WrestleMania 43 heading to Saudi Arabia has created plenty of debate among wrestling fans, and Eric Bischoff has now given his perspective. The WWE Hall of Famer and former WCW President admitted he understands the business logic but revealed he is “a little disappointed” and feels the decision will come with a “cost” as the show leaves North America for the first time in its history.

WWE is currently pushing ahead with its TKO strategy of having cities and countries compete for the rights to host their biggest premium live events. While the deal ensures major financial rewards, critics argue that WrestleMania has always been a tradition tied closely to the United States.

On his 83 Weeks podcast, Bischoff explained why he believes Vince McMahon was hesitant about such a move. “It’s the evolution of the business. It’s reality. TKO is a publicly held company. They have a responsibility to the shareholders who are part owners of the company to deliver the biggest return they can to the bottom line. It’s just a fact of life, especially for a publicly held company, but it’s also breaking a tradition, and I can relate to Vince’s concern. Professional wrestling truly is an American phenomenon. Yes, it’s taken place all over the world and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, technically speaking, but it really is an American phenomenon. It’s uniquely American. And to take it outside of the country. Canada doesn’t count. It’s just like another state. It’s just a big state, but it’s just another state, and it’s easily accessible by people in the United States for the most part. So taking it to the other side of the planet is a big move, and it’s going to come with a cost.”

He continued by acknowledging the reaction that will follow. “You’re going to have people disappointed in this decision. It’s probably going to get some negative publicity because, well, that’s just the way people are, particularly in social media. To me, really, it’s a little bit of both. It’s inevitable for a publicly held company for the reasons that Raj pointed out, but it’s also a little disappointing for me. I relate to Vince’s hesitancy. Let’s put it that way.”

Bischoff also discussed the rising ticket prices under TKO’s business model, saying that while it makes sense in the short term, it could hurt the fanbase in the future. “One of the reasons that professional wrestling, as we know it, in the United States and around the world, has been as successful as it has since the beginning of television time, is because it’s family entertainment. It’s a generational experience… But what happens 15 years from now, when all of a sudden the kids that used to come to the events with their parents now have kids, and they can’t afford it? It’s just too much. So that would be my concern. I think again, I sound like a Vince McMahon agent here, but I think I would have voted with Vince on this one. I think you have to make a decision, in my opinion, to remain family friendly in the context of making it affordable so parents can bring their kids, and it’s something that you can all enjoy together, because there’s not a lot of that left.”