Originally published to 8 News Now on January 16, 2025.

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — With four straight nights of wrestling events, a fan convention, and plenty of surprises, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) officials said some may underestimate the scope of WrestleMania weekend in Las Vegas.

WrestleMania Weekend

“We want to be in the right city at the right time,” Nick Khan, World Wrestling Entertainment president, said of WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas. He appeared at “Preview Las Vegas,” an event held by the Vegas Chamber at the Las Vegas Convention Center on Thursday.

The massive spectacle will not just comprise of night one and night two of WWE’s biggest event at Allegiant Stadium on April 19 and 20, but will also include two additional TV shows, including SmackDown, broadcast on the USA Network on April 18, and Raw on Netflix, on April 21, both emanating from T-Mobile Arena.

Additionally, WWE World, a fan convention organized by Fanatics Events, is planned for the entirety of WrestleMania weekend. In May, LVCVA officials announced the convention would occur at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The marquee event is an interactive way for fans to celebrate pro wrestling.

“We have an entrance ramp for anyone who watches the product where you can do your own personalized entrance to any of our superstars’ music,” Khan said. “It gives someone a take-home moment.”

Khan promised other surprises for the event, which is already well on its way to success. The WWE president said WrestleMania 41 had made more in revenue in the first 72 hours of ticket sales than for any event in WWE’s history.

Quick build, big pop

The genesis of WrestleMania’s return to Las Vegas was Super Bowl LVIII in February 2024. Khan said the entertainment capital of the world’s first attempt at hosting the NFL’s championship game was bigger than they had imagined.

“I think it exceeded our high expectations,” Khan explained. “We said, ‘You know, we’re not yet locked in for WrestleMania 2025. What do you guys think of doing it in Vegas?’”

Khan contacted LVCVA officials, and two hours later, a meeting between Steve Hill and WWE officials was scheduled.

“Boom, here we are,” Khan said. “It’s been a great experience.”

Three months later, WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas was officially announced. Hill called it perhaps the fastest process from the initial conversation to an event announcement at the scale of WrestleMania that he’s seen.

Khan’s Las Vegas roots

Khan, a native Las Vegan, took over as president of WWE in 2020. Born at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center and a graduate of Bonanza High School and UNLV, he recalled ushering for WrestleMania 9 at Caesar’s Palace in April 1993, a job he said he may not have been well suited for.

“In terms of my skills as an usher. They weren’t that great,” Khan admitted. “Someone would say, ‘I’m section B, row H.’ So let me take you to your seat. Took him to the wrong seat. Someone would complain, but I got to see WrestleMania 9 live.”

Maximum visibility

Khan emphasized the wrestling company’s international reach, announcing that a future live WWE event is set for Paris following the success of their WWE Backlash event in Lyon, France, in May. It’s part of a growing professional wrestling fan demographic that Khan said doesn’t necessarily fit the profile of a stereotypical sports fan.

“Fifty percent of the people who attend our events attend with a child, 40 percent of our viewing audience are women,” Khan said. “So you are going to see a multicultural, multi-generational event take place where everybody leaves happy.”

From the international reach and substantial boost in viewership from the company’s newest deal with Netflix to a massive following on social media, Khan promised that WrestleMania 41 would simultaneously highlight Las Vegas and WWE.

“We’re going to promote it in a way that we think only WWE … can,” Khan said.

Tickets to WrestleMania 41 at Allegiant Stadium are on sale at Ticketmaster.