WWE still has Crown Jewel set for November 7 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, despite recent missile attacks that hit the city’s international airport and led to dozens of flight cancellations.
On the October 12 episode of Raw, WWE again promoted the premium live event and confirmed its first two matches, a sign that plans to run the show in Saudi Arabia remain on track.
World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns will face Undisputed WWE Champion Sami Zayn, and Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan will take on WWE Women’s Champion Chelsea Green. The men’s and women’s Crown Jewel Championships will be on the line.
Behind the scenes, however, the situation looks different from what WWE is presenting on television. According to WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select, there is significant concern among WWE employees and executives about the safety of the crew and talent traveling to Saudi Arabia. The Wrestling Observer’s Bryan Alvarez has also reported that running the event in the country has become a topic of internal discussion.
That concern grew after the attacks on King Khalid International Airport. According to the latest figures from Reuters, the strikes have killed at least 18 people and injured more than 300. The airport will remain closed until October 17.
The U.S. State Department also updated its travel advisory for Saudi Arabia on October 12, keeping the country at Level 3. The advisory tells U.S. citizens to reconsider travel there because of the risk of missile and drone attacks.
Even so, canceling Crown Jewel does not appear to be an option for WWE. As Wrestling Noticias previously reported, the company intends to keep the November 7 date regardless of where the show takes place because of its commercial commitments to ESPN.
WWE also has contingency plans for a possible relocation of the event, though no alternate site has been revealed so far. The company and its representatives declined to comment when contacted by Wrestling Noticias for clarification on the matter.
Under the original plan, the show is set for Riyadh Season Stadium at KAFD and will stream in the United States on the ESPN app for ESPN Unlimited subscribers.
Another notable development is Turki Alalshikh’s decision to keep the Canelo Alvarez vs. Christian Mbilli boxing match in place as well. Alalshikh heads the General Entertainment Authority, which organizes Crown Jewel in partnership with WWE. The fight is set for October 31, also in Riyadh, just one week before Crown Jewel.
As things stand, WWE is still planning for Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia.