WWE Reportedly Bringing Royal Rumble and Future WrestleMania to Indianapolis

It looks as if Indiana could be a WWE hotspot over the next few years, as a new report from WrestleVotes states WWE and the Indiana Sports Corp are working on a multi-event deal. That deal is evidently nearing completion, and if struck would bring the 2025 Royal Rumble to Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium on February 1st. The deal is also likely to include a future WrestleMania and SummerSlam, which would both also be based at Lucas Oil Stadium. If everything works out, WWE fans in Indiana are going to have plenty to enjoy in 2025 and beyond.

Setting Records

WWE previously held Fastlane in Indianapolis last year and will host Monday Night Raw this coming Monday, so it’s not like there haven’t been WWE events in the city. That said, getting one of the big three is huge, especially if WWE ends up bringing more than one. If SummerSlam or WrestleMania make their way to Indiana, they will both likely be two-night events, which has become the standard for WrestleMania. This year’s SummerSlam is taking place in Cleveland on August 3rd, setting up shop at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

2024’s SummerSlam will still be a one-night event, but WWE has announced that SummerSlam 2026 will take place in Minneapolis, MN, and that premium live event will take place over two nights like WrestleMania. That is probably the standard moving forward, as the two-night format has been quite lucrative for WrestleMania, and it also allows WWE to spread out its bigger matches and feature two main events. That worked out well for WrestleMania 40, and will probably be utilized just as much for WrestleMania 41.

WWE had an impressive showing with 2023’s Fastlane in Indiana, which was the first premium live event to be hosted in Indianapolis in seven years. The event set records for being the most-watched and highest-grossing Fastlane in WWE’s history, with WWE saying that viewership was up 71 percent over the previous record set in 2021. The gate was also up 31 percent over the previous record in 2016.

A SummerSlam Return?

Indiana hasn’t hosted a SummerSlam since 2008, which took place at the Conseco Fieldhouse. The event featured superstars like Big Show, Matt Hardy, Mark Henry, Beth Phoenix, Mickie James, John Cena, Batista, and The Undertaker, and was headlined by two Championship matches. The first was CM Punk vs John Bradshaw Layfield for the World Heavyweight Championship, while Triple H took on The Great Khali for the WWE Championship. Undertaker would also face Edge in a Hell in a Cell match.

Now looking ahead, WWE has announced 2024’s SummerSlam location and 2026’s location, leaving 2025’s slot still vacant. The report does state that Rumble is all but locked in for 2025, so a return to the same location might be too soon for SummerSlam in August. We’ll just have to wait and see, but hopefully, more details will be released soon so people can start marking down their calendars.

Are you excited for a Rumble or WrestleMania in Indy? You can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!