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As reported, WWE announced a partnership with the GSA (General Sports Authority) in Saudi Arabia in 2018. While the venture may be a lucrative one for both parties, this partnership has been controversial, to say the least, mainly due to the discrepancies between the US and the Government of Saudi Arabia.
The assassination of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, their outlook on women's rights, strained relationships with other countries, and their treatment of homosexuals are just a few reasons why many haven't been on board with WWE's decision to continue this partnership. Let's delve deeper.
#4 The honorary Uce, Sami Zayn
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Sami Zayn is undoubtedly one of WWE's most prominent stars; moreover, he's earned himself a ton of accolades during his tenure with the company. One thing the former Intercontinental Champion has never done is wrestle in Saudi Arabia, however.
Apparently, Zayn is prohibited from wrestling at any of the GSA/WWE partnered shows due to his Syrian ethnicity. According to Dave Meltzer (via Cultaholic), this was a decision made by the Saudi Government. Meltzer stated:
For one, all along we were told the only men off the show were Bryan and Cena, who decided against going, and Zayn, who the Saudi Arabian government told WWE they didn’t want him on the show due to his ethnicity.
#3 KO, Kevin Owens
On TV, Kevin Owens has been synonymous with two things: being an exceptionally talented wrestler, as well as a guy you simply can't trust. Behind the scenes, that 2nd fact is far from the case.
When it was reported that Sami Zayn was being pulled from the Saudi event, Owens seemingly refused to go as a show of solidarity with his long-time friend, according to Fightful.
While Sean Ross Sapp made it clear that KO never gave a specific reason, fans are yet to see Owens wrestle in Saudi Arabia following his appearance at WWE's Greatest Royal Rumble.
#2 The current Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, Roman Reigns
The Tribal Chief is slated to take on Logan Paul in what's shaping up to be a pretty intriguing clash at this year's Crown Jewel event in Riyadh. This may be a little-known fact to some, but The Head of The Table wasn't always as keen on wrestling in Saudi as he is now.
According to Fightful Select, Reigns reportedly didn't want to make the trip to Saudi for Crown Jewel in 2018 after it was confirmed that Jamal Khashoggi had been assassinated in Istanbul, Turkey; one month prior to the airing of Crown Jewel.
Initially, The Tribal Chief was set to take on both Brock Lesnar and Bruan Strowman in a triple threat match for the WWE Universal Title at the event. However, the October 22 edition of Raw would prove to be a somber one, as Reigns announced that his leukemia had returned and subsequently vacated the title.
#1 The 16 time world champion, John Cena
He's the other 16 time world champion. The one whose name isn't Ric Flair. While John Cena was once known as the most polarizing figure in all sports entertainment, it's now almost unanimous that he is one of the greatest to ever grace the squared circle.
Naturally, Cena was among the biggest names featured at WWE's first Pay Per View event in Saudi Arabia in front of 60,000 fans. On that day, he wrestled Triple H in the opening bout and came out victorious.
While the leader of the Cenation has appeared in Saudi Arabia to perform in the past, he has since refused future appearances due to the capturing and assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, a popular journalist who'd worked for The Washington Post prior to his tragic death.
