RIYADH: Professional wrestling has long been a polarising spectacle. Whether labelled a sport, an art for or a scripted show, one thing is now clear: WWE has captured the Saudi market in unprecedented fashion over the past decade.

Originally the home of marquee events outside WWE’s traditional “Big Four” Premium Live Events, such as Crown Jewel, Saudi Arabia quickly became a yearly fixture on the global wrestling calendar after the Saudi General Sports Authority struck a 10-year deal with the company.

2025, however, saw a landmark announcement. For the first time in history, one of WWE’s “Big Four”, the Royal Rumble, would be staged outside North America. Riyadh was confirmed as the host city, with the event headlined by the iconic 30-man and 30-woman Royal Rumble matches, where competitors enter at timed intervals until only one remains.

Months later, WWE confirmed another historic first: Wrestlemania would also make its way to Saudi Arabia, with the 43rd edition set to be held in the Kingdom in 2027.

For local fans, the moment is still difficult to comprehend. Nawaf Al-Hazmi, President of the Voltage Team Fans Association, the world’s first wrestling clan, described the journey as nothing short of surreal.

“If you told me 10 years ago that Wrestlemania would be hosted in Saudi Arabia, I would have laughed,” he said.

“We saw the ‘Greatest Royal Rumble’ take place here in 2018 with 50 wrestlers, but this is the real deal. The Royal Rumble. You see the crowds, they love wrestling here.”

Al-Hazmi is one of the pioneers of wrestling culture in Saudi Arabia and leads the Voltage Team Wrestling Clan, which has grown to more than 1,100 members in the past few years.

“If you see the Tiktok videos ranking the best wrestling crowds in WWE history, Saudi Arabia is always part of the top five,” he said. “In Saudi, we are passionate about various sports — football, F1 — and the same can be said for pro wrestling.”

One of the biggest talking points after WWE’s deal with Saudi Arabia was centred on whether a genuine fan base existed, but Al-Hazmi claims wrestling culture has long been part of Saudi Arabia.

“My father, my grandfather — have watched wrestling for a long time,” he admitted. “From Hulk Hogan to The Ultimate Warrior to Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts. Wrestling has always been part of our culture.”

The passion was reflected in the demand for the Royal Rumble, with more than 700,000 fans waiting in a virtual queue on WeBook when tickets were released.

“In Saudi Arabia, everyone loves wrestling. The passion of the fans is unbelievable,” Al-Hazmi expressed.

The event has also dominated social media discussion due to the rapid construction of the newly unveiled KAFD Arena. After weeks of speculation over the venue, WeBook confirmed the arena would host both Smackdown and the Royal Rumble itself.

“When KAFD Arena was announced, people were surprised,” Al-Hazmi said. “Where would it be? Inside KAFD? How would it work?”

Less than a month later, the venue was complete.

“People on social media thought it was a joke,” he added. “But now you see the stadium, the backdrop. In Saudi Arabia, nothing is impossible.”

The growth of wrestling in Saudi Arabia has not been limited to WWE. Saudi Pro Wrestling (SPW), part of the famous independent wrestling scene, has also seen a sharp rise in interest.

“At our last show, we sold out 400 tickets,” Al-Hazmi said. “We have more than 20 superstars on the roster, over 50 wrestlers training at the academy and even international names coming from the UK, the US and Mexico. Kalisto, a former WWE superstar, is currently one half of the SPW Tag Team Champions.”

The Royal Rumble will take place on January 31, preceded by Smackdown on January 30. Stars including highly popular Sami Zayn will battle for the WWE Undisputed Championship, while Cody Rhodes, Rey Mysterio and Roman Reigns are among the names set to enter the Men's Royal Rumble match.

It has been a long and, at times, controversional journey for professional wrestling in Saudi Arabia. Yet the response from the fans has delivered a clear message: when it comes to hosting the sport’s biggest spectacles, few places can now rival the Kingdom.