Top WWE Stars Reportedly Set To Miss Crown Jewel In Saudia Arabia

Roman Reigns and John Cena are expected to appear at WWE Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia this November, but numerous top stars will miss the show.

Although WWE typically stacks its cards for the Premium Live Events held in Saudi Arabia, a scheduling conflict for Crown Jewel on November 4th will change that. According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Wrestling Inc), some top WWE stars will be missing the trip altogether due to a domestic live event that takes place on the same night: “WWE is scheduled to do house shows in the United States on the weekend of the next Saudi Arabia date, making it impossible for all of the roster to travel.”

WWE’s last pay-per-view in Saudi Arabia was Night of Champions back in May, and it was one of the most star-studded pay-per-view lineups in recent history. The show included Brock Lesnar vs. Cody Rhodes, Trish Stratus vs. Becky Lynch, AJ Styles vs. Seth Rollins and The Bloodline vs. Sami Zayn and Kevin Usos.

So, WWE may be running a skeleton crew at Crown Jewel, but that could actually be a blessing in disguise and an opportunity for new talents to get a much-needed spotlight.

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One marquee match potentially taking shape for Crown Jewel is Reigns vs. LA Knight, which would be one of the biggest potential matches WWE could do at the moment. Reigns makes infrequent appearances at US house shows anyway, and with his televised matches becoming increasingly sporadic, Crown Jewel is sure to have a big fight feel.

Reigns is advertised to appear at Crown Jewel this year, likely for a rare title defense, and so is Cena, giving WWE arguably its two biggest stars on a show that will be the last major stop on the road to Survivor Series. Those two alone are enough to give Crown Jewel an air of importance just ahead of a Survivor Series event that has lost a lot of luster in recent years.

Cena—no surprise here—has proven to be a strong ratings draw for WWE since his return, and now that he’s mixing it up with The Bloodline, WWE’s most important stable, he’s involved in one of the top storylines in the company. A match like, say, Cena vs. Solo Sikoa would be a strong addition to the Crown Jewel and a cornerstone of the show’s card.

Running a split crew between Crown Jewel and a “supershow” in Rochester, New York shouldn’t be a problem, either.

WWE typically delivers star-studded events in the New York market, and the site of the show that opposes Crown Jewel, the Blue Cross Arena, is advertising several huge stars for its event, including Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn.

That could shed some light on how WWE plans to split its roster to deliver two massive jam-packed events on different sides of the world on the same day. Really, that is a huge testament to the incredible amount of talent WWE has on Raw and SmackDown.

It’s also a great opportunity for WWE to showcase new stars in Crown Jewel while continuing to have an exploding live event business reminiscent of its peak in the late 1990s. With names like Lynch, Flair, Owens and Zayn potentially headlining WWE’s slate of live events in the United States, Crown Jewel could—and should—be a showcase for rising talents as they share the ring with established stars like Cena and Reigns.

Up-and-coming stars, including Knight, Rhea Ripley and Sikoa, are poised to have breakthrough moments at Crown Jewel, and simply put, that would be a lot less likely without a split crew.

It’s just up to WWE to take advantage of a golden opportunity that may not feel like one yet.