Nick Khan: SummerSlam 2021 Could Be The Start Of More WWE Major Events in Las Vegas

WWE President Nick Khan believes SummerSlam 2021 could be the start of WWE bringing major events to Las Vegas on a regular basis.

Las Vegas, Nevada, is set to host its first-ever SummerSlam on Saturday 21 August at the Allegiant Stadium in what will be the first SummerSlam hosted in a major stadium since 1992.

Khan has revealed that WWE paid close attention to this year's March Madness due to a concern that the Las Vegas economy was going to take a major hit from the COVID-19 pandemic, one it might not be able to bounce back from.

Having seen how well March Madness did, however, WWE realised there was a desire from people to return to Vegas.

Speaking with the Las Vegas Sun, Khan said: "We were paying close attention to March Madness because there was a thought that people might not be going back to Las Vegas [to bet and watch games] because there was nothing to go back to.

"But once March Madness hit, the occupancy rate skyrocketed. That was our moment of [understanding] if we have an event, it will get people back, and it’s an opportunity to also help jumpstart the Vegas economy."

Khan is also hopeful that this year's SummerSlam can be the start for professional wrestling bringing more major shows and events to Las Vegas.

He added: "That’s the hope. The Silver Bowl was a tough venue to get to and stay at. You have the Thomas & Mack Center, and then all of a sudden you had MGM Grand Garden Arena, Mandalay Bay, and then boom, the Golden Knights and the Raiders and T-Mobile Arena and Allegiant Stadium, and now also the [MSG] Sphere being built.

"There’s a surge of sports in Las Vegas and the mistake I think the sports world was making previously is looking at the local market without seeing the hundreds of millions of tourism dollars every year. With the NFL’s 16, now 17-week season, you’re figuring if the home games can attract enough out-of-town fans, and that’s easy. It makes all the sense in the world."