WrestleMania a step closer to coming to London
Mayor Sadiq Khan's met with WWE bosses in the capital
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has further committed to his promise of delivering WrestleMania to the capital after holding talks with World Wrestling Entertainment chief content officer Paul 'Triple H' Levesque.
Before his re-election in May, Khan posted on social media that he wanted to go "even further" in making London the "sporting capital of the world".
That included suggestions he would deliver the Super Bowl, the 2040 Olympics and WWE's showpiece premium live event, WrestleMania.
"I think London is the sporting capital of the world." Sadiq Khan
After his initial message on X, Levesque replied simply: "Let's talk."
Those conversations began at City Hall on Thursday afternoon as Levesque, a former WWE wrestler who was world champion on 14 occasions, sat down with Khan - who is looking to add to the recent sporting successes in London.
"I'm really excited to have begun conversations about bringing international WrestleMania to London," Khan told the PA news agency.
"I know there are many fans in London and across the UK and Europe who are desperate to see WrestleMania live.
"I think London is the sporting capital of the world. We've had great events this year, from Major League Baseball, American football, we've had Wimbledon, we've had Queens, we've had Diamond League athletics.
"We've had a Test match at Lord's, another one coming up at The Oval. We've got the (Anthony) Joshua fight taking place at Wembley in September. So I'm really keen to get WrestleMania here too."
The previous 40 incarnations of WrestleMania have all taken place in North America, with 38 in the United States and two in Canada.
However, WWE has branched out in recent years and started to take its premium live events - the name of its larger, monthly shows - across the world.
Cardiff and Glasgow have hosted 'Clash at the Castle' events while the 'Money in the Bank' show took place at the O2 last year.
Saudi Arabia, Costa Rica and France have also staged shows, while Germany will host 'Bash in Berlin' in August.
WWE's main competition, All Elite Wrestling, sold out Wembley Stadium last year and returns in next month, with Levesque keen to bring WrestleMania over the Atlantic, too.
"Why London? Some of our greatest and best fans are here in London. I've been coming here for 30 years. They're always incredible," he told PA.
"We have a massive following here but I think it also opens up to a lot of the rest of the world given how many people travel in every single year for events we do all over the globe.
"This is just an opportunity for being in a different location, amazing fans but where the rest of the globe could possibly get your easier. So WWE is one of the true global brands and I think you should look forward to seeing us all over the world."
Rich UK History
WWE boasts a number of British and Irish stars on its current roster, including the likes of Becky Lynch, Drew McIntyre, Sheamus and Finn Balor.
But wrestling also has a rich history in the UK and Levesque wants to tap into that if and when WrestleMania is hosted in London.
"There's always been a great history here, you know, going back to World of Sport and Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks, William Regal, Adrian Street, Johnny Saint - you name it."
"They've all come through here as part of the fabric of WWE runs deep in this region. So I'm excited to be here.
Next year's WrestleMania will take place in Las Vegas but beyond that there are no other confirmed hosts, meaning the earliest the self-styled "showcase of the immortals" could be in London is 2026.
"I don't think the weather is going to put anybody off here for sure," Levesque joked as he conducted media interviews in the rain.
"I would imagine you guys are used to a little bit of rain, a little bit of cool weather. So it's never stopped us from being here before. It won't stop us in the future. Put it this way, if it's cold, we'll warm it up."