WWE Crown Jewel is “still set” for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on November 7, with construction underway on the venue, but plans could change.
Matches have started to be announced for WWE Crown Jewel, with more likely to be announced ahead of the event at Riyadh Season Stadium.
A recent post on social media showed the venue being built, with a poster of Liv Morgan spotted at the location.
With heightened tensions and hostility in the region, the situation could change, but the plans are fixed but seemingly fluid:
The current situation in Saudi Arabia
Recent hostilities have seen King Fahd airport come under attack, with reports of two deaths and eight injuries.
While the airport is operational, this isn’t the first time airport attacks have taken place, with Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport seeing eleven injuries and one death earlier this month, a day after twelve were killed and more than three hundred injured at the same location.
Advice issued on October 12 by the US State Department warns travellers to “reconsider travel” to Saudi Arabia, noting that some areas fall into the “Do not travel category”.
What the TKO executive said
Speaking to Fox News, Ari Emanuel touched upon the plans for WWE Crown Jewel and stated that the show is still going ahead as planned, saying:
“Right now, everything’s still set.
“This week, coming up, in Abu Dhabi, we have a UFC fight. We have, in the middle of November, a Frieze art show.
“So far, so good. Nothing’s been cancelled”
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With footage of the work underway on location and a WWE graphic advertising the show, it’s clear that Riyadh is also expecting the event to take place there.
Could plans for WWE Crown Jewel change?
Speculation emerged that WWE had a “backup venue” for Crown Jewel, although no specific location for the November 7 PLE has been revealed.
Asked if TKO or WWE were receiving government briefings, Emanual would indicate that the situation is under “daily monitoring” and suggest that alternative plans were an option, without going into further detail, stating:
“Yeah, we have a whole team working on this and, if that doesn’t happen, where we can move it. It’s a daily monitoring.”
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On his X account, where he shares his “personal opinion”, Turki Al-Sheikh, the co-founder of TKO owned Zuffa Boxing and chairman of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) in Saudi Arabia, stated:
“Canelo reached out and told me he’ll still fight in Riyadh this October, no matter what happens. He fears nothing.
“My country is home to the two Holy Mosques, land of peace, safety, rich civilization, deep history, and kind-hearted people.
“Thank you to everyone who checked in and showed support.
“Hard times reveal true friends.🙏🏻❤️🥊”
In the October 11 Wrestling Observer Daily Update, Dave Meltzer noted: “That tweet should tell everyone the pressure Emanuel and Shapiro are under to deliver the WWE show next month.”
The show must go on
There will be a show on November 7, whether it be Crown Jewel in Riyadh, elsewhere or another show entirely, with WWE required to deliver something for their broadcast partners to actually air on that date.
For the time being, WWE Crown Jewel is still taking place in Riyadh, despite ongoing hostilities, unless orders come through that travel to the region is no longer viable.
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