Why Bully Ray's 'Not Shocked' About Reports Of WWE Taking WrestleMania To Saudi Arabia

WWE recently announced the location of the first-ever non-North American WrestleMania. No, it's not London. No, it's not anywhere in France. WrestleMania 43 will take place where there is seemingly an endless pool of money, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

The Saudis have been very active in the sports industry in recent years, hosting some of the biggest boxing events, starting a rival league with the PGA, which led to a partnership agreement after a couple of years, and putting on multiple WWE events annually, including next year's Royal Rumble. Now, they get WWE's biggest event in 2027.

Bully Ray speaks on "Busted Open Radio," saying he is not surprised by the move. 

"I'm not shocked at all. Not that I expected it, I'm just not shocked because of what the WWE is doing with their ticket prices. People are now getting to the point where they're b*****n,' moaning, complaining about the ticket prices. It seems like little by little, the average family, the average joe, is struggling to afford tickets to a WWE show despite the fact that they're sold out. But, it's getting more difficult. Eventually, you're gonna cap out, and people aren't gonna be able to afford your show, and you're gonna start seeing empty seats."

Ray goes on to state the obvious – that money is no issue for the Saudi government. 

"Where is money not an issue? Money is not an issue there [Saudi]," Ray said. "Saudi, it's gonna be the first time WrestleMania is on that side of the planet. The Saudi government is gonna pay out the wazoo, and they won't blink an eye."

While money may not be an issue for Saudi Arabia, it seems money is all that WWE and TKO have on their minds. At the expense of authenticity and fan loyalty, WWE's bottom line speaks louder than the legacy of the sport. 

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit the "Busted Open Radio" podcast and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for transcription.