creative industries, on going to the theatre, and ongoing to sporting occasions.”
The event is one that Wade Barrett said he would come out of retirement for, so the ball is in the WWE bosses’ course for this one!
Two Khans and A Triple H
Shortly after winning a historic third term, Khan met with WWE President Nick Khan and Chief Operating Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque in July.
Sadiq Khan stated: “I’m really excited to have begun conversations about bringing international WrestleMania to London. I know there are many fans in London and across the UK and Europe who are desperate to see WrestleMania live.”
The trio posed for some photoshoots, including the 5’5 Sadiq Khan holding up a miniature WWE title belt replica.
Although rumours have circulated that London could host in 2027, these do not at all seem grounded in reality.
That said, Levesque has described London as a “home away from home” for the promotion.
2020s: The Decade of British Wrestling?
In the past decade, the WWE has made a big expansion to promote British wrestling from the NXT UK scene to the roles bestowed upon William Regal and Johnny Saint.
However, it has really expanded in the 2020s, with the WWE hosting more UK events.
Drew McIntyre can be credited with much of this renovation, becoming the first British-born WWE champion in 2020 and helping bring WWE shows to less frequently visited locations such as Scotland and Wales. Moreover, in 2024, the WWE hosted the marquee Premium Live Event Money In The Bank to the 02.
The 2022 Clash At The Castle event in Cardiff, which drew over 60,000 fans, added over £21 million to the Welsh economy. Many such events have benefitted the local economy, with bed and breakfasts and hotels shooting up their prices in the wake of the event announcements.
One of the main figures cited in the growth of this UK focus is Triple H, who has commented on British wrestling history, saying “There’s always been a great history here, you know, going back to the World of Sport and Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks, William Regal, Adrian Street, Johnny Saint – you name it.”
However, Sadiq and Nick are not the only Khans setting their sights on London, as the city’s Wembley Stadium has become the home of All Elite Wrestling’s All In event. In 2023, the event drew over 81,000 fans and broke the record for tickets sold for a wrestling event.
The promotion has more high-profile British performers than WWE, with the 2024 event seeing British wrestlers like Will Ospreay, Pac, and Mariah May win title belts while Zack Sabre Jr. and Nigel McGuinness also performed. Even non-British stars like MJF cut their teeth in Britain’s LDN Wrestling and Bryan Danielson has commonly cited the influence of British grapplers on his in-ring style.
SummerSlam 1992
No doubt the thoughts of a UK WrestleMania provoke thoughts of SummerSlam 1992.
At that event, held at Wembley, just shy of 80,000 fans (among them Robert Plant) watched on in what was the largest verified audience in wrestling history to that point.
Who can forget the eruption of joy of now-nostalgic memories of The British Bulldog pinning Bret Hart’s shoulders to the mat to become Intercontinental champion?
From a business standpoint, it was a move that made sense as the company both due to The British Bulldog’s presence on the roster and the popularity of wrestling sustaining in Europe while it was declining in the United States. Prior to SummerSlam, two Rampage events were hosted in London and Sheffield respectively and the WWF had hosted the Battle Royal at the Royal Albert Hall.
According to Pro Wrestling Illustrated, the event made over $3.6 million ($8 million or £6.4 million today). The company managed to move nearly $1.5 million in merchandise, the largest amount in revenue made from a WWE event.
For British fans, it was more than just a wrestling PPV.
It was an explosion of colour in an era of the dullness of John Major and the fear of IRA bombings.
It was certainly the biggest thing to hit Britain since the end of televised wrestling and was a massive cultural event, though it remains the only major WWE PPV to come out of the United Kingdom.
Problems With A UK ‘Mania
As much as the support for WrestleMania has been reciprocated, there are a number of push factors that may prevent the WWE from embarking on a WrestleMania there.
From a practical standpoint, hosting a two-day March or April WrestleMania would be made tricky by Britain’s notoriously adverse weather. The wind and rain may hinder the experience for international fans used to the heat of California, Texas, or Florida.
Politically too, it may be a problem. Firstly, it would likely not be WWE’s decision alone but overseen by parent company Endeavor. Secondly, although no longer holding the reigns of power, Vince McMahon’s voice still must hold a great deal of influence and his close relationship with new President Donald Trump may mean ‘Mania stays in the US as a giant money-spinner domestically. Trump has signalled, through his tariff plan, for example, that he would prefer US business to prioritise American interests. Many of Sadiq Khan’s anti-Trump comments too are bound to foster hostilies between relations.
Finally, looking at the economic side of it, Britain is not as capable and willing to provide the tax breaks other American locations may. As The Independent notes, “While there is a promise of big returns when hosting the show, Khan may find it difficult to justify spending money on something that extravagant when the country is in such dire economic straits.”
Elsewhere, in a move unpromising to UK fans, Triple H adds “I always hear about Wembley, I always hear it was such a massive success. It was not. From a business standpoint, it was not. That’s why we didn’t come back.”
Epilogue: WrestleMania in Britain?
In brief, there is obviously a demand for a WrestleMania in Britain. Recent highly-attended wrestling shows demonstrate the sport’s continued popularity in the country while its location makes it more accessible to mainland Europeans.
A UK ‘Mania would certainly fit WWE’s current attempt to make itself seem more of a global megabrand with shows in France, Saudi Arabia, and India. There is nothing the promotion would love more than to be seen as an international entity popular across the globe.
That said, putting the biggest wrestling show of the year in a country on a different continent and one grappling its own economic woes is likely to stall any realistic prospect of the event taking place in London.
While it may just happen one day, for now, those dreaming of a truly seismic wrestling spectacle on British shores must instead settle for SummerSlam 1992.
