Musk vs. Zuckerberg Fight May Never Happen, but Italian Cities Are Still Jostlin

Musk, the chief executive of Tesla, set off the frenzy among Italian cities last week with a post on X, his social-media company formerly known as Twitter. “Everything in camera frame will be ancient Rome, so nothing modern at all. I spoke to the PM of Italy and Minister of Culture. They have agreed on an epic location," Musk wrote.

Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook parent Meta, shot back on Sunday on rival platform Threads, accusing Musk of not being serious about getting into the ring and casting doubt on the fight. “Elon won’t confirm a date, then says he needs surgery, and now asks to do a practice round in my backyard instead. If Elon ever gets serious about a real date and official event, he knows how to reach me."

The two tech billionaires said in June that they would fight each other. Since then they have exchanged blustery gibes but given few concrete details on the bout.

Musk’s reference to ancient Rome made many Italians assume he meant the city of Rome rather than the empire. The Colosseum was the obvious contender for a gladiatorial contest.

But what appeared to be a first-round knockout for one of the world’s most recognizable monuments soon turned into a slugfest after Italian officials said the Colosseum, completed in AD 80, was too fragile.

Italian Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano hailed the Musk-Zuckerberg fight as a “great event," but didn’t disclose the possible venue. The ministry and the Italian prime minister’s office didn’t respond to requests for comment.

With the Colosseum out of the running, eyes turned to the Circus Maximus, the long oval stadium a short walk away.

In ancient times, the Circus Maximus hosted chariot races such as those depicted in the Hollywood epic “Ben-Hur." Nowadays it hosts occasional rock concerts—sometimes to locals’ chagrin. Earlier this month, a Travis Scott concert became such a raucous affair that residents said they thought there had been an earthquake.

Enter stage right: the movie set that was used in “Ben-Hur," now part of Cinecittà World, a movie theme park on the outskirts of Rome. The park’s chief executive called the venue the best of both worlds, offering an ancient atmosphere without defiling a real monument.

Roman politicians have pushed for a relatively small theater in Ostia Antica, the port of ancient Rome and a short train ride away from the city.

The southern Italian region of Calabria made its case, with the regional president reminding all that it is home to the Riace Bronzes, two ancient statues of naked fighters. Never mind that the two mighty statues, pulled from the seabed 50 years ago and now in a museum, are of Greek origin and predate the rise of Rome by several centuries.

“If you’re looking for an epic location, evocative and enchanting, Taormina is it," Cateno De Luca, the mayor of the Sicilian town, wrote on X. Taormina, which has jumped in popularity after it featured in the HBO show “The White Lotus," has an ancient Greek theater with a panoramic view of the Sicilian coastline.

A rival pitch came from the mayor of Benevento, near Naples, which has a Roman theater sometimes called the Colosseum’s twin, and another from a small town in the southern region of Basilicata, which also has one.

The mayor of Pompeii made the case for using a theater in the excavated ancient city, which was buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79.

Verona’s Arena, a well-preserved amphitheater that is slightly older than the Colosseum, stands in the hometown of star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet and hosts large-scale opera productions. The mayor of Verona, which bills itself as the city of love, has so far been silent—perhaps because of the awkward optics of hosting a cage fight.

Some Italians think it would be unbecoming of a country so rich in history and monuments to host a punch-up between billionaires.

Vittorio Sgarbi, a pugnacious undersecretary at the Culture Ministry who often wades into Italy’s culture wars, said he couldn’t care less about the fight and wouldn’t watch it. He said Musk and Zuckerberg could use any of the potential venues, including the Colosseum, so long as they pay.

Sgarbi said that Sangiuliano, the culture minister, had asked for his advice on whether Italy should host the event.

“For me it’s just fine," Sgarbi replied, according to an interview he gave to newspaper Corriere della Sera. “How much are they going to give you? 100 million?"

Sangiuliano has said any money from Musk and Zuckerberg would go toward scientific research and upgrading two pediatric hospitals.

Sgarbi said he would root for Musk in the fight because the Tesla CEO once complimented him on a speech in Parliament.

“I simply find it shocking that Italy’s cultural heritage is made available to two billionaires who want to fight like idiotic teenagers," Carlo Calenda, another opposition lawmaker, wrote on X. “It’s not a question of how much they pay. Some things simply aren’t for sale. One of them is the dignity and history of a great country."

Write to Eric Sylvers at eric.sylvers@wsj.com