Sadiq Khan is doubling-down on his efforts to bring the Olympics to London for a record fourth time, as well as bringing WWE’s WrestleMania outside North America for the first time.
The London Mayor previously spoke of his desire to bring a range of sports’ biggest events to the UK’s capital during the lead-up to his re-election as Mayor last April.
Khan went on to call London the “sporting capital of the world”, promising to bring the Olympics, WrestleMania, the NFL’s Super Bowl, and more NBA regular season games to the nation’s capital.
More recently, he appeared as a guest on The Sports Agents podcast with host Gabby Logan, confirming that he intends to bring another Olympic Games to London in 2040 being the most likely year.
He said: “We can’t stand still; I want to bring an International WrestleMania to London. But the thing about The Olympics, there are only two cities across the globe – London and now Paris – who’ve hosted three Olympics, and I want London to host four.
“The dream and the ambition is 2040 being realistic, working with the BOA who are brilliant and the new government who I’m sure will be brilliant, they’ve made a great start in the first three weeks.
“The idea of an Olympics in London in 2040 would be a Green Olympics, we’ve already got the infrastructure, we can also make sure we get other cities across the country getting involved in the Olympics – not just the bid but hosting the Olympics in 2040. I may not be around in 2040 as the Mayor of London but it’s about legacy and the next generation.”
Also, on his plans to deliver a WrestleMania weekend, Khan put the wheels in motion after holding a meeting with WWE President Nick Khan and former WWE Superstar, now Chief Content Officer Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque.
The initial discussions began after Khan’s X post aiming to bring WWE’s flagship event to London, in which Levesque responded, stating “Let’s talk”.
The earliest possible time a London-hosted WrestleMania could take place is in 2026, as next year’s two-night event will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Hosting a WrestleMania event has historically been a lucrative attraction that greatly economically benefits the city in which it is hosted.
In 2023, WrestleMania 39 generated upwards of $215m for the Los Angeles area, which brings fans all across the world.
