The big topic of discussion in pro wrestling right now has nothing to do with a feud, a title match, or anything of the sort, but rather with geopolitics and the staging of a WWE event in an area affected by armed conflict.
Crown Jewel, already confirmed for Nov. 7, still has no defined location, even though WWE projects a sense of normalcy, which obviously does not exist, and keeps advertising the show for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Many reports on the subject have surfaced online. They range from possible pushback by several WWE employees against traveling to the Middle East, for obvious reasons, to the company trying to quietly change the location to avoid upsetting the Saudi government in any way.
The plain truth is that, after last weekend’s attacks by Yemen’s Houthis on King Khalid International Airport, which left 12 dead and more than 300 injured, it is quite clear that the event will not be held in Riyadh, especially after the U.S. government raised its travel advisory to Level 3.
One only has to look back at the fateful year of 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic spread rapidly around the world, forcing an end to large gatherings and affecting many industries, including sports companies, which hold events in stadiums and arenas.
WWE, however, like other sports leagues such as the NHL, the NBA and the NFL, and even organizations within pro wrestling such as AEW, TNA and NJPW, announced the drastic changes to its operations only at the last minute, hours before a SmackDown originally scheduled for Detroit in March. The company moved that show to the Performance Center in Orlando, with only essential personnel in attendance.
If the situation in the Middle East keeps getting worse, or simply stays the way it is, Crown Jewel will not take place in Riyadh, but that will only be known at the last possible moment.