Add as a preferred source on Google The decision to move WrestleMania 42 out of New Orleans and bring it back to Las Vegas remains a target of criticism, but TKO does not appear to regret the move.
Speaking with Yahoo Finance, TKO president Mark Shapiro admitted he may have made a mistake by pushing for a return to Allegiant Stadium, but made it clear he would not take it back. According to him, the previous Las Vegas edition was so strong for the fans and the product that he took the idea of running it back directly to Nick Khan.
“Maybe that was my mistake, because Vegas was huge last year. I said to Nick Khan, ‘We have to go back to Vegas next year. We have to push New Orleans and go back to Vegas.’ No regrets.”
TKO's Mark Shapiro says he doesn't regret moving WrestleMania 42 back to Las Vegas.
— Fightful Wrestling (@Fightful) May 18, 2026
“WWE, UFC, PBR — in today’s economic climate and obviously a lot going on from a geopolitical perspective and a lot going on at home from an affordability perspective, we’re still seeing massive… pic.twitter.com/BvWpZZy2hb
WrestleMania 42 was originally announced for the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on April 11 and 12, 2026. WWE itself had confirmed the city with an appearance by The Rock before plans changed.
Despite the drop from the previous year, WWE announced a total attendance of 106,072 across the two nights, along with a record 32 commercial partners and more than 1.3 billion views on social media. The company also described the event as one of the most profitable in its history.
According to Shapiro, the difference from 2025 is simple: WWE was no longer benefiting from the novelty factor. Even so, he called Las Vegas the “mecca of big events” and stressed that WrestleMania 42 outperformed any other possible market.
It remains to be seen when New Orleans will host the Showcase of the Immortals again. WWE’s official promise is that the city remains in the plans for a future edition.