While the wrestling titan WWE has not officially announced the venue for WrestleMania 41, reports from trusted wrestling insiders suggest Minneapolis, Minnesota, home of the Minnesota Vikings NFL team, is being “heavily discussed” as the likely host.
This potential move reveals a key shift in WWE’s location strategy as it seeks to expand the range of its high-profile events to other areas in the United States and beyond.
According to Fightful Select, U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis could become the heart of the wrestling world. WWE views this venue as a “world-class location,” with a seating capacity of 73,000 for football games, which could be expanded for a wrestling event with floor seating. This choice aligns with WWE’s approach to selecting significant venues. For instance, the WrestleMania XL scheduled for April 6-7, 2024, is set to take place at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
However, Minneapolis hosting WrestleMania 41 may disappoint fans expecting London to be the chosen venue, especially following John Cena’s fervent appeal during the Money in the Bank pay-per-view last month. Despite this, it seems a while before the British capital might host a WrestleMania, much to the chagrin of international fans who have long awaited the event’s arrival on European shores.
The decision to consider Minneapolis isn’t arbitrary. Hosting a WWE pay-per-view is a tremendous deal. Multiple cities all over the world have bid to secure a premium WWE live event, with WrestleMania known to generate substantial economic impact. WrestleMania 38 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, for instance, produced a staggering $206.5 million in terms of economic impact for the city and surrounding area. Consequently, the allure of hosting WrestleMania extends far beyond the realm of sports, morphing into a highly coveted event.
Apart from the gargantuan financial success, WrestleMania has evolved into a must-see spectacle beyond being just a mere wrestling event. Its appeal lies in attracting high-profile names, with Logan Paul, Bad Bunny, and WWE-turned-Hollywood star John Cena, gracing recent WrestleManias, thus sparking interest among cities to host the grand event.
The thrill doesn’t stop at WrestleMania, however. Speculations about other significant WWE events like the Royal Rumble 2024 have also surfaced. Reports suggest Florida might be the chosen state, with Orlando and the Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg as potential locations.
While the anticipation for WrestleMania 41 continues, WWE fans have much to look forward to. Next year’s WrestleMania XL in Philadelphia is expected to host over 80,000 fans each night of the two-night event. Fans speculate a riveting rematch between Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes, a sequel to this year’s WrestleMania 39 main event, might be the main attraction. However, the official confirmation for the event’s main match is yet to be announced.
Other major cities with rumored links to future WrestleMania include Las Vegas, which hosted the Money in the Bank last year, and Nashville, which welcomed nearly 50,000 fans for SummerSlam the following month. Despite these rumors, it’s worth noting that no city, including Minneapolis, has been officially confirmed by WWE as the host of WrestleMania 41.
But, if we were to speculate, the WWE is probably waiting for the results of AEW All-In in London. If, by any chance, it’s as successful as the numbers say it will be, the WWE might reconsider making London host WrestleMania 41.
And, before you say that the WWE isn’t as petty as that, let’s not forget about the Bray Wyatt DLC for WWE 2K23 dropping close to when AEW: Fight Forever came out.
