WWE’s Crown Jewel trip to Saudi Arabia is suddenly looking a lot less routine, and people inside the company are already talking about what happens next. The November 7 show is still scheduled for Riyadh, but WWE is now discussing the situation internally after the U.S. State Department issued a Level 3 “Reconsider Travel” advisory for Saudi Arabia — and the company apparently plans to run an event on that date even if Riyadh somehow gets taken off the table.
The State Department is warning Americans to reconsider travel because of threats involving Iranian drones and missiles, armed conflict and terrorism. Saudi Arabia itself remains at Level 3, while areas near the Yemen border carry the more serious Level 4 “Do Not Travel” warning.
That puts WWE in a tricky spot with Crown Jewel only weeks away and a roster full of American talent expected to make the trip. WWE has not announced any change to the event, but there is now confirmation that the situation has become a topic behind the scenes.
The issue first came up during the September 17 edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, when Bryan Alvarez asked Dave Meltzer about the Saudi Arabia travel situation. Meltzer immediately connected it to Crown Jewel and noted that WWE also has WrestleMania 43 booked for Riyadh next year. Meltzer did not have the exact State Department language in front of him, but he explained why the November 7 event is the immediate concern.
“It advises no travel to Riyadh. It’s an advisory. They are. See if I have the. I don’t have the exact wording with me, but they’re afraid of attacks from Iran and so the Yemen Border, which is about five hundred miles away, that’s actually banned for travel. Whereas this one, it’s a basically a. What’s the word? A warning that it is unsafe for Americans to travel there. And that is the site of both WrestleMania next year. Of course, there’s a lot going on between now and next year. That could change, but more noticeably. The November seventh pay per view. So they are advising against any travel there.”
The official wording is not quite as extreme as Meltzer described it. Americans are being told to reconsider travel to Saudi Arabia rather than completely avoid the entire country, but that is still a serious warning with WWE preparing to send talent and crew into Riyadh. Now WrestleVotes has added the part that makes this story much bigger.
During WrestleVotes Radio, Joey Votes revealed that they directly asked a WWE source whether the travel situation could change plans for Crown Jewel. The source could not speak for the people who would ultimately make that decision, but confirmed WWE is already talking about the issue internally. Joey explained exactly what they were told.
“Following the recent travel advisory issued by the United States Department of State on Tuesday, September 15, which now lists Saudi Arabia at a Level 3, urging travelers to reconsider travel, with certain areas listed at Level 4 or, quote, ‘Do Not Travel,’ we spoke to a source about whether WWE will consider altering plans for its upcoming Crown Jewel event on November 7.”
“While our source made it clear that a decision of that magnitude is well above their pay grade, they did note that the situation is a topic of discussion within the walls of WWE.”
That does not mean Crown Jewel has been moved. Riyadh is still the destination right now, and WWE has not announced any cancellation, postponement or backup location. The really interesting part is what happens if Saudi Arabia eventually becomes a no-go.
According to WrestleVotes, WWE is still expected to run an event on November 7 regardless of location because the company already has an ESPN commitment locked into that date. That means WWE may have more options than simply cancelling Crown Jewel if travel conditions get worse. Joey laid out that part of the situation.
“That said, the source confirmed that the November 7 date is expected to remain in place, and the event is expected to take place regardless of location, as WWE is committed to ESPN for that date. So the date appears to be set. The real question now is whether WWE can still send its talent and personnel to Saudi Arabia on November 7 given the current travel advisory.”
That makes November 7 look a lot more solid than Riyadh itself. WWE has already rearranged its television schedule around the Saudi trip. Ringside News previously covered how RAW and SmackDown are scheduled for a rare double taping at Barclays Center before Crown Jewel, giving the roster time to make the overseas trip. There is also a ridiculous amount of money attached to WWE showing up in Saudi Arabia. During Wrestling Observer Radio, Alvarez said roughly $60 million is tied to the event.
“Yeah, there’s sixty million dollars on the line.”
Even that money apparently would not completely disappear if WWE was forced to skip this particular Saudi date. Meltzer said his understanding is that WWE could simply add another event onto the end of its Saudi agreement and collect the money later. Meltzer explained how he believes that would work.
“Well, it is. I mean, there there is. But the reality is that if somehow they can’t go, they just add another date at the end of the contract. So in the end, it’s not like it’s going to cost them any money. I mean, they’ll just. It will delay. It’s the fifty five sixty million dollars. But it’s not like It’s going to cost them that by doing it later.”
This also isn’t WWE’s first Saudi Arabia scare. Ringside News previously covered how another WWE event in Saudi Arabia was thrown into question earlier this year as tensions in the Middle East escalated. WWE kept watching the situation while deciding whether the company could safely send its roster overseas. WWE President Nick Khan was pretty clear about the company’s approach at the time. As Ringside News previously covered, Khan said WWE would only make the trip if the company believed it was safe. Khan also said WWE was working with its own security team and government contacts while monitoring the situation.
“We’re only going if it’s safe or if we’re allowed there.”
“We are monitoring with our heads of security internally and with our government affairs folks externally, the situation there. If U.S. citizens are allowed in at this moment in time, it is declared and deemed safe, we’ll all be going there.”
Saudi Arabia is also not disappearing from WWE’s plans anytime soon. Ringside News previously covered how TKO COO Mark Shapiro said Saudi Arabia continues pushing hard for major WWE and UFC events, and WrestleMania 43 is already headed to Riyadh in 2027.
For now, WWE is still packing for Saudi Arabia and Crown Jewel is still on the books for November 7. The difference is that WWE is now talking about the travel problem internally, the date itself appears locked because of ESPN, and suddenly Riyadh may be the part of this equation that has more wiggle room if things get worse.
Do you think WWE will make the trip to Saudi Arabia exactly as planned, or could Crown Jewel keep its November 7 date and end up somewhere completely different? Let us know what you think and leave your feedback in the comments.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
