Crown Jewel has become one of WWE’s premiere main even shows. They usually pull out the big guns so to speak, when it comes to this show, putting on matches that a lot of fans definitely want to see—very similar in scope to WrestleMania.
This year is no exception, with many great matches planned, but in particular, the main event pitting Roman Reigns against YouTube celebrity sensation Logan Paul, is indeed something many are excited about.
But all of this almost came to a screeching halt when news broke that Iran had indeed made a threat of attack on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where Crown Jewel has been held for years now.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Saudi Arabia “shared intelligence” with the United States, stating that Iran was possibly planning an attack on specific targets in the kingdom.
It was shortly after this that the internet was set ablaze with rumors and worries for the country and the WWE superstars that would be flocking the kingdom for the premiere event. It was uncertain if WWE would be going ahead with the show in light of the sudden news.
According to a report at comicbook.com, a National Security Council spokesperson said: “We are concerned about the threat picture, and we remain in constant contact through military and intelligence channels with the Saudis…We will not hesitate to act in the defense of our interests and partners in the region.” The report also stated that US Military that are stationed in that Middle East area are said to be at an “elevated alert level…”
This of course was not the only incident to occur in regards to this event. We will remember the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Despite pleas from the US government for the show to be canceled, WWE went ahead anyways; at the time, John Cena and Bryan Danielson, who was still with the company (2018), refused to enter the country in protest.
Many on social media voiced their concerns to whether the show should go on or not, the safety again of the wrestlers a primary concern for most on social media…the wonderment posed by these people was specifically why WWE was so intent on still holding the show.
As it turns out, both Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer and Mike Johnson of PW Insider would share some information regarding what plans were in light of the threat of attack from Iran.
Meltzer stated: “The best term regarding Saudi Arabia would be monitoring the situation…All plans are for the show at this moment but you can’t control the real world.”
Mike Johnson of PW Insider said: “In speaking to several at WWE, we are told that the show is set to still go forward and that the company already has security protocols and emergency contingencies in place for any issues…They are hopeful all will be fine.”
So in the end, the show is still on and is set to go down as planned on Saturday November 5th at 12PM EST.
