Published: 3 minutes ago by Dave Adamson | Last Updated: 8 hours ago by Dave Adamson
Dave has been a website writer for WrestleTalk since October 2022, having previously written for Den of Geek, among a number of wrestling, movie and television-related sites. Dave has been around the independent wrestling scene for more than a decade, including behind-the-scenes.
WWE
WWE Crown Jewel is set to take place on November 7 in Saudi Arabia as part of the region’s Riyadh Season, but plans may change.
On September 16, a level 3 travel advisory was issued by the US Embassy & Consulates in Saudi Arabia, warning potential visitors to “reconsider travel“.
More recently, on September 20, the same service issued further guidance that “strongly encourages all U.S. citizens to remain vigilant” with a series of actions that they should take in the region.
With tensions still high, plans for WWE Crown Jewel will no doubt be under scrutiny internally:
The date is fixed, the location is not
With broadcast partners around the world, WWE is likely to have to deliver an event on November 7, regardless of what that even may be. In the US, ESPN will no doubt be expecting to air a PLE on that night.
It would be unusual for WWE to put something else in Crown Jewel’s place, with it likely that, wherever the show takes place, it’ll be the same PLE, just in a different location.
At the time of writing, the official event page for WWE Crown Jewel is still live, with Riyadh as its location.
Last year’s WWE Crown Jewel was the first to take place outside of Saudi Arabia, with Perth, Australia hosting the event on October 11, indicating that the name and region are not exclusively paired.
Internal concerns could lead to a new plan
Reports recently emerged that there was “large concern within WWE” regarding Crown Jewel. According to WrestleVotes Radio, the concerns had also been raised by “several people… who regularly travel to Saudi Arabia” for WWE PLEs, indicating a sensitivity to the situation. At the time of the report, it was noted that WWE was yet to formally acknowledge the situation, with an impression that it is “moving forward until someone simply says they can’t just can’t”.
The concerns appear to come from more than just the stars who are scheduled to appear on the show, with those in administrative and operational capacities backstage also no doubt being affected.
Could stars be made to travel?
WWE stars, as with all employees, are under contract with the company and should be expected, within reason, to follow whatever direction they are given within the remit of their role. That said, it would be a bold move for any company, let alone WWE, to demand that any worker overlook a travel advisory of the severity of that issued.
For WWE and the scale of their PLE operation, this isn’t a location that they can quickly enter and depart, particularly with a recent report of an attack on Riyadh.
Decisions, decisions
With November 7 just over a month away, time is short for any change of plan WWE may put into place, particularly if they opt to change venue (and country). The logistics of such a move don’t favor a quick turnaround when it comes to live events and the audience.
While WWE kept plans for the broadcast of Worlds Collide until the last minute, the show went ahead, as planned, live for the fans in Chicago, with the streaming being the element that was delayed. With WWE Crown Jewel, a show likely has to happen on November 7, regardless of its location, in order to fulfil contractual obligations with broadcasters.
Hopefully, confirmation of the plans will come in the future, with safety and security being a paramount concern for all involved at every level.
Transcript courtesy of Cageside Seats.
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