3 WWE Superstars who refused to go to Saudi Arabia & 2 who weren't allowed

WWE Night of Champions is scheduled for May 27, 2023, at the Jeddah Super Dome in Saudi Arabia. The event has been revived after almost eight years and will be the company's latest event in Saudi Arabia. The previous Night of Champions was held on September 20, 2015, at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

Speaking of events in Saudi Arabia, it so happens that certain WWE Superstars have decided to forgo a good payday by refusing to perform at events that happen in the country. On the other hand, certain superstars weren't allowed to perform in Saudi.

Here is the list of WWE Superstars who refused or weren't allowed to perform in Saudi Arabia:

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#5. John Cena (Refused)

When WWE signed a ten-year contract with Saudi Arabia in 2018, it was the beginning of ensuring the product was being broadcasted to a global audience. To promote the new relationship, the event featured a singles tournament. In that tournament, one of the advertised superstars was John Cena.

However, when Bobby Lashley was announced as Cena's replacement, it raised eyebrows, given The All Mighty never qualified in the first place. Turns out, The Champ had refused to be a part of the 2018 Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia as a result of former Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi's alleged assassination.

During the time when Cena refused to perform in Saudi Arabia, he was one of the most heavily advertised superstars for the event.

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#4. Sami Zayn (Wasn't allowed)

The current Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champion has never performed in Saudi Arabia. It so happens that Sami Zayn is of Syrian descent, and the relations between Syria and Saudi Arabia used to be in a state of constant unrest.

While speaking on Blindboy podcast in 2020, Zayn discussed his stance on the company's partnership with Saudi Arabia.

"WWE did a thing, a partnership sort of or signed some sort of deal to put on these shows in Saudi Arabia for I don’t know, what, 10 years or something like that. And I just wasn’t invited to go and I never really dug into it too much because I wasn’t keen on going to begin with, but I would like to discuss that”

However, recent improvements in Saudi Arabia and Syria's diplomatic relations may have convinced the company to include Sami Zayn in the event. Since he is one of the most over superstars among fans, his inclusion should fetch positive results for WWE.

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#3. Kevin Owens (Refused)

The current Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champion has previously refused to perform in Saudi Arabia, even though he is scheduled for Night of Champions on May 27, 2023.

It's well-known that Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are extremely close friends and have been together since their time in the independent wrestling circuit. Therefore, Owens refused to work in Saudi Arabia as a gesture of support towards Sami Zayn, who was not allowed (or never asked) to perform at previous events in Saudi Arabia.

However, Kevin Owens' stance may have changed, given Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa are supposed to battle Zayn and him at Night of Champions for the Undisputed Tag Team Title. Owens' decision to perform at Night of Champions could be attributed to WWE, including Sami Zayn.

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#2. Aleister Black (Wasn't allowed)

Former WWE Superstar Aleister Black did not perform or rather wasn't allowed to perform in Saudi Arabia because of his tattoos that are related to religion.

Black has tattoos that portray Lilith, the demonic figure who stole babies at night, and Yama. Given that Saudi Arabia's stance on religion is rather strict, Black's tattoos will not go down well with the country.

As a result, the promotion never showed any major interest in booking him for Saudi Arabia events, regardless of his talents.

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#1. Daniel Bryan (Refused) to work WWE Night of Champions

Former WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan has refused to perform in Saudi Arabia for more than one reason.

Bryan did not want to be a part of Crown Jewel in 2018 because of the same reason as John Cena, i.e., due to the alleged assassination of former Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Furthermore, the inaugural Greatest Royal Rumble event was held on April 27, 2018, in Saudi Arabia, but women weren't allowed to perform. This left a poor impression of Saudi Arabia events in Daniel Bryan's mind.

Finally, another reason why Daniel Bryan refused to perform in Saudi Arabia was due to the country's treatment of the LGBTQ community. In fact, during his time with the company, he directly spoke to Vince McMahon about the situation and his refusal to perform.