WWE Working On “Plan B” If Crown Jewel Is Cancelled

According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE is currently working on a plan B should they be forced to pull out of Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia due to the current political unrest.

A lot of pressure has been put on WWE by senators to pull back from the deal. Other major players have since joined in the boycott of the country, with Viacom, The New York Times and Los Angeles Times pulling out of a Saudi Arabia media conference. Similarly, WWE’s future broadcaster FOX is also “examining” the situation.

If WWE does not fall into line and cancel the show there could be a significant media backlash against them. A decision needs to be made whether the financial benefits of running anyway outweigh the PR disaster that would likely follow.

WWE have released a statement saying they are “monitoring the situation”, showing they are at least aware that they have a problem on their hands.

Despite the tumoil surrounding the event, Kane, the Mayor of Knox County, remains steadfast in his decision to appear at the show. He has released a statement via his spokesman saying he still intends to wrestle at Crown Jewel if it goes ahead. He added: “Mayor Jacobs won’t speculate on Mr. Khashoggi’s disappearance. However, he and his family are in the mayor’s thoughts and prayers.”

As for what the so-called plan B is, that remains unclear. There has been talk internally of WWE pushing back the announced big money matches featuring Shawn Michaels and Brock Lesnar to Survivor Series. WWE are reluctant to do so, as it would force them to change plans already in place for the November supercard. However, they realise there may not be another option.

WWE forced to cover the cost?

The problem for WWE is the payoffs promised for Michaels and Lesnar. They are said to be around $2-3 million each and currently funded by the Saudi deal. If WWE moved the matches to Survivor Series (or any other show) they would have to pay out those inflated fees themselves.

If Crown Jewel is cancelled it could be moved to the US as a standalone event rather than shifting the bouts to Survivor Series. That may create issues with Lesnar, who is in training for a probably UFC comeback fight in January. There is a distinct possibility that if Crown Jewel does not go ahead, or that the replacement show is not the same date, Lesnar will not be involved.

There will be a lot more on this developing story over the weekend and on Monday in particular. WWE need to make a decision sooner rather than later otherwise it will have to keep building to a show on television that looks increasingly unlikely to happen.

Do you think Crown Jewel will go ahead? Let us know in the comments below.

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• Crown Jewel
• saudi arabia
• wwe

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