WWE’s Crown Jewel situation is getting even messier, because the people being asked to make the trip to Riyadh don’t want to go. Bryan Alvarez claims the feeling inside WWE is that “nobody wants to go,” even though the company’s wrestlers aren’t saying anything publicly.
Speaking on Wrestling Observer Live, Alvarez opened up about the mood behind the scenes as WWE continues preparing for Crown Jewel on November 7. According to him, wrestlers have stayed quiet publicly, but that’s apparently very different from what’s being said internally.
“None of the wrestlers have said anything publicly about this. I can safely say that internally, nobody wants to go, but they can’t say anything. There have been production people who have posted on Instagram that they don’t want to go, and WWE wasn’t happy about that.”
Some production workers have apparently been more willing to make their feelings known. Alvarez claimed people on WWE’s production side have posted on Instagram about not wanting to make the trip, and the company wasn’t exactly thrilled about them putting that out there.
Things got even more concerning when Alvarez revealed what someone within WWE allegedly told him just a day earlier. The person wasn’t simply worried about making the trip — they brought up what could happen if another missile strike hit while WWE had so much of its roster and crew in Riyadh.
“I did hear from someone there yesterday that, ‘You do realize that one missile strike wipes out the entire company?’ It’s not, ‘Oh, you know, this or that’ — like, the company is gone. And obviously, this person doesn’t want to go, but right now, they are going.”
This comes as Crown Jewel is already facing plenty of uncertainty. Saudi outlet Ejal recently reported that the General Entertainment Authority is considering canceling all Riyadh Season events for the rest of the year, which would include Crown Jewel if officials actually decide to go through with it.
All of this comes after recent attacks involving King Khalid International Airport raised serious security concerns in the Saudi capital. There have also been reports that WWE could relocate Crown Jewel, but the company hasn’t announced a new location or confirmed that the show is moving.
So, at least for now, Crown Jewel is still happening in Riyadh. But between Saudi officials potentially canceling Riyadh Season and Alvarez claiming WWE personnel privately don’t want to make the trip, the next few weeks could get very interesting.
What do you think WWE should do with Crown Jewel amid the reported concerns behind the scenes? Let us know in the comments below.
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