WWE Rumors on WrestleMania 43 Cost, McIntyre Addresses Retirement, AEW's Dragunov Talks WWE Exit

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from WWE and AEW.

WrestleMania 43 Cost Reportedly Revealed

WWE is reportedly set to cash in big after bringing WrestleMania 43 to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, next year.

During a recent episode of Wrestling Observer Radio , Dave Meltzer revealed WWE's expected payday for the marquee show.

"I actually just found this out, like this morning. It looks like the WrestleMania price is $150 million," Meltzer said (h/t Steve Carrier of Ringside News). "I knew it was over 100 because people in Saudi Arabia told me it's north of $100 million. [They usually] get 55 [million] to go. It's $150 million for WrestleMania. And that is, you know, you don't want to put that in jeopardy."

WrestleMania 43 is expected to take place on April 10 and April 11, 2027. While it's still far away, there are reportedly questions about whether sporting events in the region will move forward.

"There's a UFC show in Saudi Arabia November 28th or December 5th, which I would say that's in jeopardy," Meltzer said. "There's the Canelo fight, which has not been canceled yet, but there's certainly lots of talk about it."

Still, Meltzer said that WWE will have a hard time walking away from a $150 million payday, regardless of the pushback the company may receive.

Drew McIntyre Addresses Retirement Speculation

Longtime WWE veteran Drew McIntyre has been absent during his recent Hollywood pursuits, but that doesn't mean his wrestling career is nearing its end.

During an appearance on Stephanie McMahon's What's Your Story? podcast, McIntyre made it clear that his budding acting career won't stop him from continuing his run in WWE.

"This is home. I'm not going anywhere," McIntyre said (h/t H. Jenkins of Ringside News). "This is like we have an understanding of talking with Nick and Paul (Levesque) that if something good comes up, we do that. But I'm a full-time wrestler. I just turned 41."

McIntyre hasn't been seen in WWE since losing to Jacob Fatu at WrestleMania 42 in April, as he's turned his attention to filming outside projects, including Highlander and Agent of Shadows .

Still, McIntyre reiterated that he plans to stick around in WWE for the foreseeable future.

"I'm going to be here for years," he said. "So don't expect me to disappear anytime soon."

AEW's Ilja Dragunov Opens Up About WWE Departure

After making his AEW debut at Saturday's WrestleDream pay-per-view, former WWE Superstar Ilja Dragunov had a unique way of explaining why he left his former company.

Dragunov told reporters at the post-show scrum that he wasn't satisfied with the competition level he had previously faced, leading to his decision to join AEW.

"I have this urge to fight. I love to fight, and I want to compete, and I want to step up. If I feel that the air in a certain environment gets thinner for me, I need to breathe. That's what I did today, here," Dragunov said. "If I need a place to breathe new, fresh air, see a new landscape, and see what the world can offer me to satisfy this hunger for competition. That's the easiest answer I can give you to that question."

Dragunov departed WWE after his contract expired in August, and while his AEW debut was in the works for a while, he almost didn't make it. Dave Meltzer reported on Wrestling Observer Radio that visa issues tied to Dragunov's previous WWE employment nearly delayed his coming-out party, but once AEW aired a vignette teasing his arrival, it was clear that it was sorted.

"They had the vignette ready and they knew it was going to be any day now, but they didn't want to put it on if he wasn't going to be at the pay-per-view," Meltzer said (h/t Steve Carrier of Ringside News). "I mean, the plan and the hope absolutely was for him to be on the pay-per-view."

Dragunov's arrival adds an exciting young Superstar to AEW's already impressive roster of talent, and it will be fun to watch his climb to the top.