WWE WrestleMania 43 takes place April 10 and 11, 2027, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with Drew McIntyre off television since the 2026 edition. The road to the show runs through Crown Jewel on Nov. 7, Survivor Series: WarGames on Nov. 28, the Royal Rumble, and Elimination Chamber. The Riyadh card in November features two cross-brand matches between titleholders. Several established names enter that stretch without a clear storyline.
Rey Fenix reached the final of a No. 1 contender’s tournament for the World Heavyweight Championship, beating El Fiscal and Dragon Lee. Fenix then lost the Aug. 31 final to his brother, Penta. On the Oct. 12 Raw, Chad Gable made Fenix tap to the Ankle Lock in an Intercontinental Championship match.
Gable praised Fenix after the match, telling him, “You are a warrior.” Fenix did beat Ethan Page on the Oct. 5 Raw, a week before the title match. The former AEW World Tag Team Champion also lost a six-man tag match on the Oct. 2 SmackDown. Fenix holds the AAA World Cruiserweight Championship, which he won on May 30.
Kevin Owens lost to Sami Zayn for the Undisputed WWE Championship on the Sept. 18 SmackDown after CM Punk hit the challenger with the title. Owens then qualified for Money in the Bank by beating Cody Rhodes and Johnny Gargano on Oct. 2. Penta won the ladder match in New Orleans.
Punk said on the Oct. 9 SmackDown that he had once beaten Owens in Toronto in front of the Prizefighter’s mother. Owens has feuded with Punk and Zayn at the same time in September and October. Neither rivalry has a match on the Crown Jewel card.
Dominik Mysterio lost the Intercontinental Championship to Penta on the March 2 Raw, ending his second reign with the title. Penta blocked a 619 and hit the Mexican Destroyer for the win. Dominik has spent the fall feuding with his father, Rey Mysterio, on Raw.
On the Oct. 5 Raw, Dominik and JD McDonagh beat Rey and Lee. Big Cass attacked Rey and Lee after the match. Dominik was not part of Rey’s win over Cass on the Oct. 12 Raw.
Bayley returned to Raw on Sept. 7 after nearly two months away. The former women’s champion pulled the referee out of the ring during Lyra Valkyria’s Money in the Bank qualifier, costing the Irish star the match, then attacked Valkyria. Valkyria had beaten Bayley at Saturday Night’s Main Event on July 18 at Madison Square Garden.
Sol Ruca won the qualifier after Bayley’s interference. Bayley also lost a fatal four-way for the Women’s Intercontinental Championship at a Sept. 9 live event in Quito, Ecuador. Raquel Rodriguez retained the title in that match.
McIntyre has been off WWE television since losing to Jacob Fatu in an unsanctioned match at WrestleMania 42 in April. The Scottish Warrior has been filming the Highlander reboot and The Last Druid, both expected in 2027. McIntyre trained at Rusev’s Kech Pro Wrestling Academy in Nashville in September.
On Oct. 2, McIntyre posted photos of a body transformation with the caption “Positive changes.” WWE has not announced a return date. McIntyre won the WWE Championship from Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 36 in 2020.
McIntyre needs a plan the most, because his return will be a major moment whenever it happens. Bringing him back at the Royal Rumble and pointing him at Fatu, or at a world title, would make his WrestleMania 43 match feel big right away. The Scottish Warrior should not come back to the same aimless spot he left.
Fenix and Owens need wins more than storylines. Fenix keeps losing the biggest match on his calendar, and Owens is stuck between Punk and Zayn. A WWE singles title for Fenix and a clean win over Punk for Owens would give both men momentum heading into Rumble season.
Dominik and Bayley are the hardest cases. Dirty Dom is stuck in a family feud that has not added to his character since he lost the Intercontinental Championship, and Bayley’s return has gone nowhere beyond Valkyria. Dominik and Bayley are too accomplished to sit out another WrestleMania season and need a direction before the Royal Rumble.
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