WWE & AEW Rumours - Sep. 11, 2025: WrestleMania 43 In Saudi Arabia, Stephanie Vaquer Injury

WWE WrestleMania 43 will be taking place in Saudi Arabia, with the show being announced in a Snapchat video of all things by the Chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority Turki Alalshikh.

Further details behind the arrangement have been revealed, and there are a whole host of other rumours for Thursday, September 11, 2025:

Backstage News On WWE WrestleMania 43 In Saudi Arabia

Dave Meltzer has reported on Wrestling Observer Radio that Saudi Arabia are aiming to present the "the most star-studded show ever" when they host WrestleMania 43. Turki Alalshikh and the Saudi GEA are "working hard" to bring a number of former top WWE stars out of retirement and the presumption is The Rock, Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, and The Undertaker will all be contacted.

The deal for WrestleMania 43 has been in place since early August and WWE actually wanted to host WrestleMania in Saudi Arabia in 2028 due to having other commitments for 2027, but Saudi Arabia wanted the show in 2027 to celebrate the 300-year anniversary of the founding of the first Saudi state.

"They're paying the money for it and they have matches that they want and they're working really, really hard to get. I don't know if they're going to be able to get them but they're going to spend a lot of money to get what they want. Yes, we're talking about anyone coming out of retirement that wants to come out of retirement of big name value will be able to get a lot of money on this show. I would presume all of those people would be contacted [Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, The Rock, Steve Austin] and the ones who want to do it will be able to. The ones who have any interest in a great payday, they'll be able to get on that show," Meltzer said.

Stephanie Vaquer Possibly Dealing With Minor Injury

Stephanie Vaquer was absent from Monday's Raw, but she appeared on Tuesday night's episode of WWE NXT.

Dave Meltzer reported on Wrestling Observer Radio that he was told by WWE that Vaquer is dealing with a minor injury, but she won't be missing any of her scheduled matches.

"She has a minor injury. That's the situation, but I think she's wrestling next week...I don't know the whole story, but I was told by WWE that it's a minor thing, it's nothing to worry about, and she's going to be doing matches going forward," Meltzer said.

Bryan Alvarez noted, however, that he had heard the exact opposite and Vaquer wasn’t injured. 

Regardless, Vaquer is advertised to wrestle next week at WWE NXT Homecoming and WWE Wrestlepalooza.

Ilja Dragunov vs. Rusev Feud Being Discussed Within WWE

It was recently reported that Ilja Dragunov is on the verge of returning to the ring, and BodySlam has noted there have been talks within WWE about a possible programme in the near future between Dragunov and Rusev. The feud has been mentioned as a way to reintroduce Dragunov to WWE TV.

Ilja Dragunov has been out of action since he suffered a torn ACL in September 2024. His most recent match was a house show clash with Gunther on September 28, 2024.

Rusev has been back with WWE since the Raw after WrestleMania 41 and recently finished a feud with Sheamus.

How WWE & AEW Talents Feel About Counter-Programming

WWE have often counter-programmed All Elite Wrestling pay-per-views in 2025 and the company's efforts will continue when WWE Wrestlepalooza and AEW All Out take place on the same day. The shows were initially set to go head-to-head, but All Out recently moved to 3 pm ET, while Wrestlepalooza is still planned for 7 pm ET.

Sean Ross Sapp noted on Fightful Select Answers Q&A that counter-programming is not usually much of a talking point backstage and is usually just met with some eye-rolling and "that's the job" comments. Older wrestlers and staff note it is the natural course of competition in pro wrestling, and they just show up and do their job.