WWE Rumors on The Rock, WrestleMania in Saudi Arabia, Sol Ruca and Peacock's Offer

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe

The Rock Eyed for Potential WrestleMania-Branded Show in Saudi Arabia

Turki Al-Sheikh, the chairman for Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, had wrestling fans buzzing when he teased last week an impending announcement about a major event in 2027. He didn't rule out the idea when a fan suggested it could be about a future WrestleMania:

Dave Meltzer reported in the newest edition of his Wrestling Observer Newsletter (via Julien D'Alessandro of Wrestling Inc) the general belief within Saudi Arabia is that a WrestleMania show will come to the country.

Meltzer then suggested that The Rock would be at the top of the Saudi organizers' wish list in terms of in-ring talent.

Having WrestleMania in the name of a big Saudi show may not mean it's WrestleMania proper, though. Fightful Select reported in May that WWE could stage a similarly branded event in the country, which would be totally separate from the "Showcase of the Immortals."

WWE has already confirmed the site for WrestleMania 42. It will return to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas in April 2026.

With the company already taking one of its longtime staples (Royal Rumble) to Saudi Arabia in 2026, a WrestleMania in Riyadh certainly seems plausible.

Sol Ruca Could Be on Verge of Main Roster Promotion

Sol Ruca made her SmackDown debut in July before competing in the Evolution premium live event, and she may soon be calling the main roster home.

WrestleVotes Radio (via Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News) reported the current North American women's champion has garnered high praise backstage. Some are ready to put her permanently on Raw or SmackDown.

"There are several people within WWE, some with direct influence on the main roster, who absolutely love Sol Ruca and think the world of her potential," the report said. "While those in NXT would like to keep her around as long as possible, there is a growing sense internally that her time on the main roster is coming and that she is more than ready for the challenge."

Countless stars over the years have thrived on NXT, only to tread water on the main roster because they were called up too early or without a clear plan in mind. Once it's gone, recapturing a wrestler's earlier momentum can be tough.

It's not as though WWE's women's division is suffering from a lack of depth right now, either, and some fans aren't thrilled with how that talent is getting showcased.

Maybe the more patient approach with Ruca is the way to go, especially when there are some engaging feuds she can have in the weeks and months ahead.

Peacock Reportedly Out-Bid for WWE PLE Deal

WWE struck a deal with ESPN reportedly worth more than $1.6 billion over five years to stream premium live events including Royal Rumble and WrestleMania in the domestic market. That will shift PLEs away from Peacock, which absorbed the WWE Network in 2021.

Bryan Alvarez of Wrestling Observer Live reported NBCUniversal offered "in the neighborhood of $275 million per year" to retain the rights to WWE's major shows, which is obviously far less than the $325 million the company will receive from ESPN.

The fate of WWE's video library remains unclear.

Tony Maglio of The Hollywood Reporter reported last week the ESPN agreement was limited to PLEs and didn't include the vast archive WWE owns. A new contract, be it with Peacock or another streaming service, will need to be in place by next March.

Maglio said that "anything is on the table," so getting to keep running the de facto WWE Network would at least help NBCUniversal maintain a massive wealth of historical content.