WWE Crown Jewel is set for Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, but discussion around the event has extended beyond the announced matches and into the status of talent travel. The show has drawn renewed scrutiny amid concerns connected to the situation in the region, including the withdrawal of U.S. diplomats, and there have been differing accounts regarding whether WWE Superstars have been reluctant to make the trip.
The event was also moved last week to The Venue, an indoor building, by Saudi officials. That adjustment has become part of a broader conversation over the logistics and safety considerations surrounding Crown Jewel. WWE’s Saudi Arabia events have long generated debate for a variety of reasons, but the current circumstances have placed an especially sharp focus on who is scheduled to travel and whether performers have been given meaningful latitude in the matter.
Dave Meltzer has maintained that he has not heard of any WWE talent withdrawing from the show. He previously stated that there were no reports of performers pulling out and suggested that passing on the trip was not an option that was being actively offered or encouraged. Meltzer said he had spoken with a top WWE talent who characterized declining the trip as something that was “very much not being encouraged.”
That account does not fully align with another report indicating that multiple WWE stars, including prominent names, expressed that they did not want to be assigned to Crown Jewel because of safety concerns. That report further stated that at least one person booked for the event raised those concerns and was told that safety was being treated as a priority.
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At present, the two versions of the situation leave an important distinction. There have been reports that some performers were uneasy about the trip, but Meltzer’s position is that no one has actually removed themselves from the event. Neither point necessarily resolves the other: concerns may have been voiced internally while the final travel roster remained intact. With Crown Jewel approaching, the practical question is whether there will be any visible card changes, travel-related absences, or public comments from WWE or its talent before bell time.
Meltzer Says Crown Jewel Card Was Set Well In Advance
During Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer also addressed speculation about possible changes to the Crown Jewel lineup. In particular, he disputed the idea that Kevin Owens versus CM Punk had been scheduled for the Saudi Arabia show and later altered. Meltzer said that match was never part of the original plan for Crown Jewel.
His understanding is that the card has remained largely consistent with the version WWE put together well in advance. Meltzer said he had seen the original lineup and identified only one notable change: a match involving WWE’s tag team championship picture was initially planned as a six-man contest before being converted into a tag team title match.
“The only change is that the tag team title match was going to be a six-man with Oba, Penta, and Je’Von Evans against Bron Breakker, Austin Theory, and Bronson Reed. They decided to make it a tag match.”
That proposed six-man matchup would have placed Oba, Penta and Je’Von Evans opposite Bron Breakker, Austin Theory and Bronson Reed. Meltzer said WWE ultimately shifted away from that format in favor of the tag title bout now planned for the card.
The reported revision is significant not because it suggests a wholesale Crown Jewel reshuffle, but because it points to a possible direction WWE could revisit later. Meltzer speculated that Oba and Bronson Reed could potentially become involved in the tag title match as a way of establishing the larger six-man encounter for a future date. He stressed that this was not a confirmation of WWE’s plan, only a possibility he would not find surprising.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Oba and Bronson Reed end up interfering in that tag title match to set up the trios match at a point in the future. I’m not saying for sure that’ll happen, but I wouldn’t be surprised at all.”
As presented, the change appears to be a matter of creative timing rather than evidence that Crown Jewel has been materially reconstructed in response to the travel controversy. Meltzer’s assessment was direct: apart from the six-man match becoming a tag team title match, the event was always intended to follow the broader outline now in place.
Roman Reigns’ Presence Looms Large
Meltzer also pointed to Roman Reigns as a major factor in understanding why he does not expect widespread refusals among the talent roster. Reigns is one of WWE’s defining attractions and one of the company’s most protected, high-profile performers. Meltzer’s view was that Reigns making the trip would carry considerable weight within the locker room.
“If Roman Reigns is going, ain’t nobody saying no.”
The comment should not be read as a formal statement from WWE or as proof that every performer shares the same level of comfort with the situation. It does, however, reflect Meltzer’s belief that Reigns’ participation signals the company’s expectation that the show will move forward as planned with its intended major names available.
That dynamic is central to the uncertainty surrounding Crown Jewel. WWE may have a finalized card and an established travel plan, while individual performers can still have private concerns over conditions surrounding the event. The public-facing outcome will likely be judged by the eventual lineup in Riyadh. If the names announced for the show appear as scheduled, it will reinforce Meltzer’s contention that no one ultimately refused the trip. If late adjustments emerge, they will inevitably intensify attention on the reports of internal hesitation.
What To Watch Before Crown Jewel
For now, several elements remain worth monitoring as WWE approaches the event:
- Final card stability: Meltzer has said the lineup is essentially the one WWE planned long ago, with the tag title match replacing the previously considered six-man match.
- Talent availability: No withdrawals have been publicly established in Meltzer’s reporting, despite claims that some talent voiced reluctance about traveling.
- Potential interference: Oba and Bronson Reed could be names to watch around the tag title bout if WWE intends to return to the originally discussed six-man direction.
- Official communication: WWE has not publicly detailed the reported concerns, making the completed event and its final participants the clearest available indicators of how matters developed.
The situation remains defined by competing reports rather than a fully settled public picture. What is clear is that Crown Jewel remains scheduled for Riyadh on Saturday, the move to The Venue has been made, and Meltzer believes the show’s planned creative structure has not been significantly disrupted. The only specific card adjustment he identified was the conversion of the proposed Oba, Penta and Je’Von Evans versus Bron Breakker, Austin Theory and Bronson Reed six-man match into a tag team title match.
Until WWE addresses the matter in greater detail or the performers arrive for the show, the travel discussion will continue to be a major backdrop to Crown Jewel. In the meantime, Meltzer’s position is unchanged: talent concerns may have existed, but he has not been made aware of any WWE star refusing to go.
Quotes attributed to Wrestling Observer Radio.
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.