TKO President Mark Shapiro Addresses Decision To Run Back-To-Back WWE WrestleMania Events In Las Vegas: ‘Maybe It’s A Mistake That I Made Because Vegas Was So Huge Last Year’

WWE

TKO President Mark Shapiro has suggested that the decision to run WWE WrestleMania in Las Vegas twice in two years may have been “a mistake”.

The comments came in an interview that was recorded in the run-up to WrestleMania 42 on April 18 & 19 this year, with Mark Shapiro revealing why Las Vegas got a second shot at the PLE, despite New Orleans previously being announced as the host.

Talking about long-term sustained growth for WWE with Yahoo Finance, the TKO President revealed that he was instrumental in the decision to run WrestleMania in Las Vegas again, though noted the drawbacks of the choice, saying:

“Vegas is two years in a row with WrestleMania 42. Some of the challenges we had there, usually we move WrestleMania year after year to a new spot, and that allows us to obviously grow and see the kind of economic impact we would expect.

“Maybe it’s a mistake that I made, because Vegas was so huge last year and such a winner for our fans and the product that I said to Nick Khan, who runs the WWE, ‘We’ve got to go back to Vegas next year. We have to move New Orleans down the road, and we’ve got to come back to Vegas.’

“Las Vegas, I don’t need to tell you, is the mecca for great events. More and more events are moving there. Music has residencies, and more and more sports teams, as evidenced by the NHL and soon-to-be Major League Baseball, are popping up there with teams to come. Obviously, the Raiders are a massive success in Las Vegas.

“So, obviously, no regrets on going back there, but the only reason you’re hearing some of ‘Hey, it’s not what it was last year’, is because we’re not benefitting from the first mover experience.”

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When it comes to future plans for WrestleMania, Shapiro would indicate that it will return to the “OG” pattern of different host cities every year, looking ahead to next year’s PLE, stating:

“It’s gonna go back to its OG ways of a new spot every year. In fact, in 2027, we’re going far away from the US. We’re going to Saudi Arabia for WrestleMania, so that’s going to be a massive, massive show.

“They’re actually doing three shows this year in Saudi.  Three other events in anticipation, building up… back to your question, how do you build the following? Well, have more events.

So, Saudi Arabia is doing three events this year. The following is just going to get bigger, right? The avidity is just going to grow, fan avidity. And then, next year, you bring the ultimate show to town, and that should be just a tremendous spectacle.”

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For those curious, “avidity” refers to an extreme state of enthusiasm or eagerness, something that fans clearly feel towards.

A previous report has stated that WrestleMania 43 wasn’t always set for Saudi Arabia, with New Nissan Stadium in Nashville being reported as the scrapped host for the 2027 event.

Fan Avidity? More Like Fan Lividity

Fans weren’t happy about WrestleMania 42, but it seemed to have less to do with the location and more to do with the ticket prices.

In the run-up to WrestleMania 42, a WWE higher-up shared their thoughts on the ticket prices for the two-night Premium Live Event, saying, “Are they inclined to pay ten gazillion dollars for tickets?” Ticket prices would reportedly drop ahead of the show, although the damage was arguably already done.

While WWE was able to tout that WrestleMania 42 was “one of the highest-grossing events“, the show saw an attendance of 106,072 across both nights, compared to the 2025 draw of 124,693. It’s easier to gross higher when charging more, yet it’ll be quite the ask to expect the fans who eagerly attended this two-night event to make a return, particularly in the current less-than-favorable economic climate. For some, WrestleMania may be an “at any costs” proposition, but the real world still bears down when it comes to financial burdens.

WrestleMania 42 saw “tickets purchased from all 50 states and more than 69 countries” according to the aforementioned statement. Whether next year’s event in Saudi Arabia will see the same level of enthusiasm from the global audience remains to be seen.

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• las vegas
• Mark Shapiro
• Nick Khan
• TKO
• WrestleMania
• wwe

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